Things to do in Jinzhou

This is a Buddhist holy site well worth visiting. The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Buddha and the mural of the Reclining Guanyin are historical and artistic treasures that have been preserved intact for future generations to appreciate and understand history! An even greater gain was visiting the memorial hall of Mr. Liang Sicheng, where I learned about the contributions he and Lin Huiyin made to the preservation of historical sites in my country and their transmission in education, so that we, the later generations, can appreciate these historical sites!

The scholar said that Guide Li led me on a tour of the National Museum of China and the Forbidden City. His guided tour covered most historical facts, as well as many details not found in history textbooks. He shared many interesting anecdotes based on his years of practical experience visiting cultural relics and historical sites throughout various cities. The tour also included interactive elements, making the historical points more memorable. His attentive guidance made it a very good experience.

The experience is great. The queue times a bit bummer, but expected. Overall solid experience for whole day

Since I was in Beijing, I had to visit the Great Wall. The scenery there is irreplaceable. Taking the cable car up felt short, but it saved me a lot of energy, allowing me to use it for climbing the Great Wall. 😀 The Great Wall winds its way up and stretches far into the distance, it's truly magnificent. I heard that some sections of the northern route are currently under renovation.

On the day of Lidong (the beginning of winter) in 2026, the children visited Xinglong Temple in Zhengding Ancient City. Entering this ancient temple gave one a particularly quiet and devout feeling. The ancient temple was serene. The children learned that upon entering, there were four Buddhas facing east, west, south, and north, whose meanings included things like favorable weather, the gods of the east and south. They learned knowledge and also saw the Guanyin statue in reverse posture, understanding the imagery. Whether they learned anything or not, running around in the temple was a form of purification.

The Hebei Provincial Museum is definitely worth a visit. It boasts a rich and diverse collection of exhibits, arranged scientifically and logically. It also offers a wide variety of cultural and creative products and activities. It's not only suitable for teenagers but also for children.

张洋导游讲解的非常好！All visitors should book the national Museum of China trip. It is not easy to book on your own, book through Trip.com and have a guide to share the history with you..

📍Zhengding·Rongguo Mansion｜A Dream of Red Mansions Through the Ages, Cao Xueqin Forever I first read *Dream of the Red Chamber* when I was probably only seven or eight years old. My family had a 1972 edition, which my father kept on top of the bookshelf. Kids, the more you forbid them from seeing it, the more curious they become, so I climbed up to the top of the bookshelf and secretly peeked through it, hiding behind piano sheet music. I couldn't recognize all the characters, let alone understand the poems, but I just couldn't put it down. I was obsessed for many years afterward, reading it countless times and devouring many works on *Dream of the Red Chamber* studies. Later, my reading became more diverse, and I gradually put it down. But some things are hard to let go of. For our generation, who wasn't raised on CCTV's *Journey to the West* and *Dream of the Red Chamber*? When I think of Bao and Dai, only Ouyang Fenqiang and Chen Xiaoxu's images come to mind; any other portrayal just doesn't feel right. I've been to the Grand View Garden in Beijing a few times. This time in Zhengding, naturally, I wanted to see Rongguo Mansion at night. This is one of China's earliest film and television shooting bases. In 1983, during the location scouting for the filming of *Dream of the Red Chamber*, Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhengding County Party Committee, strongly advocated for the production team to choose Zhengding as the filming location, transforming what was originally planned as a temporary outdoor set into a permanent building. In 1986, the Rongguo Mansion was completed, and *Dream of the Red Chamber* was filmed there for nearly two months, with approximately 4,000 shots completed there, including key scenes such as "Imperial Concubine's Visit to Her Family" and "Qin Keqing's Funeral." On May 2, 1987, the 36-episode television series *Dream of the Red Chamber* premiered on CCTV. This year, 2026, marks the 40th anniversary of the completion and opening of the Rongguo Mansion. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of the 1987 television series *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Standing here tonight feels like keeping a 40-year promise. Cao Xueqin lived less than fifty years, *Dream of the Red Chamber* was written approximately 270 years ago, the 1987 television series aired nearly 40 years ago, and the Rongguo Mansion was completed 40 years ago. The numbers keep changing. But some things remain the same. Standing before Rongxi Hall, I suddenly recalled the image of myself at eight years old, perched atop the bookshelf, flipping through books. Back then, I couldn't understand the lines, "Full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears"... Cao Xueqin left posterity a story that will never end. Dream of the Red Chamber will always be read, and there will always be those who push open their doors at night to experience this dream that has lasted for over two hundred years.

Sure, not bad. The mountain road was smooth, and the scenery was quite nice. It was very stable. As a standard route, it saved a lot of effort, allowing more energy to climb the Eighteen Bends.

Liu Jing's explanation was professional and solid, with a profound foundation. She explained things in a clear and detailed manner, taking into account the historical background and highlights. She explained the grotto statues, the history of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the background of the murals very clearly. There were many details that I would not have noticed on my own. I learned a lot!