Baoding Travel Guide, China

Baoding, Travel guide – Location

Baoding travel guide presents the important city from inland Hebei province, located in eastern China, not far from the capital of Beijing and from Taiyuan.

Baoding, Travel guide – Geography

The city lies in a picturesque area where the mountains meet the plains. In the background one can admire the Taihang Mountains with their crenellated peaks and deep green valleys, the result of the climate’s action over their limestone foundation. The city proper is set exclusively over the plain area at an average elevation of only 19m above sea level.

Climate in the city area is temperate humid with strong influences of the monsoon which actions in summer when the rainfalls are very present. Tourists prefer visiting the city in the cooler seasons but the ones willing to admire the traditional festivals and ceremonies come in summer when they are held.

Numerous small lakes and pools are spread all over the city as well as some smaller streams with irregular courses.

Baoding, Travel guide – Flora and Fauna

Baoding like many other important and modern Chinese cities is preoccupied with its aesthetic aspect. Here you can admire a unique contrast between the ancient gardens decorated with lotuses and other traditional plants and trees and the modern plants which decorate the cosmopolite city.

The most beautiful traditional landscape garden in Baoding and one of the most famous in entire China is the ancient lotus pool garden. The place is located in the old city and offers a magnificent image with its small hills, large pools filled with lotuses and numerous decorative tree and plant species. In summer the garden is full of visitors arriving here in order to admire the blossomed lotuses and smell their unique fragrance.

The native fauna as well as other animal species can be admired at the Baoding Zoo, very popular among tourists with children.

Baoding, Travel guide – Transport

Due to its location nearby the capital of Beijing, the city has access to a very well developed transport infrastructure, making access possible by air, road or railway. An important expressway passes near the city determining very good connections as well as a national railway connecting the city with every other important location in China. The same roads can help you reach the nearest ports which are Tianjin at the Grand Canal of China and Huang Hua at the Bohai Bay.

The nearest airport here is the Beijing International Airport located 160 km away from the city and transfer can be made by bus, train or car. Within the city only buses and taxis are available.

Baoding, Travel guide – Population and Economy

The city alone houses about 640.000 inhabitants most of them being Han Chinese. The language spoken here is Mandarin Chinese but it is not similar to the one spoken in other large cities, every region having its own dialect and influences. Baoding is a local economic centre gathering numerous important companies and industrial plants, the main employers being from the metallurgy, agriculture and chemistry fields. Crafts are also important in the local economy with famous hand made household objects as well as tourism because people are attracted by this combination of modern, traditional and exotic sceneries offered by Baoding. Agriculture produces the same things like other centers, rice, peanuts and the famous snow peaches.

Baoding, Travel guide – Cuisine

The best places to eat in Baoding are located downtown but for a lower budget you can also try the smaller places from the city’s districts which invite you with their flavors and friendly atmosphere. One of the local specialties here is the Lu Zhu Chicken, a mix of boiled chicken meat served with a thick sauce, as well as Lu Rou Huo Shao, a sort of pie filled with donkey meat or Bing Tang Hu Lu which is a specialty made with local berries called hawthorn. The local beverages accompanying a good meal in Baoding may be a good wine, Asian beer, tea or other such drinks.