Shining Treasury of Cultural Relics
Baoding is rich in cultural relics,including one site of world cultural heritage (Western Qing Tombs),59 key cultural relics under national protection,74 cultural relics under the protection of Hebei Province,468 cultural relics under county-level protection,and 1,996 unclassified cultural relics.Cultural relics are not only the presentations of materials but also the carriers of spirit.Each cultural relic is a witness to the historical development,which truthfully reflects the political,military,cultural and scientific development of Baoding in various historical stages,and still plays an irreplaceable role in the development of modern society.
Zhili Governor’s Office,which records half of the history of the Qing Dynasty. Zhili Governor’s Office is located in Yuhua Zhonglu,Baoding City.With a total area of 30,000 square meters,it is a wellpreserved provincial government office of the Qing Dynasty of China.This office has existed in Baoding for nearly 200 years,so there is a saying that“a governor’s office witnesses half of the history of the Qing Dynasty.”The establishment of Zhili Governor’s Office in Baoding and its long ruling time fully show the important geographical and strategic position of Baoding.
Western Qing Tombs,a site of world cultural heritage Western Qing Tombs,one of the three mausoleum groups of emperors in the Qing Dynasty,namely the Northern,Eastern and Western Tombs,is located at the foot of the Yongning Mountain,15 kilometers west of the county seat of Yixian,Baoding.The area starts from Lianggezhuang in the east to Zijing Pass in the west,from Dayanqiao in the south to Qifengling in the north,with a perimeter of about 100 kilometers and an area of over 800 square kilometers.The natural scenery here is beautiful,with the Yongning Mountain in the north and the winding Yishui River in the south.It is covered by lush green grass and towering pines and cypresses.The tombs are integrated with ancient buildings such as bridges,archways,monument buildings,waiting rooms,the Long’en Hall,the Ming Building and pagodas to form a solemn and sacred landscape of imperial tombs.In the Western Qing Tombs,there are four emperors’ tombs,Tai Tomb (Emperor Yongzheng),Chang Tomb (Emperor Jiaqing),Mu Tomb (Emperor Daoguang) and Chong Tomb (Emperor Guangxu),three queen’s tombs,including Tai East Tomb,Chang West Tomb and Mu East Tomb,and three tombs for imperial concubines.In addition,there are seven tombs,respectively for Prince Huai,princes and princesses and dukes.In total,four emperors,nine queens,57 imperial concubines,and more than 80 princes,princesses,dukes,and others were buried here.The Western Qing Tombs features a grand architectural scale and rigorous and exquisite design,which fully demonstrates the hard work and wisdom of the working people.
Ancient Lotus Pond,one of China’s top ten famous gardens In China’s top ten famous gardens,seven of them are located in the south of the Jiangnan area,two of them are in Beijing and one is in Baoding,namely the Ancient Lotus Pond.The Ancient Lotus Pond,located in Yuhua West Road,Baoding City,is a representative of the unique style combining government offices with private houses.It attracts visitors with vitality and charm of unrestrained design.It was built in 1227,also known as the Water Mirror Government Office and Penglai in the City,with a total area of 24,000 square meters,including a pond area of 7,900 square meters.This site integrates gardens,an academy and a royal residence.There are many steles in the garden,as well as elegant terraces and exquisite pavilions.It used to be the residence of three emperors: Qianlong,Jiaqing and Guangxu.“The fame of the Lotus Pond comes from the famous Lotus Pond Academy,which can be called the top academy of China in the late Qing Dynasty.”This is Mao Zedong’s evaluation of the Lotus Pond Academy.
Mancheng Han Tombs and Jade Suit Sewn with Golden Wire The site of Mancheng Han Tombs is located on the mountainside of the main peak of Lingshan Mountain 1.5 km from Mancheng County.It is built on a cliff with a large scale rarely seen in the world.It is also the most completely preserved cliff cave tombs site of China with the largest scale and the most complicated structure.Mancheng Han Tombs are the tombs of Liu Sheng,Prince Jing of Zhongshan of the Western Han Dynasty,and his wife Dou Wan.There are more than 10,000 cultural relics unearthed from the two tombs,including artifacts made of gold,silver,copper,iron,jade,pottery and lacquer,as well as textiles,silver birds,seals,pots and medical gold needles,among which the Jade Suit Sewn with Golden Wire,the Changxin Palace Lantern and the Boshan Incense Burner are the most precious.The two jade suits sewn with golden wire for Liu Sheng and Dou Wan are the first jade suits sewn with golden wire discovered in Chinese archaeological work.Liu Sheng’s jade suit is 1.88 meters long,with 2,498 pieces of jade and about 1,100 grams of gold wire; Dou Wan’s jade suit is 1.72 meters long,with 2,160 pieces of jade and about 600 grams of gold wire.The cultural relics unearthed from the Han Tombs on Lingshan Mountain of Mancheng,which are of high grade,large quantity and high technological value,fully embody the diligence and wisdom of the working people in ancient times and provide important physical materials for the study on the politics,economy,military affairs,culture,science and technology in the Western Han Dynasty.