Skiing in Chongli

The unique topography of Chongli County in Zhangjiakou City of Hebei Province creates a unique micro-climate with 150 snowy days of fine-quality snow – good enough for skiing in terms of solidity and viscosity, favoring skiing tourism. Since 2001, the government of Chongli has made full use of such a natural resource, holding 13 sessions of an international ski festival. Snow lovers can enjoy their favorite sports while admiring the natural landscape and shaking off metropolitan stress in chilly fresh air.

Ebbs and Flows of Dajingmen

Located in northern downtown Zhangjiakou, Dajingmen is one of the four major junctions along the Great Wall. Known for precipitous terrain, it was first built with bricks in 1644, the first year of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty. The rostrum stands in the valley of Mt. Taiping stretching from east to west. The inscription of four Chinese characters “大好河山” (Magnificent Rivers and Mountains") found over the mantel was mounted in traditional Han-style upon commission by Gao Weiyue, a lieutenant general of the former province of Chahar. As a thoroughfare guarding the capital in the north in ancient China, it witnessed the wind and rains of Zhangjiakou.

Yuxian Iron Splashes

Yuxian, at the southernmost tip of Zhangjiakou, is known for Dashuhua, a traditional folk event inspired by the flashing sparks while forging iron 300 years ago. It is a game for the brave, physically strong and highly experienced, in which molten iron, as hot as 1,000 degrees Celsius, is splashed out by a man in an inside-out sheepskin jacket with a willow spoon against cold walls to produce sparks-like fireworks. Dashuhua has been listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Hebei.