Baoding

Understand

thumb|Location in China

Administratively, Baoding is vast with the prefecture's land area encompassing 11 million inhabitants. The metro area has a population of 2 million. There are several outerlying counties far from the center. In the north is Yi County has a multi-site tourist complex centered on the Western Qing Tombs that includes a Yishui Lake and a historic town. In the northwest of Baoding Prefecture is Laiyuan County which includes Baishi Mountain, one of north China's most picturesque mountains.

Baoding was razed by the Mongols in the 13th century but was reconstructed under the Yuan dynasty, during which it received its contemporary name. It flourished as a cultural hub throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Qing Dynasty, Baoding housed the Viceroy of Zhili, a key administrative role overseeing Zhili Province—now primarily Hebei. This position held significant sway in imperial court politics, given the province encircled Beijing. The viceroy's office is now a museum.

Get around

Taxis are plentiful. There is no metro system. Notably, some of the regular city buses are given a sort of fake 'antique' or actual 'museum' feel with plastic lining made to look like wood and some local specialties like ornate fans or bottles of liquor exhibited inside.

Do

thumb|Lianchi Academy Museum|242x242px

thumb|295x295px|Baoding Banquet Food Culture Museum

Buy

thumb|Baoding Balls

Xidajie (West Street) is the main historical shopping street in the area, reopened in 2022 after renovations. A bustling hub for visitors, this street draws comparisons to Nanluoguxiang in Beijing and other historical shopping streets across China. One thing that sets Xidajie apart is a unique local offering: a shop specializing in Baoding balls (look for the storefront with the big sign 保定铁球). These traditional Chinese relaxation tools, consisting of two metal balls that are rotated in one hand, are a famed cultural hallmark of the city.

Eat

thumb|Donkey burgers Baoding is famous around China for donkey burgers (驴肉火烧), which are sandwiches stuffed with donkey meat.