A Three-Day Trip to Xiling and Zhengding in May 2021
With three days off over the weekend, I decided to take my family on a little getaway to Zhengding and the Western Qing Tombs (Xiling) in Yi County. It had been way too long since we last traveled, thanks to the pandemic that started last year. Originally, I planned to head straight to the train station after work on Friday, but a last-minute training notice came, and on Thursday I found out there was also an exam on Friday, so I wouldn't make the train in time. No choice but to change the ticket; with tickets scarce, I had to pay extra for a first-class seat. The past couple of days were a real headache trying to sort everything out. Luckily, it all worked out in the end.
Day 1 (Shanghai → Beijing)
I rushed to Shanghai Station, with no time to prepare dinner, so I just grabbed something random. First class came with free bottled water, grapefruit tea, and a snack pack. The train model was probably a bit old, and it didn’t feel particularly spacious. I'm not young anymore, and my back isn't great, so I was really uncomfortable. For trips over two hours in the future, I'll definitely bring a lumbar support. I had ordered a takeaway delivered to the hotel front desk in advance. Transferring from Beijing South Station to Beijing West Station was easy via subway; you don't need to take your luggage off for security, just walk through the detector. Exited on the north square to get to the Home Inn, cutting through the parking lot. It was already past 11 p.m. The room had no window, a strong cigarette smell, a soft bed, and wasn't cheap. Its only plus was being super close to the train station. Just a night to crash.
Day 2 (Beijing → Gaobeidian → Yi County → Gaobeidian → Zhengding)
Set off early in the morning, no time for breakfast. An hour on a regular train to Gaobeidian. It had been so long since I'd taken a green train, and I never expected there would be a smoking area. The smoke made me chest-tight and panicky. I really can't handle transport without a smoking ban anymore.
From Gaobeidian Station, I went to the bus station, stored my backpack, and caught the 9 a.m. bus to Yi County for 13 yuan. The driver smoked a lot, and the bus was a bit shabby and grubby, like something out of my memories from a dozen years ago. To pick up more passengers, the driver skipped the highway, and unluckily we hit school dismissal traffic, taking two hours to reach Yi County instead of the usual one. Dusty roads all the way. Then switched to the No. 9 tourist bus to the Western Qing Tombs, 7 yuan to the Tai Mausoleum stop. Maybe it was the off-season or maybe most people drive themselves, but the tourist bus mainly served locals. I had brought my own food.
The weather was gorgeous, 15-27°C, a touch sunny but with a refreshing breeze and lush vegetation — truly uplifting. Admission was free with a doctor’s license. At the Yongzheng Emperor's Tai Mausoleum, the spirit way was magnificent. Sadly, the buildings were badly dilapidated and under renovation. Then to the Guangxu Emperor's Chong Mausoleum: the sculptures and architecture were exquisite, and the eight stone doors in the underground palace were amazingly carved, incredibly lifelike. The Jiaqing Emperor's Chang Mausoleum was closed, so we visited his empress's tomb, which had echo stones — pretty fun. At the Daoguang Emperor's Mu Mausoleum, the Long'en Hall was entirely built with golden nanmu wood — wow, my mouth watered! There was also a white marble archway, understated luxury. Overall, the Western Qing Tombs are well worth a visit. Transportation was a bit inconvenient. The shuttle buses ran on a fixed schedule, so we spent some time waiting.
The last No. 9 bus at 4:30 p.m. was delayed just a little while dropping off local passengers, causing us to miss the last bus back to Gaobeidian. It seems the minibuses between the two places are all privately contracted, with varying levels of service. So, we missed it and had to shell out 80 yuan for a taxi. In short, the transport experience in this area was poor, with chaotic management.
Dinner at Old Sun's Restaurant in Gaobeidian. The donkey-meat fire-bread's pastry and meat weren't as good as the ones at Lügong Lüpo in Shanghai, but the other dishes we ordered — sweet and sour pork and clay-pot cabbage and tofu — were delicious and huge portions. 90 yuan filled us up, great value. Then G1 bus to the East Station, about thirty to forty minutes. Another forty-minute high-speed train to Zhengding Airport Station. The nearby Paiboyun Hotel offered free transfers to the airport and high-speed station. The room had no exhaust fan in the bathroom, and some details weren't user-friendly, but the bed was very comfortable and I slept well.
There weren't many dining options nearby. Took bus 156 to the county seat, got off at the North Gate, and walked south. From then on, all the attractions we visited in Zhengding were free with my doctor's license. First, Rongguo Mansion — built in the 1980s for the TV series Dream of the Red Chamber, it still had a lot of old-world charm, ticket 40 yuan. Then Longxing Monastery, which probably ranks in my top three monasteries I've visited in China. Not only is it ancient, but it's also wonderfully well-preserved. Outside there's a glazed screen wall across the road. Upon entering, the Hall of Heavenly Kings with a wooden carved Maitreya Buddha. Then the Guanyin with inverted reflection in Mani Hall, murals, the double-faced Buddha in the Ordination Platform, the revolving sutra cabinet, the wooden Maitreya in Cishi Pavilion, the thousand-hand, thousand-eye Guanyin in Dabei Pavilion, and the four-faced Buddha in Pilu Hall (the names and order might be off) — every single one was exquisitely breathtaking. We spent nearly two hours there and even thought about a return visit someday. And yes, photography is mostly forbidden inside the halls, though some people just can't help themselves.
Lunch at Zhendidao: fresh orange roast duck, guanjia hui cai (stew), zhajiangmian (noodles with fried sauce), watermelon juice, and lvdagun (glutinous rice rolls) — we polished off every bit, totally satisfied. Then strolled south along Yanzhao South Street, seeing the Sumeru Pagoda and stone bixi at Kaiyuan Temple, the Yanghe Tower ruins, Linji Temple (closed, but admired the Chengling Pagoda from afar), and the ornate Hua Pagoda at Guanghui Temple — all distinctive. A combo ticket would have been a better deal. By around 2 p.m., it was hot and tiring, so we headed back to the hotel. Buses cost between 1 and 3 yuan, some required a health code. The hotel was too far from the county seat, about 40 minutes one way; the neighborhood was quiet, so we bought watermelon and drinks from a supermarket for a simple dinner.
Daytime 27°C, evening 15°C — quite pleasant. Back to the county seat the next morning. Ate breakfast at Wang's Shaomai near Longxing Monastery: beef and scallion shaomai, 17 pieces per steamer, 25 yuan, deliciously savory, complemented with millet porridge — nice. Then to the Zhengding Museum, relatively new and small, mainly displaying porcelain and Buddha statues. After that, Lingxiao Pagoda and stone lions at Tianning Temple. Then a rebuilt City God Temple. Finally, the Wenmiao (Confucian Temple) — a quick wander. Fu Wenmiao (the prefectural Confucian temple) was skipped due to time. There were plenty of restaurants along Zhongshan West Road, all popular. At the Wang's Shaomai main branch, we ordered beef and lamb-and-carrot shaomai; the lamb ones were equally delicious. For a mixed cold platter, we chose beef cheek and lamb cheek — the beef cheek was more tender and tastier. The thin, crispy sesame flatbread from a neighboring bakery was great too. In the afternoon, the hotel's free shuttle took us to the airport for our flight back to Shanghai.
All in all, it was a bit tiring but well worth the trip. The Western Qing Tombs and the ancient city of Zhengding both come highly recommended, and it seems they aren't yet too well-known or crowded. I'm already considering a return visit. Total cost for three people: 3,500 yuan.
