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Shijiazhuang -- Capital of Hebei
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Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province, is situated 250 kilometers southwest of Beijing. Bordering the Taihang Mountains in the west, it faces the vast and rich North China Plain on its three other sides. It is the intersection of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang -Dezhou, and Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan railway lines and one of the centers of communications in China. It is also known for its flourishing textile industry.
The Mausoleum of Martyrs in the North China Military Area
This mausoleum is situated in the western suburbs of Shijiazhuang. The area, covering more than 200,000 square meters, is dotted with pine and cypress trees. More than seven hundred martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of the liberation of China were buried here.
On the left flank of the mausoleum is the tomb of Dr. Norman Bethune, the great internationalist fighter from Canada. A life-size statue of Dr. Bethune stands if front of the tomb. On the east flank of the mausoleum are the tomb and statue of Doctor Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis, a friend of China from India. Both men came to china in late 1930s to help the Chinese people in their War of Resistance against Japan and died in China.
Zhaozhou Bridge
This bridge was built on the Jiaohe River about 2.5 kilometers south of Zhaoxian County, which was called Zhaozhou in ancient times. The bridge was constructed in A.D. 605 - 616. Designed by a well-known Chinese mason, Li Chun, it is made of stone, 50.82 meters long and 10 meters wide, with an unusual arch that is 7.23 meters high with a span of 37.35 meters. The stone railing and columns on the bridge were carved with beautiful dragon and phoenix designs. One of the earliest Chinese arch bridges with a long open-spandrel arch in the middle and two smaller arches on each side, this bridge occupies an important place in the history of Chinese bridge building and has been of interest to tourists and engineers alike.
Cangyan Mountain
This mountain is situated 78 kilometers southwest of the city. With its pleasant weather and towering ancient trees, it is a popular mountain resort.
Dating from the Sui Dynasty more than 1,400 years ago, Cangyan resort boasts magnificent pavilions and monasteries, as well as an architecturally ingenious palace constructed between two sheer rocks high above a gorge.
Fortune Celebration Temple (Fuqingsi) in Cangyan contains a particularly fine statue of Princess Nan Yang, allegedly the eldest daughter of the Sui Dynasty Emperor Yang (A.D. 604-618) who became a nun here.
Great Prosperity Monastery (Longxingsi)
This monastery, situated in Zhengding County of Hebei Province, dated from A.D 586 in the sixth year of the rule of emperor Kai of the Sui Dynasty. Its three-storied main building, the Great Benevolence Pavilion (Dabeige) has five eaves and contains a twenty-two-meter-high bronze statue of a Goddess of Mercy with forty-two arms. A collection of historical monuments, tablets, statues, and other relics of the Shijiazhuang area can also be found here.
(china.org.cn)
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