Baoding

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 with 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.

Riding hailing taxis are plentiful. There is no metro system.

• 🌍 Tangut dharani pillars (西夏文石幢 xī xià wén shí zhuàng). The Western Xia empire was destroyed by the Mongols in the 14th century, however a community of Tangut people from the Western Xia erected these pillars far away in Baoding in the 16th century. It is one of the few examples of the complex Tangut script found outside of Western China. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Baiyang Lake (白洋淀 bái yáng diàn). China's largest natural lake offers peaceful water scenes and expansive lotus gardens. Boats are available for small groups, and some islands on the lake have restaurants that cook with local ingredients and hotels for overnight stays. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Yesanpo National Park (野三坡 yě sān pō). Yesanpo is a burgeoning tourist area in Laishui County, with an area of 600 km². It is a national key scenic area, scenic natural landscape, trees flowers and trees mainly springs cave. It is 100 km away from Beijing. 
• 🌍 Baoding Museum (保定博物馆, 保定市博物馆), 1032 Qiyi East Road, Lianchi District (莲池区七一东路1032号) (take bus no. 4, 27, 29, 39, 61, 70, 806 or Tourist Bus 3), ☏ +86 312 4446098. Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00 (doors closed at 16:30), closed on Mondays. The Baoding Museum is a large museum with a lot of city and Great Wall history. Free. (updated Dec 2022)
• 🌍 Baoding Natural History Museum (保定自然博物馆), Southeast corner of the intersection of East 3rd Ring Road and Dongfeng East Road, Lianchi District (莲池区东三环路与东风东路交叉口东南角方向) (take bus K1, Tourist Bus 1 or Tourist Bus 3), ☏ +86 312 5897333, +86 312 5950132. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Monday (except when Monday is a public holiday). Opened in early 2024, this new museum is a branch of the Paleozoological Museum of China, which is based in Beijing. It is many times larger than the Beijing branch and claims to be one of the largest natural history museums in Asia. Notable items in the museum’s collection include the world’s only complete skeleton of a Chinese velociraptor and some well-preserved pterosaur eggs. General admission is free. (updated May 2024)
• 🌍 Office of the Viceroy of Zhili (直隶总督署, Zhili Governor-General’s Office), 301 Yuhua West Road, Lianchi District (莲池区裕华西路301号) (bus nos. 1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 26, 35, 39, 66 and K1), ☏ +86 312 2066455 (tourist services), +86 312 2016547 (complaints), +86 312 2066444 (office), bdzlzds@163.com. 08:30-17:30 (March 16 to November 14), 09:00-17:00 (November 15 to March 15), no entry in last 30 minutes, closed on Monday. Built in 1729, this was the office of the Viceroy of Zhili from the time of its construction up until the fall of the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be the best preserved Qing-era provincial governor’s office in China and has thus become one of the most popular attractions in central Baoding. ¥30. (updated May 2024)

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.

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

• Beijing - the nation's capital city
• Shijiazhuang is the provincial capital to the south