Three Days in Baoding

After getting off at the high-speed rail station, there's a bus directly to the Army Officer Academy... It's not far. Sometimes you can catch a guided tour and eavesdrop on the commentary—not sure if it's a hired guide or staff from the site... After leaving the site, take another bus to the Ancient Lotus Pond. Entry fee 30 yuan. It's probably prettiest when the lotuses are in bloom, but around National Day the leaves are almost bare. After the Lotus Pond, diagonally opposite is the Baoding Zhili Governor's Office Museum. Since I'd already been to the Army Officer Academy and wasn't really interested, I skipped it... Directly opposite and a bit off to one side is a Catholic church, pretty big and nicely built. Across a street from the church there's the Daci Pavilion, also worth a look. During National Day it was quite chilly when it rained... With an umbrella in hand, I didn't have a hand free for my phone... I only have photos of the Ancient Lotus Pond. At noon you can eat nearby; shopping malls and such aren't far. A man at the next table was having beef and flatbread, which looked really tasty... After walking around, you can go to the zoo. It's not small, and for five yuan you can't go wrong. By the way, the Cangzhou Zoo felt even better—big and clean... In the evening after dinner, you can take a stroll in a park near the hotel. I found a travel agency and booked a one-day tour for Baishishan departing early the next morning. Baishishan is within Baoding's administrative area, but it's far from the city center—about two to three hours. If you don't have a car, joining a tour is quite convenient. The tour group doesn't cover the sightseeing bus or cable car fees inside the mountain. Keep an eye on the weather forecast; it really gets cold when it rains. I couldn't see the distant mountains, all misty and white. There's another cable car spot in the middle of Baishishan. The steps are quite steep. If your legs are good, take the upper path to go down the mountain; if your knees aren't great, take the lower path—going downhill is really hard on the knees... From taking the cable car into the mountain to coming out, it's about six hours. The lower path was basically all fog, white-out, visibility too low. When you could see the sun higher up, it was okay. After descending, you'll see a row of food stalls. Dried yellow peach, dried apple, and stuff were pretty good, only about ten-something yuan per jin. They also had a kind of dried tofu that was really nice and fragrant. If you want to explore other places, save Baishishan for your last day before heading back, otherwise you might find it hard to get out of bed... The next day you probably won't be up for much wandering... Probably just post-hike legs... happens after every mountain hike. If you want to head back early at noon, during National Day it's hard to buy tickets, so you'd have to switch to a long-distance bus... Long-distance buses are exhausting, you'll be wrecked after the ride... Travelogue Contents 1. Tianjin-Baoding Travel Info | Hotel Index | Guide Index | Flight Index | Website Navigation | Travel Index | Cruise Index | Business Travel Index | Affiliate Cooperation | Distribution Alliance | Friendly Links | Corporate Gift Card Purchase | Insurance Agent | Agency Cooperation | Hotel Partnership | Destination & Scenic Area Cooperation | More Partnerships | About Ctrip | About Ctrip | Ctrip Hot Topics | Contact Us | Careers | User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Business License | Safety Center | Ctrip Content Center | Intellectual Property | Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure