Baoding

Baoding (保定 Bǎodìng) is a city in Hebei in north China with a number of notable historic sites.

Understand


Administratively, Baoding is vast with the prefecture's land area encompassing 11 million inhabitants. The metro area has a population of 2 million. There are several outerlying counties far from the center. In the north is Yi County has a multi-site tourist complex centered on the Western Qing Tombs that includes a Yishui Lake and a historic town. In the northwest of Baoding Prefecture is Laiyuan County which includes Baishi Mountain, one of north China's most picturesque mountains.

Baoding was razed by the Mongols in the 13th century but was reconstructed under the Yuan dynasty, during which it received its contemporary name. It flourished as a cultural hub throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Qing Dynasty, Baoding housed the Viceroy of Zhili, a key administrative role overseeing Zhili Province—now primarily Hebei. This position held significant sway in imperial court politics, given the province encircled Beijing. The viceroy's office is now a museum.

By plane
Inter-provincial bus travel to Baoding from Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. 

High speed rail from Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport to Baoding East takes about 30 minutes.

By train
is near the city center. It offers less frequent train services from Beijing Station. Travel times vary between approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes by high-speed rail.

is roughly 7 km east of the city center, serves trains from Beijing West Station and Beijing Fentai Station. The journey by high-speed rail typically takes about 40 to 50 minutes.

Get around
Taxis are plentiful. There is no metro system.

Central Baoding




Learn
Baoding hosts two key provincial universities: Hebei University and the Agricultural University of Hebei (AUH). These institutions draw a handful of international graduate students, who are drawn to the affordable tuition and living costs, and a good education in specialized fields such as crop production and soil management at AUH.

Buy


Xidajie (West Street) is the main historical shopping street in the area, reopened in 2022 after renovations. A bustling hub for visitors, this street draws comparisons to Nanluoguxiang in Beijing and other historical shopping streets across China. One thing that sets Xidajie apart is a unique local offering: a shop specializing in Baoding balls (look for the storefront with the big sign 保定铁球). These traditional Chinese relaxation tools, consisting of two metal balls that are rotated in one hand, are a famed cultural hallmark of the city.

Eat
Baoding is famous around China for donkey burgers (驴肉火烧), which are sandwiches stuffed with donkey meat.

Go next

 * Shijiazhuang - the modern day provincial capital to the south
 * Zunhua - Visit the Eastern Qing Tombs after seeing the Western Qing Tombs