The folk arts and tourism culture of Hebei Province

龐曉欣

天津外國語大學

Hebei Province surrounds Municipalities Beijing and Tianjin inward and faces Po-Hai Sea to the East. It has a superior geographical position. It is one of the most significant birthplaces of the Chinese nation. Over 5000 years ago， three first ancestors of Chinese nation， Yellow Emperor， Yan Emperor and Chi You， created history of Chinese civilization after the shift from Campaign to Fusion in Hebei. In the Autumn and Spring and Warring states period， Hebei was in the hands of the State of Yan and the State of Zhao. Consequently， it can be named “Yan and Zhao regions”. For the long history， Hebei has an abundance of cultural relics and historic sites.

The vastness of Hebei and its long history cultivate a wide variety of folk arts and national culture. Ding Kiln， Xing Kiln， Cizhou Kiln， and Tangshan ceramic are the typical representatives of ceramic art in the history of China. Yu county paper-cut， Langfang cloisonné， Quyang stone carving skills， Hengshui painting of snuff bottles， Xiao antique ink slab， Wuqiang New years pictures， Fengning cloth paste painting， Baiyangdian reed plait， Xiji leather， and Amara medicinal materials are renowned home and abroad； Pangtzu of Hopei， hackneyed theme， shadow puppet， and Sixian opera are distinctive； Cangzhou Martial arts， Wuqian acrobatics， Yongnian Tai chi， and Baoding health and longevity path are exclusively glamorous. All in all， folk arts are indispensible in the tourism resources of Hebei Province.

Hebei boasts various popular operas： Pangtzu of Hopei， Beijing opera， Sixian opera， etc. The traditional programs embody the essence of ancient Chinese culture. This is the detailed introduction to Pangtzu of Hopei and Pingju. Pangtzu of Hopei was born during about 1820 and 1850. Beijing， Tianjin and the rural areas of Hebei were the premises of it. After 1920， it began to decline； from 1930， it declined sharply and was on the verge of distinction； till 1949 when the Peoples Republic of China was established， it began to come to life. The contents of Pangtzu of Hopei cater to the various necessities of the general public： the revelation of the decay and ugliness of the feudal ruling party； the reflection of class repression； the appreciation for the pursuit and longing for marriage freedom of the women and the manifestation of the joy of rural life. PingJu originated in East Hebei. It was designated as PingJu in 1924. It is popular among low-class people for its easy language， tune， style， and rich rural life air.

Hebei is also abundant in tourism. It also boasts famous scenic spots， such as Baiyangdian， Bashang grassland scenery， and Qinhuangdao Wildlife park. Baiyangdian is located in Baoding City， Hebei Province， about 140 kilometers from Beijing and Tianjin. It covers over 360 square kilometers and it is the largest fresh water lake in the North China Plain. The most attractive is undoubtedly its water scenery， which changes with season. In spring， the whole lake is abundant with reed and is green； in summer， lotuses are young and attractive； in autumn， the reed flowers dance everywhere， and the lake is full of fish and ducks； in winter， the lake is frozen and looks like jade. Reed is distinctive in Baiyangdian. Its reed mats are well-known for their snow-whiteness and softness. They can be souvenirs for tourists and gifts for their friends. Bashang grassland scenery is becoming peoples recreational spots in recent years. Hebei has three Bashang grassland scenic spots： Chengde magnolia paddock Bashang grassland scenery， Fengning Bashang grassland scenery and Zhangbei Bashang grassland scenery. Compared with the Inner Mongolia prairie， the Bashang grassland scenic spots in Hebei lack the feature of vastness. The proper time tourists travel there is July and August. With the clear sky， the grief clouds， the verdurous prairie dotted with unknown flowers， and Mongolian yurt with rich exotic flavor， the scenery you cannot see in cities will give you an eye feast. Of course， the thing which deserves a try is horse-riding. Tourists can stay there， enjoying the scenery and the culture of it for two days. There， you can count the stars. One thing that we should notice is that we should bring thick clothes and umbrella due to the temperature and the changeable weather. Qinhuangdao Wildlife park is located between Qinhuangdao and Beidaihe. It has a high forest-coverage， and beautiful scenery. It is authorized as a national 4A-class scenic spot. Indubitably， there we can watch various animals. They are bred outside the cage. This is the distinct part of it. There tourists can enjoy staying with them， and slowly they can love nature， love animals， and cultivate their consciousness of nature caring and animal protecting. Thus， it offers tourists an opportunity to get along with nature and animals， get close to nature， and understand animals. And at the same time， it provides a chance for them to feel innocence.

Folk arts and tourism are the embodiment of culture. Much of the hidden world in Hebei has never been explored， and welcome to discover the breath-taking cultural relics with your piercing eyes.