Travel Guide and Food Guide of Zhengding Ancient City
Travel Guide
Introduction of Attractions
Longxing Temple in Zhengding
As one of the landmark attractions in Zhengding Ancient City, Longxing Temple has profound historical and cultural heritage. The Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin statue enshrined in the main building, the Grand Mercy Pavilion, is 21.3 meters high. It was cast in the fourth year of Kaibao in the Northern Song Dynasty under the order of Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin and is the tallest and oldest Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin statue among ancient copper Buddha statues in the world. There are also many exquisite ancient buildings, sculptures, murals and other cultural relics preserved in the temple. For example, the Mani Hall has a unique architectural style that is rare among ancient buildings in China, and the colorful hanging sculpture of the Reclining Guanyin inside the hall is praised by Mr. Lu Xun as the “Oriental Goddess of Beauty”.
Ticket price: 50 yuan per person.
Opening hours: 09:00 17:00.
Rongguo Mansion in Zhengding
Rongguo Mansion, built for the shooting of the TV series “Dream of the Red Chamber”, is a group of antique buildings in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The architectural layout, garden design and interior furnishings in the mansion highly restore the scenes in the original work, allowing tourists to experience the atmosphere in “Dream of the Red Chamber” vividly. Here, tourists can also enjoy various “Dream of the Red Chamber” themed performances, such as “Daiyu Entering the Mansion” and “Yuanchun’s Visit to Her Parents”, as if traveling back to the life of the ancient aristocracy.
Ticket price: 40 yuan per person.
Opening hours: 08:30 17:00.
City Wall of Zhengding Ancient City
The city wall of Zhengding Ancient City is one of the few existing Ming Dynasty city walls in China. The perimeter of the city wall is 12 kilometers, about 10 meters high, 6 meters wide on the top and about 10 meters wide at the bottom. Walking on the city wall, tourists can overlook the whole view of the ancient city and enjoy the unique picture of the ancient architectural complex in the city blending with the modern urban landscape outside the city. Around the city wall, there are also some display boards showing the historical and cultural information of Zhengding Ancient City for tourists to understand the development history of the ancient city.
Ticket price: free.
Opening hours: open all day.
Kaiyuan Temple
Founded in the second year of Xinghe in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the important attractions in Kaiyuan Temple are the Xumi Pagoda and the Bell Tower. The Xumi Pagoda has a simple and ancient shape, similar to the architectural style of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an and is a treasure among ancient buildings in China. The copper bell in the Bell Tower weighs 11.5 tons and its melodious sound can be heard for several miles. In addition, there are also some ancient inscriptions and other cultural relics preserved in Kaiyuan Temple, which have high historical and artistic value.
Ticket price: 20 yuan per person.
Opening hours: 09:00 17:00.
Tour Route Planning
One-day Tour Route
Morning: Enter from the South Gate of Zhengding Ancient City, first visit the city wall of Zhengding Ancient City, stroll along the city wall to enjoy the scenery inside and outside the ancient city, and then go to Kaiyuan Temple to visit the Xumi Pagoda, Bell Tower and other attractions.
Noon: Taste the Zhengding cuisine in a restaurant near Kaiyuan Temple and take a short break.
Afternoon: Visit Longxing Temple, carefully appreciate the ancient buildings and cultural relics in the temple, and then go to Rongguo Mansion to watch the “Dream of the Red Chamber” themed performances and experience the “Dream of the Red Chamber” culture.
Two-day Tour Route
First Day
Second Day
Food Guide
Introduction of Zhengding Specialty Foods
Eight Big Bowls of Zhengding
The Eight Big Bowls of Zhengding is a traditional folk banquet dish in the local area, consisting of four meat dishes and four vegetarian dishes. The four meat dishes mainly use pork as the main ingredient and are made into square meat, crispy meat, braised elbow and meatballs respectively. The four vegetarian dishes are usually radish, kelp, vermicelli and tofu, etc. Its production process is particular. First, the ingredients are processed through multiple processes such as boiling, frying and steaming, and then they are reasonably matched and combined and steamed in big bowls. The dishes of the Eight Big Bowls have a mellow taste, the meat is soft and rotten, and the vegetarian dishes also absorb the fragrance of the meat. They taste delicious and are memorable, and they are an essential banquet dish for important occasions such as festivals, weddings and funerals among Zhengding people.
Majia Braised Chicken of Zhengding
Majia Braised Chicken is a famous specialty of Zhengding with a long history. It selects fresh and tender Sanhuang chicken as the raw material and is marinated with a variety of precious spices through multiple traditional processes. The braised chicken has a ruddy color, tender meat and a strong fragrance and has the effects of appetizing, tonifying the kidney and helping digestion. It has a moderate salty taste and rich meat flavor, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth and is one of the must-try delicacies for tourists coming to Zhengding.
Shaomai of Zhengding
The Shaomai of Zhengding is famous for its thin and transparent dough skin wrapping the fresh and juicy filling. The filling usually uses mutton or beef, etc., with scallions and ginger and other seasonings, and the production is fine. The shape of the Shaomai is like a pomegranate, and the top is wrinkled like a flower, which is very beautiful. After being steamed, the Shaomai has a thin skin and large filling and tastes delicious and soft. When you take a bite, the soup overflows and the delicious flavor fills the mouth. It is one of the favorite breakfasts and snacks of Zhengding people.
Ganglu Shaobing
Ganglu Shaobing is a traditional noodle food in Zhengding, famous for its unique production process and crispy taste. It is baked in a stove made of a large earthenware pot. The rolled dough is pasted on the wall of the pot and baked with high temperature in the pot stove. The surface of the Shaobing is covered with sesame seeds, the outer skin is crispy, the inner part has distinct layers and is fragrant and crispy. It can be eaten alone or with donkey meat and other ingredients, with a unique flavor.
Recommended Food Stores
Songji Eight Big Bowls
This is a restaurant featuring the Eight Big Bowls of Zhengding. The Eight Big Bowls dishes in the store are authentic and taste original. The chefs strictly follow the traditional production process and retain the original flavor of the Eight Big Bowls. In addition to the Eight Big Bowls, the store also offers some other Zhengding characteristic home-cooked dishes. The environment is clean and tidy, the service is thoughtful and the price is relatively reasonable. It is a good place to taste the traditional Zhengding cuisine.
Majia Old Chicken Shop
As a well-known shop of Majia Braised Chicken in Zhengding, the quality of its braised chicken is excellent. The chickens selected in the shop are of good quality, and the proportion of spices and fire control are strictly controlled during the marinating process to ensure that each braised chicken has excellent color, fragrance and taste. In addition to the braised chicken, the shop also sells some other chicken-related marinated products, such as marinated chicken wings and marinated chicken feet, which are also very popular among customers.
Zhengshun Helao Restaurant
It is famous for its characteristic Helao noodles. The noodles are strong and chewy and the soup is rich and delicious. In addition to Helao noodles, the Shaomai here is also very good, with a thin skin and large filling and authentic taste. The environment in the store is clean and hygienic and the price is affordable. It is a restaurant frequented by both locals and tourists.
Laowei Donkey Meat Restaurant
It mainly offers donkey meat dishes, among which Donkey Burger is a signature dish. The freshly baked Ganglu Shaobing is filled with chopped donkey meat. The donkey meat is marinated just right, with tender meat and a strong fragrance, which complements the crispy Shaobing. In addition, donkey meat platters and other dishes in the store are also very popular and it is a good place to taste donkey meat specialty cuisine.
