The Ancient Town of Yetao

The Ancient Town of Yetao

Yetao Town is located in the southwestern part of Wu'an City, Hebei Province, 26 kilometers from the urban area, with a total area of 74 square kilometers. It governs 21 administrative villages and has a population of 22,526. The eastern half of the region is hilly, while the western half is surrounded by mountains with elevations of over 700 meters. There are 30,491 acres of arable land, all of which are dryland, averaging 1.35 acres per person. Yetao Town boasts significant transportation advantages. The Han Dan–Changzhi Railway runs through the area, with the Xingu Town Railway Station located within its jurisdiction. National Highway 309 stretches east-west across the town, while the Ciyang Line, a municipal-level road, runs north-south through the eastern part of the town, ensuring highly accessible transport links.

The seat of the town government, Yetao Village, served as the headquarters for the party, government, and military organs of the Shanxi–Hebei–Shandong–Henan Border Region during the Liberation War. Veteran revolutionaries such as Dong Biwu, Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yi, Xu Xiangqian, Bo Yibo, Teng Daiyuan, Yang Xiufeng, and Li Da once planned strategies and directed battles here. This land of Yetao bears witness to the heroic years of the elders’ struggle and retains traces of their daily lives. The former site of the Shanxi–Hebei–Shandong–Henan Central Bureau has been designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a Hebei Provincial Patriotic Education Base, and a Hebei Provincial National Defense Education Base. It is currently applying for recognition as a National National Defense Education Base. It is also one of the thirty key red tourism sites in Hebei Province.

Yetao Town has a rich historical and cultural heritage. The “Guyi Nuo Opera” in Guyi Village, located within the town, has a history of over 500 years. It is a folk performance passed down through generations in Guyi Village, characterized by strong traditional elements and organized spontaneously by the local community. The discovery of Guyi Nuo Opera debunked the notion that “there is no Nuo opera north of the Yellow River.” It is not only a source of pride for the people of Guyi but also a cultural heritage treasure for the world. Guyi Nuo Opera has been listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2006, Yetao Town was named one of the first Historical and Cultural Towns in Hebei Province and a Civilized Township of Handan City. Since the reform and opening-up, the town’s economy has achieved leapfrog development, forming an economic model where the eastern part focuses on the Yuanbaoshan Industrial Park in Guzhen, while the central and western parts emphasize the development of planting and fruit industries.