Travel Diary: Baoding, Hebei - First Visit to Xiong'an New Area

Ever since I heard about Xiong'an New Area in the news, I've been eager to see it for myself. I really wanted to know what Xiong'an New Area looks like now.

This time, we planned a four-day trip. We rented a car for the entire journey. We booked the car through Yihai Rent-a-Car and picked it up at Baiyangdian High-Speed Railway Station. It was very convenient to collect the car from the parking lot right outside the station.

The whole itinerary revolved around Baoding, mainly focusing on the natural scenery in the Baoding area.

Prices here are not high. Over four days, including the rental fee, my boyfriend and I spent less than 4,000 RMB in total, which offers great value for money.

After picking up the car, we drove around the city for a bit before heading straight to the scenic spots. Overall, Xiong'an New Area is still under construction. I look forward to the day it becomes a new administrative area like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

After that, we went to Fuping. I learned about this place from Douyin. The most famous spot is the 72 Bends, which is a road. The road conditions are actually quite good; most of it is asphalt, with only a small portion being dirt. The highlight is the stunning scenery along the way—mountains, lakes, tall and short trees, all very interesting.

Take a look at the scenery here. The mountains on both sides and the clear river in the middle. We pulled over by the roadside and played by the riverbank for a while. The place seemed perfect for photos, so we started posing in front of the camera. And indeed, the photos turned out great.

The changes in the mountains and trees were quite noticeable. In some areas, the temperature was higher, and the vegetation was fully green, covering the mountains and creating a vibrant scene. In other areas, it was colder, and the leaves hadn't grown yet, making everything look bare.

From a high vantage point, the road here is indeed winding and twisting, like a long dragon coiling through the mountains. Driving on it didn't feel scary at all—it was actually quite smooth. But looking down from above gave me a bit of a thrill.

Two mascots made an appearance.

We drove all the way to Tieling Kou Great Wall. After reaching this point, the road conditions deteriorated. The asphalt ended and turned into a dirt road. You need to be careful when driving.

Look at the scenery here. Doesn't it have a sense of desolation? There are a few small houses built on the mountain peaks. I wonder if anyone still lives in them. I like the scenery, but if I had to live here, I’d be terrified, especially during rain.

When we left Xiong'an New Area, we packed some food from a restaurant. We parked the car and had a meal right there. With the river flowing in front, tall trees around, and a gentle breeze blowing, it was such a pleasant environment to eat in.

The 72 Bends is a must-see. Occasionally, I envy people who live near scenic spots—they can drive over on weekends for a little vacation.

From here, we drove all the way to Longtan Lake Scenic Area. This wasn't my first time here. I came with my family four years ago and had my first camping experience here. Camping is still allowed now, but there's a 30 RMB entrance fee. In 2016, it was free.

After arriving at the scenic area, we parked our car in a farmyard, had a meal there, and then went out to play. Longtan Lake is beautiful, with clear, rippling blue water. I could spend an entire day just staring at the lake.

This time, we didn't camp; instead, we stayed in a lakeside room at the farmhouse. The people in Hebei are very simple and honest, and the room prices were reasonable.

Once there, you must see the Xilong Gorge. It's currently under renovation and looks completely different from what we saw four years ago.

A farmer's sheep were grazing. Eating grass here every day, breathing such fresh air—the mutton must be especially delicious. Ah, the mind of a foodie!

Longtan Lake is particularly beautiful at sunset. The golden rays of the setting sun spread across the lake, stretching the shadows of the sun. A few boats were moored by the shore. If you want to experience the lake from the center, you can take a boat ride. It costs 100 RMB per person—a bit pricey, and we weren't interested in that perspective, so we skipped it.

Overall, I think Longtan Lake remains very pristine and untouched.

We got up very early the next morning just to see what Longtan Lake looked like at dawn. My boyfriend and I took a walk around the lake.

There were very few people in the scenic area to begin with, and even fewer in the early morning. So this was the perfect time for a stroll. We checked out of the room in the morning. Including two meals (dinner and breakfast), it only cost us 180 RMB—truly a bargain.

Next, we headed toward Yi County. The road conditions along the way were really disappointing. There were lots of gravel roads. To avoid taking wrong turns, we kept staring at the Amap navigation. Interestingly, we encountered a little squirrel here—it was so cute!

On the way, we passed by Shenquan Gorge Cave. We've been here before. To be honest, it's not worth visiting. There's nothing substantial inside—just artificial hills and fake water, boring.

The scenery along this road was excellent, very pristine. The problem was the poor road conditions. If not for the beautiful views, we would have wondered why we came here.

I have a special fondness for the cattle and sheep at the foot of the mountains. The reason is simple—their meat is delicious.

We arrived at Laozhang Gully around nine o'clock. The local villagers arranged a bonfire party, and we had a lot of fun. That night we camped. I always enjoy camping, and this time was no exception. We also met a couple from Shanghai here. It felt like fate.

Additionally, we went to Yishui Lake, also in Baoding. You can book tickets online. During the pandemic, many attractions offered discounts, and Yishui Lake was at its lowest price ever: 99.9 RMB per person. You need to scan a code for registration there too. At Yishui Lake, the first thing is to take a boat ride. Many attractions have very short boat routes, and you don't get to experience much. This time it was better—the boat ride lasted about 15 minutes. After that, we started hiking. The mountains here are relatively easy to climb and we finished in about three hours.

Leaving Yishui Lake, we went to Taiyang Water Town. It's a small place. Before entering, we had to have our temperature checked. Also, I felt the commercialization was quite evident. There were a few restaurants in the old town where you could grab a bite.

Looking at the storefronts and signs here, it felt like a scene from a martial arts movie—like a waiter could appear at any moment.

Leaving the water town marked the end of our Baoding trip. It was my first time seeing Xiong'an New Area, and it was pretty impressive.

Travel guide: 1) 72 Bends; 2) Longtan Lake Scenic Area; 3) Quiet morning scenery.

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