Adult ticket: Starting from 45 RMB (save 53 RMB). Group ticket: Starting from 45 RMB (save 50 RMB).

A. Free Admission Children under 1.2 metres (exclusive) are admitted free; seniors above 70 years old (exclusive) with senior citizen cards enjoy free entry.

B. Discounted Admission Students with valid student IDs can buy half-price tickets.

Opening hours: 08:30 — 18:00

Self-driving: Exit from the North Handan interchange on the Beijing-Shenzhen Expressway. Drive east along the Handan-Linqing Highway to South Bridge, then turn north to reach the destination.

Public transport: Take the long-distance bus from Handan to the old town of Yongnian and alight at Guangfu.

The ancient city lies 20 kilometres northeast of downtown Handan, with a history of more than 2,000 years. Dou Jiande, leader of a peasant uprising at the end of the Sui Dynasty, founded the Great Xia Kingdom here. He promoted farming, stationed troops in the city, and renovated the city for strategic defence, turning it into a solid fortified town.

The original earthen city wall stretched six li and thirteen paces. It was extended to nine li and thirteen paces (about 4.5 kilometres) in the Yuan Dynasty. In the 21st year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, Prefect Chen Zu recruited labourers from nine counties. After 13 years of construction, the earthen wall was rebuilt into a brick city wall, 12 metres high and 8 metres wide. Gate towers were built on the four city gates, turrets stood at four corners, and there were 876 battlements. What makes it unique is the barbicans outside each gate. With tight underground defences, the city was as impregnable as an iron fortress.

Guangfu boasts abundant historical relics, including Qinghui Academy, the main hall of the Confucian Temple (ruins), the Tomb of Mao Sui, Black Dragon Pool, the Wu Family Mansion, Top Scholar Tower and Taihe Hall.

The inner city covers 1.5 square kilometres. In ancient times, government offices spread all over the town, temples occupied half of the city, old streets crisscrossed, and merchants gathered in crowds. There were more than 30 roads, including four main streets, eight branch streets and seventy-two winding alleys, bearing witness to extraordinary prosperity in the old days.

The legendary troop-transporting tunnels dug by Dou Jiande were also discovered inside the city. When Dou Jiande fought a long and brutal war against Li Shimin, the Prince of Qin, for the throne, he dug tunnels stretching 30 li straight out of the city. He moved the same group of soldiers back and forth through the tunnels to confuse the enemy as a military stratagem.

Tai Chi is Guangfu’s greatest gift to humanity. Yang Luchan, founder of Yang-style Tai Chi, and Wu Yuxiang, founder of Wu-style Tai Chi, were both natives of Guangfu Ancient City in Yongnian. Guangfu Ancient City has been designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level and a National Famous Historical and Cultural Town. Yang-style Tai Chi originating here is inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list, while Wu-style Tai Chi is listed in the provincial intangible cultural heritage catalogue.

Address: Guangfu Town, Yongnian District, Handan City, Hebei Province