Introduction

At the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains and to the western side of North China Plain sits an ancient yet young city，Handan. Among the hundreds of cities in China，Handan is the only one whose name remains unchanged for 3，000 years. Both the characters，“Han”（邯） and “Dan”（郸），have only one interpretation in a dictionary，i.e. the name of the city，which is unparalleled in Chinese history. However，the uniqueness of Handan goes far beyond that，as many of the great events in Chinese history took place there. In 259 BC，it was in Handan that Ying Zheng，the first emperor of China，who had a profound impact on the history of China and even the world，was born.

Established in the Shang Dynasty,Handan enjoys a history of more than 3,000 years. It is located in the southern tip of Hebei Province,with the Taihang Mountains and Shanxi Province on its west,the North China Plain and Shandong Province on its east,as well as Henan Province on its south,covering an area of 12,000 square kilometers with a permanent resident population of 9.55 million. Handan was designated as an opening-up city and a “larger city” that owns local legislative power by the State Council,a National Historical and Cultural City,a National Civilized City,China's Outstanding Tourism City,National Landscape Garden City,National Model Green City,Capital of Chinese Idioms,National Double Support Model City and the Home of Tai Chi.

Its long history has nurtured a glorious culture,including the red culture formed during the revolutionary years. According to the statistics of the three Nationwide Cultural Relics Survey conducted after 1956,there are more than 5,000 cultural relics protection sites in Handan,including 34 major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level. Many of these sites are famous scenic spots and historical sites,such as the Cishan Cultural Relics,the Zhao Capital of Handan,the Wuling Congtai Terrace,the Lyu's Golden Millet Dream Temple,the Three Terraces of Yecheng,the Xiangtangshan Caves,the Wahuang Palace and Stone Carvings,and the Imperial Tombs of the Northern Dynasty. As Handan is also a famous revolutionary base,there are some unique red tourism sites,including Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Martyrs Cemetery,the Headquarters of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army,Office of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and of the Military District. These relics are valuable to historical and cultural research as well as education and tourism. In addition,Handan's unique geological and geomorphological features create unique tourist attractions,such as the Zishan Mountain,the Yuanbao Mountain,the Black Dragon Cave,the Ancient Stone Dragon scenic spot,the Jingniang Lake,the Longevity Village,the Chaoyang Valley,the Ancient Wudang Mountain,the Huanghua Mountain,the Qingta Lake and the Lufeng Mountain,which inject new vitality into the tourism development of Handan.(https://www.daowen.com)

Handan not only abounds in scenic spots and historical sites,but also enjoys superior geographical conditions and convenient transportation. It is less than 500 kilometers away from Beijing and Tianjin,about 200 kilometers away from four provincial capitals - Shijiazhuang,Taiyuan,Jinan and Zhengzhou. With the two railways of the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and the Hanji Railway,three expressways of Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway,Qingdao-Lanzhou Expressway and Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway,and the three national highways of G106,G107 and G309 running through it,as well as the Handan Airport,it becomes a regional center city with transportation advantages.

The Handan Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League called for the youth of Handan to study and explore the culture of Handan extensively and deeply,so as to enhance their perception and recognition of both the long history and the profound cultural heritage of the city,to highlight the charm of its culture,and to guide them to understand,love and build their hometown. A series of rich and diversified activities centering on the culture of Handan have been carried out among the youth,which have been well-received with good social results. In order to further the effects,we have collected data and compiled the book My Lovely Hometown: Handan,introducing its history and culture,scenic spots and historical sites,modernization drives,etc.,as well as showing its charm from different angles.