Historic city · Cultural centre · Industrial centre · Hebei
Handan
邯郸
Capital of Zhao and the city of idioms
Handan is a prefecture-level city in the far south of Hebei that has kept the same name for about three thousand years and served as the capital of the Warring States kingdom of Zhao from 386 BCE. Many classical Chinese idioms are set in the city, and its jurisdiction includes the Northern Qi grottoes of Xiangtangshan, the Cizhou kilns and Guangfu, birthplace of the Yang style of taijiquan.
Key facts
Overview
Handan lies on the plain at the foot of the Taihang Mountains, on the ancient road between the Central Plain and the north. As the capital of Zhao for more than 150 years it was one of the great cities of the Warring States, and nearby Ye (Yecheng) was the capital of Cao Cao's state of Wei and of several northern dynasties.
The modern city is a centre of steel, coal and heavy industry. Visitors come for the Zhao city ruins and the Congtai terrace, the Buddhist grottoes of the Xiangtang hills, the Nüwa temple at Shexian and the walled water town of Guangfu.
Names and nicknames
成语之乡
“home of idioms”
Because a large number of four-character idioms originate in stories set in Zhao and Handan.
赵都
“capital of Zhao”
Its role in the Warring States period.
History
Handan became Zhao's capital in 386 BCE and flourished until Qin took it in 228 BCE; the future First Emperor was born here in 259 BCE, the son of a Qin prince held hostage in the city. Many idioms record events at the Zhao court, such as the return of the jade disc intact (完璧归赵) by Lin Xiangru and General Lian Po's apology bearing thorns (负荆请罪). In the third century Cao Cao built his capital at Ye, south of the city, and in the sixth century the Northern Qi carved the Xiangtangshan grottoes. In the nineteenth century Yang Luchan of Yongnian developed the Yang style of taijiquan.
386 BCE
Capital of Zhao
Marquis Jing of Zhao moved his capital to Handan, which grew into a major city with a palace compound on raised platforms.
307 BCE
King Wuling's military reform
The king ordered his troops to adopt nomad dress and fight as mounted archers, making Zhao a leading military power.
259 BCE
Birth of Ying Zheng
The future First Emperor of Qin was born in Handan, where his father lived as a hostage.
228 BCE
Qin conquers Zhao
The fall of Handan was one of the final steps in Qin's unification of China.
204
Cao Cao takes Ye
Cao Cao made Ye, in today's Linzhang county, his base and built the Bronze Sparrow Terrace there.
550–577
Northern Qi grottoes
The Northern Qi emperors, whose capital was at Ye, sponsored the cave temples of Xiangtangshan.
19th century
Yang-style taijiquan
Yang Luchan of Guangfu, Yongnian, learned taijiquan in Chen village in Henan and taught it in Beijing; his style became the most widely practised in the world.
Landmarks
Historic site
Congtai
丛台
Terrace traditionally identified with King Wuling of Zhao's parade platform, in a park in the city centre.
Historic site
Zhao Capital Ruins
赵王城遗址
The rammed-earth walls and palace platforms of the Zhao royal city, in a park south-west of the centre.
Temple or shrine
Xiangtangshan Grottoes
响堂山石窟
Northern and southern cave groups of the Northern Qi with Buddhist sculpture and inscribed sutras.
Historic site
Guangfu Ancient City
广府古城
A walled town surrounded by a lake and reed marshes, with the homes of the taijiquan masters Yang Luchan and Wu Yuxiang.
Temple or shrine
Wahuang Palace
娲皇宫
Temple to the creator goddess Nüwa, its pavilions chained to the cliff face in Shexian county.
Neighbourhoods
Congtai District
丛台区
The central district with the Congtai park and the main commercial streets.
Fengfeng Mining District
峰峰矿区
The coal-mining and kiln district in the hills to the south-west, around the Cizhou kiln sites and the southern Xiangtangshan caves.
Food
Yilouyou dumplings
一篓油水饺
Juicy boiled dumplings from a long-established Handan shop.
Ermao braised chicken
二毛烧鸡
Spiced braised chicken from Daming in the south-east of the prefecture.
Culture
Handan's identity rests on its ancient past, and the city presents itself through the idioms that originate there, among them “learning to walk in Handan” (邯郸学步), about a young man who lost his own gait trying to copy the elegant walk of Handan, and “the golden millet dream” (黄粱美梦), set at an inn north of the city that is now the Lü Dongbin temple at Huangliangmeng. The Cizhou kilns around Pengcheng have produced stoneware with bold black-and-white painting since the Song, and taijiquan is practised everywhere in Yongnian.
Getting around
- Handan East station is on the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed line; the conventional Handan station is in the city centre.
- Handan Airport serves domestic routes.
- Buses link the city with Guangfu, the Fengfeng district and the western hills.
Day trips
Ye city ruins
邺城遗址
The site of the capital of Cao Cao and the Northern Qi in Linzhang county, with the remains of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.
Huangliangmeng temple
黄粱梦吕仙祠
Daoist temple north of the city commemorating the tale of the golden millet dream.
Cizhou kiln museum
磁州窑博物馆
Museum and working kilns at Pengcheng in the Fengfeng district.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Handan Municipal People's Government — Handan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: China (Taijiquan, 2020) — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Handan — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More cities in Hebei
- Shijiazhuang石家庄Capital · Industrial centreRailway city at the foot of the Taihang, with Zhengding and the Zhaozhou Bridge nearby
- Baoding保定Historic city · Cultural centreSeat of the Zhili governors-general on the approach to Beijing
- Chengde承德Historic city · Scenic areaThe Qing summer capital beyond the Great Wall
- Qinhuangdao秦皇岛Port · Historic city · Scenic areaWhere the Great Wall reaches the sea
- Tangshan唐山Industrial centre · PortCradle of China's modern industry, rebuilt after the 1976 earthquake
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