Six cozy small cities reachable within 1 hour by high-speed rail from Beijing to avoid the crowds, set off this weekend

🏯 1. Zhengding (Hebei) High-speed rail duration: 1 hour (Beijing West → Zhengding Airport Station) Must-visit highlights: ✅ Longxing Temple: Song Dynasty inverted Guanyin statue, praised by Liang Sicheng as the "No.1 ancient temple outside Beijing" 🎫50 RMB. ✅ Zhengding Ancient City Wall: Night tour of the brightly lit Ming Dynasty city wall ✨ (free). ✅ Rongguo Mansion: Filming location of the 1987 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber," immersive Hanfu experience in the Grand View Garden 📸🎫40 RMB. Special local food: Hao’s Spare Ribs, Wang’s Shaomai (about ¥30 per person). Off-the-beaten-path reason: Well-preserved millennium-old architecture cluster, fewer tourists and low prices, the lantern street at night feels like traveling back to Chang’an. 🌊 2. Bazhou (Hebei · Shengfang) High-speed rail duration: 39 minutes (Beijing South → Bazhou West) Must-visit highlights: ✅ Shengfang Ancient Town: Ride a punt boat through the northern original water town, visit Qing Dynasty merchant courtyard (free). ✅ Mingtang Hot Springs: Soak in Japanese-style open-air pools ♨️, super relaxing for family fun 🎫158 RMB. Special local food: Shengfang preserved eggs, fried cakes (¥2 each). Off-the-beaten-path reason: Combination of hot springs and ancient town, enjoy lanterns while soaking in autumn and winter, full of local life without commercial noise. 🏛️ 3. Zhuozhou (Hebei) High-speed rail duration: 25 minutes (Beijing West → Zhuozhou East) Must-visit highlights: ✅ Liao Dynasty Twin Pagodas: Capture the ancient towers at sunset, check in at artsy cafes for photos (free). ✅ Sanyi Palace: Pilgrimage site for Three Kingdoms fans, relive the "Oath of the Peach Garden" history 🎫20 RMB. Special local food: Shaban chicken, Yang Prince sugar cakes (¥5 each). Off-the-beaten-path reason: Ideal for half-day trips, concentrated attractions with fast high-speed rail access, perfect for lazy short trips. 🏯 4. Dingzhou (Hebei) High-speed rail duration: 1 hour 11 minutes (Beijing West → Dingzhou East) Must-visit highlights: ✅ Kaiyuan Temple Pagoda: Climb the "China’s First Pagoda" for a bird’s-eye view of the ancient city, unlock secrets of the Song Dynasty underground palace 🎫10 RMB. ✅ Dingzhou Museum: Free to see treasures like the green jade dragon and chi holding a ring, educational for families. Special local food: Dingzhou steamed jelly, hand-torn sausage (¥8 per bowl of knife-cut noodles). Off-the-beaten-path reason: Dense cultural relics but few tourists, museum level comparable to provincial, very affordable. 🏞️ 5. Jizhou (Tianjin) High-speed rail duration: 32 minutes (Beijing → Jizhou Station) Must-visit highlights: ✅ Dule Temple: See the 16-meter-high Liao Dynasty clay Guanyin statue, a millennium-old temple that impresses 🎫40 RMB. ✅ Panshan Mountain: The "No.1 Mountain East of Beijing" visited 32 times by Emperor Qianlong, cable car views of strange pines and rocks 🎫78 RMB. Special local food: Jizhou rice bowl cake, reservoir fish head (farmhouse meals including three meals ¥80 per person). Off-the-beaten-path reason: Combines the elegance of Jiangnan with the grandeur of the north, ancient temples and mountain water Zen coexist, a top weekend healing choice. 🦁 6. Cangzhou (Hebei) High-speed rail duration: 1 hour (Beijing South → Cangzhou West) Must-visit highlights: ✅ Cangzhou Iron Lion: Millennium cultural relic "Sea-Calming Roar," feel the history of the martial arts hometown. ✅ Wu Qiao Acrobatic World: Watch thrilling acrobatic shows, experience intangible cultural heritage 🎫100+ RMB. Special local food: 0317 hot pot chicken, golden thread jujubes. Off-the-beaten-path reason: Extremely low prices and unique culture, perfect for history and folk culture enthusiasts for deep experiences. 💡 Travel Tips Tickets: Book 3 days in advance on 12306, weekend tickets are tight (such as Zhengding, Jizhou). Accommodation: Mainly homestays (¥100–300/night), Huailai Guanting Lakeside and Bazhou Hot Spring Hotels are worth experiencing. Routes: ➤ One-day trip: Choose Zhuozhou (Three Kingdoms culture), Bazhou (hot springs + ancient town); ➤ Two-day trip: Zhengding (deep ancient architecture), Jizhou (mountains, water & ancient temples). Seasonal highlights: Spring to enjoy Jizhou peach blossoms 🌸, autumn to see Zhengding’s golden ginkgo 🍂, winter to soak in Bazhou hot springs ❄️. These cities are like "slow life copies" scattered across Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, unlocking triple healing of history, nature, and local life with a high-speed rail ticket. Avoid the crowds and set off this weekend! 🚄✨