China Travel Guide

Beijing & the North - Hebei, Tianjin & Shanxi

Beijing

Hebei, Tianjin & Shanxi

Shandong & Henan

Shaanxi

With its northern borders adjoining Inner Mongolia and the western tip of erstwhile Manchuria, Hebei divides into a long southern plateau and a mountainous north, dotted with fragments of the Great Wall. Despite these barriers, the Manchu army flowed through the Shanhaiguan Pass in 1644 to impose 250 years of foreign rule on the Chinese. Hebei borders Shanxi to the west and envelops the wealthy conurbations of Beijing and Tianjin – Hebei’s former capital and a repository of foreign concession-era architecture.

Shanxi (West of the Mountains), its northern edge protected by the Great Wall, was once a buffer zone against the hostile Mongol and Turkic tribes. It is largely a mountainous plateau, heavily industrialized, with the Yellow River (Huang He) flowing the length of its western border. Leaving Beijing, most visitors first explore Chengde, with its imperial park and temple architecture, or the celebrated Buddhist carvings at Yungang, outside Datong. Other key sights include the magnificent Hanging Temple clinging to the cliff face, the peaceful hills around Wutai Shan, one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and the charming Ming and Qing architecture in the ancient walled town of Pingyao.

Towns & Cities

• Beidaihe 2
• Datong 6
• Pingyao 11
• Shanhaiguan 3
• Shijiazhuang 5
• Taiyuan 10
• Tianjin 4

Temples & Monasteries

• Chengde 1
• HangingTemple 8
• ShuanglinSi 12

Areas of Natural Beauty

• Wutai Shan 9
• Yungang Caves 7

Historic Sites

• Qiao Jia Dayuan 13

Please click here to read more information about Beijing & the North, China

For more details, please visit China Tours and China Travel Information.

---

China Tours:

Specials: 8-Day Timeless Beijing Tour   9-Day A Tale of China's Two Great Cities Tour   10-Day China's Golden Triangle Tour

Super Value Tours: 10-Day Tibet & Beijing Tour   12-Day China Highlights Tour   12-Day China & Hong Kong Tour  

First Class Travel: 12-Day The Middle Kingdom Tour   14-Day China's Best Treasures Tour   16-Day Best of China & Hong Kong Tour  

China Cruise Tours: 15-Day The Mighty Yangtze Tour   17-Day Grand China & Yangtze Cruise Tour   18-Day Yangtze Cruise & Tibet Odyssey Tour  

Trips of a lifetime: 12-Day Classic China & Tibet Highland Tour   21-Day China Panorama Tour   22-Day Imperial China, Tibet & Hong Kong Tour  

Affordable Luxury Tours: 16-Day The Dragon Heart of China & Yangtze Tour    18-Day China's Imperial Wonders & Yangtze Tour