5 Days in Langfang

About 21 minutes from Beijing South by HSR, in a city about 60 km from both metropolises; the free city museum keeps the 1900 battle in its halls (closed Mondays), the forest park stretches the legs, and the Yulong river light show runs after dark.

1. langfang museum
2. langfang nature park
3. langfang yulong river park

The arts centre's theatres and galleries anchor the east side of town, and the Red Mansions theatre city — opened July 2023 — spreads scene after scene across whole courtyards; buy the combined ticket and give it the full day.

1. langfang silk road arts center
2. langfang red mansions drama city

Northeast to Dachang Hui county — the curved-brick Ethnic Palace, the film-production studios next door, and the greenway along the Chaobai river for an evening walk; Hui-style beef dishes anchor lunch.

1. langfang dachang ethnic palace
2. langfang dachang film town
3. langfang chaobai greenway

The 130-hectare recreated Ming-Qing Beijing takes half a day; then the Grand Canal's Xianghe stretch, reopened to sightseeing boats in 2022 — this is the north end of the Beijing-Hangzhou waterway. Xianghe meat pie for lunch.

1. langfang xianghe first city
2. langfang grand canal xianghe

The Song-Liao era tunnel network under Yongqing, dug nearly 1,000 years ago, opens a slice of border-war history; then an hour to Bazhou's canal town for opera stage, archway and Wenchang pavilion before the evening train.

1. langfang yongqing tunnels
2. langfang shengfang ancient town