The Ancient Town of Yetao

　　Yetao Town is situated in the southwest of Wu'an City, Hebei Province, approximately 26 kilometers from the city center, with a total area of 74 square kilometers. It governs 21 administrative villages and has a population of 22,526. The eastern part of the town consists of hilly terrain, while the western part is surrounded by mountains, with elevations of over 700 meters. The area has 30,491 mu of arable land, all of which is dryland, averaging 1.35 mu per person. Yetao Town enjoys significant transportation advantages. The Handan-Changzhi Railway runs through the area, with the Xingu Town Railway Station located here. National Highway 309 stretches east–west across the town, and the municipal-level Ciyang Road runs north–south through the eastern part of the town, ensuring highly efficient transport links.

　　During the Chinese Civil War, Yetao Village, where the town government is located, served as the base for the party, government, and military organs of the Shanxi–Hebei–Shandong–Henan Border Region. Senior revolutionary figures such as Dong Biwu, Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yi, Xu Xiangqian, Bo Yibo, Teng Daiyuan, Yang Xiufeng, and Li Da strategized and commanded major operations here. This land bears witness to the arduous and heroic years of their struggle and preserves fragments of their daily lives. The former site of the Shanxi–Hebei–Shandong–Henan Central Bureau has been designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a Patriotic Education Base of Hebei Province, and a National Defense Education Base of Hebei Province. It is currently under application to become a National Defense Education Base of China. It is also one of the 30 key red tourism sites in Hebei Province.

　　Yetao Town boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage. The “Guyi Nuo Opera” of Guyi Village 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 shattered the long-held belief 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 valuable cultural heritage of the world. The Guyi Nuo Opera has been listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2006, Yetao Town was honored as one of the first Historic 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. A development model has taken shape with the Guyuzhen Yuanbaoshan Industrial Park primarily in the eastern part, while the central and western parts focus on expanding crop farming and fruit tree cultivation.