Guangfu Ancient City

Guangfu Ancient City

Guangfu Ancient City is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a cultural tourism site, and a national water conservancy scenic area.

Guangfu Ancient City, a famous historical and cultural town in China and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, is situated in the southern part of the North China Plain, about 20 kilometers southeast of Yongnian County in Handan City, Hebei Province, and 20 kilometers from downtown Handan. With a history of over 2,600 years, it is a national key cultural relics protection unit. The well-preserved ancient city walls built during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties attract numerous spontaneous visitors from around the world. Online, it has been dubbed the “forgotten mysterious ancient city,” and the name Guangfu Ancient City has begun to spread.

Guangfu Ancient City was first recorded as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and was the fief of Mao Sui of the Zhao State during the Warring States Period. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Dou Jiande established his capital here and founded the Xia Kingdom. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it became the Guangping Prefecture of Zhili Province.

The well-preserved Hongji Bridge to the east of the city is the sister bridge of the Zhaozhou Bridge. Guangfu Ancient City is the birthplace of Yang-style and Wu-style Tai Chi, holding a leading position in the Tai Chi community. The officially published 88-form and 24-form Tai Chi routines by the National Sports Commission, as well as those performed on many occasions, are either Yang-style Tai Chi or derived from it. Among the eight major schools of Tai Chi in China, five originated in Yongnian. It is hailed as the “Hometown of Chinese Tai Chi.” In 2013, Guangfu Ancient City was promoted to a 4A-level tourist attraction. It has been successively awarded titles such as “National AAAA-level Tourist Attraction,” “Famous Historical and Cultural Town in China,” “National Wetland Park,” “Hometown of Chinese Tai Chi,” “Chinese Tai Chi Research Center,” “Sacred Land of Tai Chi,” “National Advanced Unit for Promoting Simplified Tai Chi,” “Mysterious Ancient City of the East,” “Hebei Provincial Model Award for Human Settlement Environment,” and “Hebei Provincial Town with Beautiful Environment.” The Handan–Linqing line runs through the area, and a tourist bus route, Line 605 from Handan Railway Station to Guangfu Ancient City, has been launched, offering very convenient transportation.

Address: 20 kilometers southeast of Yongnian District, Handan City, Hebei Province; 15 kilometers southwest of downtown Handan.

Guangfu Ancient City, situated in the center of the 46,000-mu Yongnianwa Wetland, is a unique inland water city and is known as the “Little Jiangnan of the North.” It is called “Guangfu” because it was once the seat of Guangping Prefecture, one of the three prefectures in southern Hebei during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Highlights: Guangfu Ancient City is a famous historical and cultural town in China with a history of over 2,600 years and is a national key cultural relics protection unit. The ancient city currently has two barbicans and six city gates: the Yanghe Gate to the east, the Baohé Gate to the west, the Yangming Gate to the south, and the Zhenyuan Gate to the north. It is surrounded by a moat and the Yongnianwa Wetland. The well-preserved Hongji Bridge to the east is the sister bridge of the Zhaozhou Bridge. It is also the birthplace of Yang-style and Wu-style Tai Chi.

Further Reading:

· The 32nd Batch of National 5A-Level Tourist Attractions (February 2017)