Area: 12,074 square kilometers (4661 square miles)

Nationalities: Han, Hui

Administrative Division: 4 districts; 1 county-level city; 14 counties

Useful Numbers:
　　　　　　Tourist Complaint:
　　　　　　0310-3216667
　　　　　　Weather Forecast: 121
　　　　　　Bank of China: 95566

Location:Located in the south of Hebei Province it is in the communication center of Hebei, Henan, Shanxi and Shandong provinces within 200 (124 miles) kilometers away from the capital cities of these four provinces and about 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Beijing and Tianjin.

History:The Cishan Culture made this area a glowing pearl in Central Plain of China about 8,000 years ago. As the most time-honored city in Hebei, Handan was the capital of Zhao Kingdom in Warring States Period (476BC-221BC) as a political, economic and cultural center of northern China. In Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), it enjoyed a high reputation as one of the five essential cities of China. Then it gained its name for the Hanshan Mountain in the east of the city.

Physical Features:The city lies at the east foot of Taihang Mountains, and borders the North China Plain in the east. Euptelea and Wild Herbal Flowers of Taihang Mountains are the unique plant of Handan City. It also has rich reserves of coal and iron.

Climatic Features:The city enjoys a continental monsoon climate and features four clear seasons. It is dry and windy in spring, hot and rainy in summer. The weather is temperate and cool in autumn and chilly in winter. The average temperature for the year is about 13.5C (51.8F). January is the coldest month and July the hottest of a year.

When to Go:Summer and autumn are the best seasons to visit Handan.

Local Specialities:Donkey meat sausage, Congtai wine, Cizhou pottery

Local Highlights: As an old city with thousands of years of history, Handan has inherited a rich cultural heritage, such as Chinese idioms and legends, folk arts, such as Buddhist temple music, Shan Gu Wu (dance with fans and drums), and Yongnian Tai Chi (a style of Tai Chi originating in Yongnian County).

Scenic SpotsWahuang Palace

Commonly referred to as "Nainai Ding" (Grandma Temple), Wahuang Palace is located in Tangwangjiao Mountain in northwestern Shexian County and about 68 miles to the west of Handan City. First built in Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577), it was constructed in remembrance of Nuwa, a goddess in Chinese mythology.

The whole structure was built along the contour of the mountain. There are 135 houses, three grottoes and six cliff sutra inscriptions of the Northern Qi Dynasty and 75 inscribed stone tablets of successive dynasties. One finds at the foot of the mountain the Chaoyuan Palace, Tingcan Palace and Guangsheng Palace, all of which wind through the eighteen mountain bends. The main Wahuang Palace is situated on the right side of the mountain. It is four storey high and measures 75 feet tall. The nine iron chains secure Badian Hall, Qingxu Pavilion, Zaohua Pavilion and Butian Pavilion to the cliffs from the bottom to the top. The elegance of the construction demonstrates the ingenuity and high level of Chinese ancient architecture.

As the largest and earliest group of buildings, Wahuang Palace attracts numerous visitors not only because it was built to commemorate the Goddess Nuwa but also to admire the exquisite craftsmanship of Chinese ancient architecture.

Entrance Fee:CNY 60

Jingniang Lake

Jingniang Lake is an enchanting land with green hills and clear water. It is located in the northwest of Wuan city and about 37 miles away from Handan City. Its name originated from the touching story of Zhao Kuangyin, the first emperor of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) who sent off the girl he rescued, Jingniang.

Embraced by verdant mountains, Jingniang Lake is picturesque with a variety of both natural and artificial formations. The latter is ever so vividly created that they blended well into the environment and were created based on historical stories. There are 18 scenic sights in all, including Gaoxia Pinghu (Calm Lake Rising from the Steep Gorge), "Fury Lion Raises Its Head", Jingniang Gorge, Songzu Gorge and Xianling Gorge.

Jingniang Lake was originally known as Koushang Reservoir which is the inverted Chinese character "人" and has eastern and western branches. After years of exploration and development, it has become a tourist resort.

Xiangtangshan Grottoes

Construction began in the year of 550AD. The sight is comprised of 16 grottoes with thousands of Buddha statues and offers a good opportunity to study Buddhist architecture, caving, painting and Calligraphy.

Tourist Tips: Transport from Handan to Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang is very convenient. Visitors can depart from Handan by train or long-distance bus to these big cities. The trips take respectively about 5, 6 and 2 hours.