7 Days in Handan

Congtai Park's terrace goes back to King Wuling of Zhao (r. 325-299 BC); the museum's Zhao bronzes set up the week. Handan made the Zhao capital in 386 BC and held it for 158 years.

1. handan congtai park
2. handan city museum

A full day about 25 km northeast — 4.5 km of Ming walls around a wetland moat, and the courtyards of Yang Luchan (1799-1872) and Wu Yuxiang (1812-1880).

1. handan guangfu ancient city

Morning at the palace-city ruins west of town, then the old quarter — the 1617 stone bridge of the "learn-to-walk" idiom and the lane where Lin Xiangru made way for General Lian Po.

1. handan zhaowang city ruins
2. handan xuebu bridge
3. handan huiche lane

The Northern Qi caves (550-577) and the old Cizhou kiln yards of Pengcheng share the Fengfeng basin, about 35 km southwest — one day covers both.

1. handan xiangtangshan grottoes
2. handan pengcheng kiln sites

Around 90 km west into the Taihang foothills — the four-storey pavilion, about 23 m high, is tied back to the cliff with iron chains above Northern Qi stone carvings.

1. handan wahuang palace

An honest neighbor day — Anyang, in neighboring Henan, is about 60 km south, 20 minutes by HSR from Handan East, for the UNESCO Shang-capital ruins (listed 2006). Back by evening.

1. anyang yinxu

A market breakfast, a slow loop of the old quarter lanes, then the HSR from Handan East — direct trains reach Beijing in about two hours.

1. handan city markets