Major Economic Indicators (2010)
Handan, lying in the southern part of Hebei Province, is situated at the intersection of Hebei Province, Shandong Province, Shanxi Province and Henan Province. Taihang Mountain is located just to the west of the city. Handan is merely 200 km from Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Jinan and Zhengzhou and 500 km from Beijing and Tianjin. The climate in Handan features a long hot summer, a long chilly winter and shorter springs and autumns.
Due to its geographic location, Handan is an important transportation hub in north China. The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, the Beijing-Shenzhen Highway, and State Highway 107 intersect the Changzhi-Handan-Jinan-Qingdao Railway, the Qingdao-Lanzhou Highway and State Highway 309 in Handan. Handan International Airport, which opened in 2007, offers flights to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou, Xi'an and Xiamen.
Handan has two universities, namely Handan Vocational and Technical College and Hebei University of Engineering. Handan Vocational Technical College, formerly Handan University, is listed as an associated center of UNESCO’s APEID (Asia-Pacific Program of Educational Innovation for Development).
Handan has a history of over 8,000 years. For 158 years during the Warring States Period (403-221BC), Handan was the capital city of the state of Zhou. In the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), Handan was one of 36 prefectures. In the Han Dynasty (206BC-189AD), Handan served as a commercial center. After AD368, during the Ming Dynasty, Handan belonged to Guangping Prefecture. In 1928, Handan County came under the administration of Hebei Province. It was replaced by Handan City in 1952. During its long history, the city’s culture has been influenced by many cultures, including that of the Cishan. It is also known as the birthplace of many popular Chinese idioms and sayings.
Handan has a rich cultural heritage. The most famous historical sites are Wahuang Palace, the Congtai Terrace, the ruins of the imperial city of the state of Zhao and the Xiangtangshan Temple Caves. Wahuang Palace is a large ancient building enshrining the goddness Nu Wa (or Nu Kua), who was the creator of mankind and the female figure who patched up the sky in the Chinese legend. The Xiaotangshan Temple Caves, which were built beginning in AD550, consist of 16 grottoes, each of which contains thousands of Buddha statues. Taihang Mountain is also highly recommendable. It extends from eastern part of the Loess Plateau in Henan to Hebei Province. Local snacks such as Lingyou Dumpling, Old Pagoda Tree Pancake, Er Mao Grilled Chicken and Donkey Meat Sausage are very popular among the tourists.
National Garden City (2005)-Ministry of Construction of P.R. China
Outstanding Tourism City in China (2004)-National Tourism Administration of P.R. China
National Historic and Cultural City (1994)-State Council of P.R. China
