Dingzhou has an ancient and quaint Chongwen Street, where you can experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture

March in spring is when the ancient city of Dingzhou awakens under the spring light, making it a great time to travel. Choosing a weekend, two days are enough to check out this treasure of a small city, and when visiting here, you definitely should not miss the historically rich and story-filled Chongwen Street. During the Tang Dynasty, Dingzhou city was the political, economic, and cultural center of Hebei Province, known as one of the 'Twelve States of Jizhou'. Chongwen Street was the commercial and cultural center of Dingzhou at that time, and this status continued until the Ming and Qing dynasties. By the early 20th century, Chongwen Street had become an important commercial hub between Beijing, Tianjin, and Baoding. Today, walking on the street, you tread on the smooth bluestone bricks, with buildings from the Ming and Qing periods made of green bricks and grey tiles lining both sides of the road, as if traveling through time, back to a hundred years ago. On the street, there are small taverns, restaurants, inns, bars, and craft and specialty stores one after another. There are century-old established brands as well as popular internet-famous snacks. The aroma of food permeates the surroundings, and as you walk along, it's hard to stop either your steps or your mouth. Fried chicken, grilled skewers, spicy hotpot, snail noodles... A collection of delicacies from all over the country makes the whole street exude a delicious temperament and a rich local atmosphere. If you're tired from walking, why not sit down at a roadside shop, choosing from cafes and small teahouses at will. Take a leisurely break and have a cup of tea, basking in the spring sunshine, and your mood will become beautifully relaxed. The streets look simple and solid, full of charm, and the architectural style of the Ming and Qing periods is very suitable for photography. Dressing up in ancient costume for an immersive time-travel experience, you can also use the camera to trace back a hundred years and feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture. Chongwen Street is not just a simple commercial and food street; the entire street is U-shaped around the Dingzhou government office, naturally carrying a sense of profound historical atmosphere. There is also a small park on this street, where, upon entering, the hustle and bustle around you suddenly disappears. Before your eyes are pavilions, towers, small bridges, and flowing water, as if you've accidentally stepped into a secluded place hidden in the bustling city. The green trees and spring water, paired with the carved beams and painted rafters, the willow trees' graceful branches swaying in the wind, and the blooming flowers perfectly blending with the green bricks and brown tiles, all perform an elegant and joyful beauty of Chinese artistic conception.