Handan, I'm Sorry, but Though You Haven't Changed Your Name for 3,000 Years, You're a City I Probably Won't Visit Again
June 21, 2025 Sunny
This is the first morning of my arrival in Handan. Today I planned a city walk.
I found a breakfast shop that had been featured on CCTV to try the local specialty breakfast: bean foam + double egg bag. Arriving at 6:57 AM, there were already many people in line, mostly locals. There are very few tourists in Handan this season, and probably not many who get up as early as I do.
Bean foam is very similar to Qingdao's sweet foam. It's a sticky, gooey substance (I don't know what the base is), with a layer of salty something added, along with some peanut bits, vegetable bits, and some tofu skin shreds. This savory paste, while not bad, is really not something a southerner like me is used to.
The egg bag, I thought it would look nice. Actually, it's eggs wrapped in batter and deep-fried. Strangely, I thought it would taste like youtiao, but it's very different. The eggs have no salt, let alone sweetness. Overall, it's tasteless. Luckily, I found a bottle of chili later, and with that, I barely finished breakfast.
Handan is probably not a tourist city, so I saw very few tourists. But Handan has a major feature: due to its history, it's a hometown of idioms, with many idiom stories originating here. 'Learn to walk in Handan' – that's why I chose to come to this city.
After all, idiom stories are just stories. In a modern city, you can never feel the ancient atmosphere. So, for the Learning to Walk Bridge, I only took a quick glance and turned back.
On the way back, there was a long path along the river, lined with willow trees. Sunlight shining through the drooping willows made for a very leisurely scene.
Actually, my accommodation was very close to Congtai Park, so I passed by it on my way back. Congtai Park is a large park, named after the 'Wuling Congtai' inside.
I thought this would be a quiet, serene park, maybe with a few local elderly people playing chess or playing instruments. But I was wrong again.
It's no surprise for Hebei Province; the locals truly embody 'national fitness' to the fullest. Even before entering the gate, I could hear the extremely loud square dancing music from inside. Once inside, the scene was as lively as a market. There were people dancing, kicking shuttlecocks in groups, playing badminton, and practicing tai chi. Even more interesting, there was a matchmaking corner by the roadside. I took a quick look, and a lady came up to ask if I was looking for myself... I fled like I was escaping a disaster. Everywhere in the park, as long as there was a slightly open space, there were people exercising.
I was very disappointed.
Finally reaching Wuling Congtai, the ancient building with its reflection in the lake calmed me down a bit. I wanted to go inside, but it was closed. A group of track and field students, led by their teacher, were running up and down the steps at the entrance of Wuling Congtai as exercise.
By then, I was sweating profusely.
Were there any quiet spots? Actually, yes. Opposite Wuling Congtai is the Qixian Shrine (Seven Sages Shrine). Inside the shrine, besides the statues commemorating the seven sages of Zhao, the long corridors and garden plants create a sense of separation from the outside, though I could still hear some nearby music. Another spot was the 'Exhibition Hall of Qin Shi Huang's Birthplace'. Inside were miniature pavilions and towers, displaying the life of the First Emperor.
Exiting the west gate of Congtai Park and walking south leads to Handan Road. This is a street with well-preserved ancient architecture, an ancient city within a modern city. Unfortunately, like all other ancient city streets, it's fully commercialized, with many milk tea shops, some souvenir shops, and a few hanfu stores.
During the day, it's very quiet, with almost no tourists except for shopkeepers. So it might be livelier at night. Still, there are some nice spots. If you have two or three companions, you could find a shop to sit in or have lunch. It's quiet, which I like.
Actually, every time I go to a museum or similar place, I just glance around and don't remember anything. But the museum's exterior caught my attention. Many museums now are free but require advance reservation via WeChat mini-program and entry with your ID card. It's best to reserve early to avoid missing out during peak times.
From a distance, the museum looks like an official's hat. Up close, especially the back part, it resembles a bamboo scroll—the kind ancients used to write or carve characters on before paper existed. I'm curious what material it's made of. (An architecture student's thought)
The museum is large, with four floors. I won't go into detail here; you can find information online. But I didn't expect to see an exhibition on 'money trees'. The money tree, though a traditional Chinese custom tree for praying for wealth, is apparently a real plant introduced from East Africa, according to my research.
June 22, 2025 Sunny
Today, I joined a tour group that only provided transportation to Xiangtangshan Grottoes. The grottoes are divided into South and North sections. The South Xiangtangshan Grottoes are small, with a short visit time. The transportation tour was operated by the Xiangtangshan company. Since the two grottoes have separate tickets, if you buy a ticket through this company, you only need to buy the North Grotto ticket, and you can visit both. Before heading out, I had some time for breakfast.
I was staying at the Central Hebei Hotel in the city center, next to the New Century Mall, very convenient with lots of people. The hotel had just been renovated, with new facilities and excellent service. Honestly, this was the best accommodation service I've experienced in China. I wanted to find a local breakfast shop nearby to try other varieties, but online information wasn't very accurate, and maybe places weren't open that early on weekends. So I walked to a farther shop—had a steamer of donkey meat shaomai. The shop was on East Renmin Road, and the storefront name was 'Donkey Meat Big Bun'. Inside, an old man came in, ordered a bowl of some unknown paste, slurped it down, and left. Hebei people really like paste-like food.
Back at the hotel, the weekend street market had already started. To aid digestion, I decided to take a stroll. The market was right downstairs from the hotel, and my room's bed faced the market. At dawn, I saw a few vendors starting to set up. At 7:45 AM, both sides of the street were full. Walking through, wow, this flea market was really long.
I walked around to see what was for sale. Oh my, such old items. There were fortune tellers. Some of these second-hand items looked decades old. There were stamps, old books, calligraphy and seal engraving, bracelets, screws and parts, shoes, cassette tapes, magazines, and so on.
South Xiangtangshan Grottoes are roughly divided into three parts: the front exhibition hall, the rear grottoes, and Xiangtang Temple.
There are three exhibition halls, mainly displaying tile ends from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Han bricks, stamped pottery, and rubbings. Some were quite exquisite and detailed.
I paid respects at Xiangtang Temple. As the saying goes, 'Bow before a temple, and you'll have a three-life affinity with the Bodhisattva.' There is also an Arhat Hall.
Although the grottoes were supposed to be the main focus, I didn't take photos but did take some videos. The grottoes have two levels, neither very large. Due to years of weathering, many parts have fallen off, and some were stolen in the past, leaving only the bodies of Buddha statues or none at all.
The North Xiangtangshan Grottoes are much larger, located halfway up the mountain, at an elevation of about 600 steps. After entering, there is a large square, and then you start climbing. You can also pay extra for a sightseeing vehicle. If interested in a guided tour, you can hire a guide; the guide from my transport tour also offered commentary, but for an additional fee. I prefer to explore on my own because I'll forget it anyway, so no need to spend the money.
Walking all the way to the grottoes on the mountainside, you really need to bring enough water in this June weather. But looking down from the mountain, the whole town is in full view. Although it was very sunny, the blue sky and distant mountains were beautiful.
The stone statues preserved in the North Xiangtang are mostly large. Those on the high stone walls are even more intact, with well-preserved colors—I wonder if they've been restored. The Buddha carvings are very detailed, from the folds of the robes to the decorative patterns representing the Buddha's halo; everything is beautiful.
What attracted me most were the ceilings of some grottoes, carved with the lotus throne where the Buddha sits. The ceiling lines are filled with countless small Buddha carvings, and there are curtain-like hanging parts. The intricate details are truly awe-inspiring.
After finishing the grotto visit, I chose a different path on the way down. This path had no shade, so no one was using it. But it offered an unobstructed view of the landscape below. The vegetation on both sides was also lacking water due to the weather. If you like quiet, you can slowly walk down this path. Although you could still hear the distant sound system reminding visitors to be careful, it was very faint. Overall, it was quite peaceful.
North Xiangtangshan Grottoes also have a Xiangtang Temple. Inside, I paid respects to the God of Wealth and prayed for some financial luck!
Train ticket (Qingdao to Handan) -- 404 yuan
Accommodation (3 nights) -- 359 yuan
Attractions -- 80 yuan (Xiangtangshan Grottoes), 49.9 yuan (Xiangtangshan Grottoes transport)
Transportation -- 10.5 yuan
Meals -- 165.53 yuan
Total: 1068.93 yuan
That's my journey.
Thank you for reading until the end.
-- Norah
Travel Notes:
1. Breakfast
2. Learning to Walk Bridge
3. Congtai Park
4. Handan Road
5. Handan Museum
6. Breakfast & Stroll
7. South Xiangtangshan Grottoes
8. North Xiangtangshan Grottoes
9. Trip Expenses
10. Closing Words
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