Explore Zhaoxian County in Shijiazhuang.

If you visit Shijiazhuang but don't check in at the world-famous stone arch bridge, Zhaozhou Bridge, in Zhaoxian County, you might as well not have come. As soon as my plane landed in Shijiazhuang, I eagerly searched for ways to get to Zhaozhou Bridge. I chose to travel independently and booked a ride-hailing service (fare: CNY 110). It took about an hour to reach the Zhaozhou Bridge Scenic Area. The weather was particularly nice today, with the sun shining brightly. I entered the scenic area with great enthusiasm and looked up at the statue of Li Chun, a craftsman from the Sui Dynasty. The Zhaozhou Bridge written by Mr. Mao Yisheng in the primary school Chinese textbook was right in front of me. The stone arch bridge, which has stood on the "Xiao River" in Zhaoxian County for more than 1,400 years, is so charming and attractive. I walked closer to carefully examine this "First Bridge Under Heaven," also known as Anji Bridge, admired the decorative carvings on the bridge, and marveled at the wisdom of our ancestors. The remarkable Li Chun pioneered the history of bridge building for mankind. Generation after generation of Chinese people have protected this magnificent ancient stone bridge, which has become the world's largest and most well-preserved single-arch open-shoulder stone arch bridge. Some young people were live streaming by the ancient stone bridge. They talked eloquently about Zhaozhou Bridge. I listened to a few sentences, most of which were from the primary school Chinese textbook, which everyone has learned. There is also an exhibition of ancient bridges for visitors to see. The newly added sculpture of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea on the bank adds a splash of color to the scenic area. Zhaozhou Bridge is a national key cultural relic protection unit and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The tour lasts 2 hours. It is open to the public for free from 8:30 to 18:00. In Zhaoxian County, 3.5 km from Zhaozhou Bridge, there is another ancient temple with a long history, called Bailin Temple, which was first built in the Eastern Han Dynasty (196–220). Although it has experienced ups and downs, it has always been a popular place for worship. Today is a special day, and there is a constant stream of people coming to burn incense. I came to learn about the history of the ancient temple. In the temple, I particularly admired the ancient cypress tree that has been growing for 1,300 years. It is the only ancient relic in the temple, and I was amazed by the tree's tenacious vitality! It is a national key cultural relic protection unit, open from 8:00 to 16:00, and the tour lasts 1 hour. There is Bus 1101 to return to Shijiazhuang, and you can also carpool for CNY 20 per person to Shijiazhuang Railway Station.