December 1st Trip to Zhengding - Kaiyuan Temple

There are two high-speed rail options from Beijing to Zhengding: to Zhengding Airport or Shijiazhuang. After getting off at either station, it takes more than half an hour by car to reach the ancient city. Since there are more trains from Beijing to Shijiazhuang, I decisively chose the high-speed rail to Shijiazhuang, which takes one hour. There are many accommodation options in Zhengding Ancient City, ranging from hotels to homestays to suit different budgets. The center of the ancient city is probably near Yanghe Tower, and riding a bike is the best way to visit the various attractions. Now the ancient city has Hello Bike, but often there are issues locking the bike when parking; many times, even when parked in designated areas, the bike cannot be locked. You can take photos and file a complaint, but it is indeed a bit troublesome. Among Zhengding’s Four Pagodas, three charge admission. The Kaiyuan Temple ticket costs 20 yuan. Inside, there is the world’s largest stone bixi and a Tang Dynasty bell tower, so it’s worth buying a ticket to take a look around. The temple is small, and the muscular guardians at the base of the Sumeru Pagoda are very cute. Of course, there is also the internet-famous Ququ Lion, and its expression really does look very lifelike. After leaving Kaiyuan Temple, on the way to Longxing Temple, I also caught a distant view of the Lingxiao Pagoda of Tianning Temple.