Beijing West’s First Prefecture Tourism Area

Beijing West’s First Prefecture Tourism Area

The Beijing West’s First Prefecture Tourism Area consists of scenic spots in Xuanhua District and Xuanhua County. Its core attraction is the ancient city of Xuanhua, renowned as the “Beijing West’s First Prefecture.” The entire tourism area spans a total of 2,371.7 square kilometers.

The Beijing West’s First Prefecture Tourism Area is home to a wealth of cultural relics and historic sites, featuring three national key cultural heritage protection units, ten Hebei Provincial key cultural heritage protection units, and nine “Beijing West’s Firsts,” all of which reflect a profound cultural heritage. Visitors can admire the grandeur of the ancient city of Xuanhua and experience the local customs and culture of a frontier fortress town. Highlights include the Beijing West’s First Bell Tower — Qingyuan Tower, the Beijing West’s First Drum Tower — Zhenso Tower, the Beijing West’s First Tomb — the Zhang Shiqing Tomb at Xiabali, the Beijing West’s First Brick Carving — the Five Dragons Brick Carving on the Xuanhua Wall, the Beijing West’s First Japanese Monk Pagoda — Lihua Temple Pagoda, the Beijing West’s First Stone Pagoda — the Berlin Temple Stone Pagoda, as well as the Xuanhua Gongji Tower and the Nine Dragons Screen. The area's rich and profound ancient city culture, architectural culture, Buddhist culture, and Liao Dynasty tomb culture not only enrich visitors’ knowledge and broaden their horizons, but also foster a sense of national pride, inspire patriotism, and promote physical and mental well-being.

Qingyuan Tower, also known as the Bell Tower, is located in the center of Xuanhua District’s North and South Streets. Built in the 18th year of the Ming Chenghua era (1482 AD), it has a history of over 500 years. It is a multi-eaved, multi-angle, cross-ridged, hip-and-gable roof structure, appearing three stories from the outside but actually consisting of two floors, with a total height of 25 meters. The tower houses a bronze bell cast in the 18th year of the Ming Jiajing era (1539 AD), weighing ten thousand jin (approximately 5 metric tons), which was used in ancient times to mark dawn and dusk, with its sound audible up to 40 li (about 20 kilometers). It is often referred to as the “Second Yellow Crane Tower.” In 1954 and 1982, it was listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit; in 1988, it was designated as a national key cultural heritage protection unit by the State Council.

Zhenso Tower, also known as the Drum Tower, is located 200 meters north of Qingyuan Tower. Constructed in the 5th year of the Ming Zhengtong era (1440 AD), it is a multi-eaved, nine-ridged, hip-and-gable roof building, standing 25 meters tall and covering an area of 1,052 square meters. The tower houses a large drum used for timekeeping and serves as an important landmark within the city of Xuanhua. Under the eaves of the top floor on the northern side of Zhenso Tower hangs a plaque measuring 6.6 meters long and 2.4 meters high, inscribed with the bold characters “Shenjing Pinghan” (Capital’s Screen and Support). The powerful calligraphy, integrated seamlessly with intricately carved dragon patterns along the border, was personally inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, signifying that Xuanhua acts as a shield for the capital, Beijing, highlighting its significant military importance.

Xuanhua City (including Gongji Tower) — The city walls of Xuanhua were initially built during the Tang Dynasty and expanded in the 27th year of the Ming Hongwu era. After the expansion, the city walls formed a near-perfect square, with each side spanning six li (approximately 3 kilometers, commonly referred to as “six li and thirteen steps”). The walls stood 2 zhang 8 chi (approximately 9 meters) tall, with crenellations adding another 7 chi (approximately 2.3 meters), bringing the total height to 3 zhang 5 chi (approximately 11.6 meters). The city had seven gates, each topped with a gate tower, and each gate was further protected by a barbican and a moon gate, with an additional gate fortress situated outside Changping Gate. Outside the walls, a moat was dug and drawbridges were installed, later supplemented with corner towers and hanging towers, creating a comprehensive and formidable defense system — truly a case of being “easy to defend but hard to attack, solid as a fortress.” Gongji Tower is the gate tower of Xuanhua’s southern city gate, also called Changping Gate Tower, and referred to as Zhao’geng Tower during the Ming Dynasty. This double-eaved, hip-and-gable roof structure with clay tiles is a modest-style building, constructed during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424 AD), with a total height of 24 meters across two levels. Below it lies a north-south arched passageway integrated with the ancient city wall, symbolizing the gateway to Xuanhua. In 1982, the People’s Government of Hebei Province designated Xuanhua City (including Gongji Tower) as a provincial-level key cultural heritage protection unit.

Xiabali Liao Tombs

The tombs feature a variety of forms, including single-chamber and double-chamber structures, as well as square, circular, hexagonal, and octagonal layouts. A rich array of artifacts have been unearthed, totaling over 800 items such as porcelain, pottery, woodware, and lacquerware, along with over 360 square meters of murals. The mural content is remarkably vivid, depicting polo games, the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, screen paintings, and more.

The Five Dragons Wall is located on the campus of Xuanhua Branch of Zhangjiakou Education College (formerly Xuanhua Normal School). The main design of the Five Dragons Wall features five dragons carved on central bricks. Above them are auspicious clouds, and below, surging waves, with the five mighty dragons twisting and playing amid the sea of clouds and waves, competing for a flaming jewel. In addition to the five dragons, the wall contains 61 smaller independent designs, including birds, beasts, flowers, and birds, which complement the central dragon imagery, creating a spectacular overall effect.　

　The Main Hall of Shien Temple is located 100 meters northwest of Zhenso Tower. It is a single-eaved, nine-rafter hip-and-gable roof structure, built in the 6th year of the Ming Chenghua era (1470 AD). The hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a total height of 10.3 meters and covering an area of 350 square meters. The front of the hall features a single-eaved, six-rafter, rolled-canopy porch, added during the Qing Dynasty. The entire structure has an appearance that is simple, dignified, and imposing. Renowned Chinese archaeologist Su Bai visited Xuanhua and wrote that the Main Hall of Shien Temple exhibits architectural styles and distinctive local characteristics from the early 15th century or even earlier, possessing significant cultural relic value. It was designated as a cultural heritage protection unit of Hebei Province in 1993.

Former Site of the Democratic Government of Chahar Province — Located at No. 50, Pailou West Street, Xuanhua District (east side of the Catholic Church), this site was originally the Xuanhua Grand Seminary of the Catholic Church. Constructed in 1930, it is a complete, three-courtyard quadrangle with certain Western architectural elements, covering a land area of 6,535 square meters and a building area of 2,881 square meters, with 111 existing rooms. The entire compound is bright, spacious, neatly arranged, and logically laid out.

Lihua Temple Pagoda — Located within a military base on Jiefang South Road in Xuanhua District, this is a five-tiered, octagonal pavilion-style brick pagoda. It consists of a base, pedestal, body, and finial, with a total height of 15 meters. The pagoda features beautiful modeling and exquisite craftsmanship, holding high artistic value.