A City That Waited Three Thousand Years for Me — Handan

So close, so beautiful, visit Hebei this May Day.

This is my first trip to Hebei, to Handan. I didn't expect it to be such a popular destination.

This trip was at my daughter's request: to stay in a hotel overnight during the holiday. I suggested nearby Handan, and my daughter immediately proposed the idea of taking photos in ancient costume. So I arranged a Warring States robe photoshoot for her, which also started a new way of traveling through ancient cities. The joy of looking at the beautiful photos, the emotional value is fully loaded. Therefore, traveling is not about how many sights you see, how much you walk, or how much you eat, but no matter what method or experience, it's worth it as long as you are happy!

Arriving in Handan, I first had the Donghuan Nanyan Village pulled noodles. The soy-sauce-flavored noodles were good, and the braised dishes were also nice. It was the only specialty I ate in Handan.

Then we visited the Handan Museum, took photos in Warring States robe at Congtai Park, and had Hong Kong-style food at Meile City. We only did half of each because of the crowds and changeable weather.

The Warring States robe photoshoot was the highlight of the trip. The costume, makeup, headwear, and the photographer we had contacted in advance were all ready in over an hour. Then we shot for another hour. For my daughter, the process of makeup and shooting itself was a joyful process. It was crowded and hectic, so we couldn't get the grand panoramic shots. It felt like rushing through. But luckily the results had some satisfying ones. Seeing a different version of herself, she was very happy and delighted.

The next day, we leisurely stayed at the hotel until 11 am, then strolled half of Handan Street, which is a homogenized commercial pedestrian street like in every tourist city.

In the afternoon, we first went to the Cizhou Kiln Modern Ceramic Art Museum in Fengfeng Mining District. It's actually a place selling ceramics, many ceramics. We happened to participate in a flash sale in the shop. It was like playing a game, truly bringing joy. We got two sets of tableware and two sets of teacups, and returned fully loaded.

Then we went to the nearby Black Dragon Cave for my daughter to play in the water. There were many cars and many people; it was incredibly congested. The water of Black Dragon Cave was crystal clear, the fish were well-fed, and we couldn't catch a single one. Tourists followed each other step by step, unable to really play. It was okay just to look at the blue sky, clear water, and the crowds.