Wahuang Palace

Handan is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hebei Province, located in the southern part of Hebei Province. It is a national historical and cultural city, an excellent tourism city in China, a national garden city, a national model city for supporting the military, and the capital of Chinese idiomatic expressions. As of July 2023, Handan administers 6 districts, 11 counties, and 1 county-level city. Some introductions are as follows: - Historical Culture: Handan is an ancient city with a history of nearly three thousand years and was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. It is the birthplace and growth place of Qin Shi Huang, and also the site of the story 'Learning to Walk in Handan' from the Warring States period. - Tourism Resources: Handan boasts numerous scenic spots, such as Huiche Alley, Xuebu Bridge, and Congtai Park. Among them, the Wahuang Palace in She County is known as the 'Ancestral Temple of China' and is the largest and earliest ancient building dedicated to the worship of the ancient goddess Nüwa in China. - Economic Development: Handan is a heavy industrial city dominated by steel, coal, electricity, and building materials. It has large steel enterprises such as Handan Iron and Steel and Tiangang, and is also one of China's important cotton-producing areas and textile bases. - Transportation: Handan is the only mega-city at the junction of four provinces, bordering Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan provinces. It is an important transportation hub in North China, with complete transportation facilities including railways, highways, and aviation.

Handan is a big city, which existed more than 3100 years ago. During the Warring States Period (403 BC - 222 BC), it was the capital of the Zhao State, lasting for as long as 158 years. Handan is also quite impressive in that it has given birth to nearly 1600 idioms, making it the true 'Capital of Idioms' in China. So, the first thing to do when you get to Handan is to learn, learn, and learn again. If you don't learn, you might not be able to walk, dream, or even dress. Such important things, we must note down: 1⃣📌Dream: When in Handan, it doesn't matter if you don't have a yellow beam, dreaming is a must. Otherwise, the trip would be in vain. 2⃣📌Learn to walk: In Handan, if you don't learn to walk, you're done for. The road is long and the horse is strong, walking depends on learning. If you don't learn, you're done for. 3⃣📌Learn to dress: In Handan, you have to learn to dress. If you don't wear Hu clothes, how can you rise? Wearing Hu clothes, eating Hu meals, speaking Hu language, only when you have mastered the 'Three Hus', can you ascend to the Western Paradise. If you can't master it, you're really done for!

Wa Huang Palace Scenic Area is located in the Zhonghuang Mountain of Suobao Town, Shexian County, Hebei Province. It is said to be the place where Nuwa created humans from clay and mended the sky with stones. It is a key national cultural relic protection unit, a national scenic spot, a national AAAAA level scenic spot, and one of the five major ancestral worship sites in China. It is the largest Nuwa worship site in China and is known as the "Ancestral Temple of China". Wa Huang Palace was founded in the Han Dynasty with three temples, and now there are ancient sites such as the Northern Qi stone carvings, Tang Dynasty inscriptions, Song Dynasty brick walls, Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings, etc. There are natural landscapes such as forests, valleys, gardens, and water systems. Among them, the Northern Qi cliff carvings, the main building Wa Huang Pavilion, and the Nuwa Festival are the three essences of the scenic area, known as the "First Wall Sutra Group in the World", "Living Building Hanging Temple", and "National Intangible Cultural Heritage" at home and abroad. It is an important base for studying the root culture of our country. The Nuwa Festival is the longest, largest, and most influential festival in China to worship Nuwa. It is listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. During the temple fair in March of the lunar calendar, people from all over the country and overseas Chinese come to worship the cultural ancestors of the Chinese nation, so Wa Huang Palace has become one of the national ancestral worship sites, known as the "Ancestral Temple of China". Wa Huang Palace architecture is known as the "Living Building Hanging Temple", it is the largest and earliest ancient architectural complex for worshipping Nuwa in the country. The architectural style is based on cliffs and caves, and it is built according to the mountain situation, using the principle of high-rise building center of gravity deviation safety rate, integrating cultural heritage and ancient architectural wonders. The Northern Qi cliff carving sutra is the oldest and most valuable cultural relic in Shexian Wa Huang Palace. It is known as the "First Wall Sutra Group in the World". It is the place with the most words in the existing cliff carving sutras in China. The cliff carving sutra covers 165 square meters (a total of 137,400 words), which has a history of more than 1400 years. It is a priceless treasure in our Buddhist scriptures.

You can't imagine that there is such a niche place, which is the place where the mythological story of Nüwa mending the sky and creating humans took place. What's even more magical is that on the halfway up the cliff, there is a temple that is over 1400 years old. This temple is only connected to the mountain by 9 iron chains. It is breathtaking from afar and amazing up close, which is truly astonishing. This is the Nüwa Palace in Handan. 💫About the Palace of Empress Wa Wahuang Palace is one of the five national holy sites for ancestor worship, and is the largest and most influential historical and cultural relic for worshipping Nüwa, with the title of "Ancestral Temple of Huaxia". It was first built in the Northern Qi Dynasty and has a history of more than 1400 years. It is the place where the mythical figure Nüwa repaired the sky with stones and created humans from clay. 🌠Recommended highlights 🔸Palace of Empress Wa The most exquisite part of the Palace of Empress Wa‼️ The Palace of Empress Wa is located on the steep mountain slope and dangerous terrain, resembling a grand armchair from afar. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right. Below the mountain is the Zhang River, which is very spectacular. 👉Features: -Has a history of over 1400 years. -Connected to the mountain only by 9 iron chains. On the halfway up the cliff, hanging there are the "Hanging Temple" and the "Activity Building". ⛰️How to get there❓ From the entrance of the scenic area, take the sightseeing electric car to the square. The one-way fare for the sightseeing electric car is 10 yuan/person, and the round-trip fare is 20 yuan/person. It is recommended to take it. Then, climb up to the Wa Huang Palace on the half-mountain from the square in the following way: 1. Hiking and mountain climbing Seemingly high, but actually doesn't require a long climb. It's recommended to choose mountain climbing as long as your knees are okay. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the top, and it's not very tiring. If it's a holiday or peak season with many people, it's better to choose hiking, which will be faster. 2. Cable car + hiking Cable car one-way ticket costs 40 yuan/person. Take the cable car from the drop-off point of the sightseeing electric car, and then walk for another 20 minutes. The path is mostly flat, with stairs only towards the end. This is suitable for those who are older or have knee problems and cannot walk up stairs. However, taking the cable car does not mean less walking or saving time. On the contrary, it may waste more time. If it's a holiday or peak season with lots of people, don't choose the cable car. You'll queue until you break down, so it's better to hike up the mountain. 3. Sightseeing sled. Often closed, if open, you can choose to slide down the mountain with less effort. ‼️In short, it is recommended to take the sightseeing bus back and forth when entering the gate, unless you have knee problems and cannot climb stairs. Cable car is not recommended. It is suggested to hike up and down the mountain, which is not very high. 🔸Heavenly Square Here you can see the statue of Nüwa and the majestic Nüwa Palace on the tall and steep mountain behind it. It is a spectacular and breathtaking location for photography. ❤️Small tips: Here are many selling prayer gourds (small gourd for 15 yuan, big gourd for 20 yuan) and small stone lucky bags (two stones for 10 yuan). 🚘Transportation guide From the city center of Handan, you can choose to drive, charter a car, take public transportation and then take a taxi to get to the Wa Huang Palace. 1. Self-driving: From the city center of Handan, it's about 100 kilometers to the Wa Huang Palace. You can take National Highway 309 or the Qinglan Expressway. There are quite a few large trucks on the road, but there are plenty of parking spaces in the scenic area. 2. Charter: For renting a car in Handan, the price is around 300 yuan per day. Taking a ride on a ride-sharing platform costs a little over 100 yuan, but sometimes the driver may ask for an extra 50 yuan, and there aren't many ride-sharing options, so it's luck-based. 3. Public transportation + taxi: Take a train from Handan Station to Shexian, then take a taxi to the scenic area for about 20 yuan. 💰Admission ticket Scenic area ticket is 70 yuan, platform discount ticket is 60 yuan, sightseeing bus one-way ticket is 10 yuan/person, cable car one-way ticket is 40 yuan/person. ❤️Money-saving tip: Buy a ticket for Handan scenic area one day in advance, which includes Wa Huang Palace. You can break even by visiting just one attraction, and also visit other attractions in Handan (such as Nangongshan, Jingniang Lake, Guangfu Ancient Town, etc.), which is very cost-effective.