Hebei Province

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Hebei lies just north of the Yellow River, the second longest river in China. Its name "Hebei", literally means "north of the river" in Chinese.

Hebei surrounds Beijing, the Chinese capital, and the municipality of Tianjin. Its capital is Shijiazhuang, just over two hours from Beijing by express train. It played an important role in China's revolutionary history.

Other major cities include Qinghuangdao, one of China's busiest ports, and Chengde, where the Imperial Mountain Resort and the Temple Park have been designated as UNESCO world cultural heritage sites.

Hebei is one of China's key areas for crop and cotton production. Its light industry also plays an important part in the country's economy.

Hebei has trade and economic links with 170 countries and regions, with exports worth 30 billion US dollars last year. Its GDP in 2008 reached more than 1.6 trillion yuan, or nearly 238 billion US dollars, sixth highest in the country, and up ten percent on the previous year. The total GDP volume has risen 90-fold on that of sixty years ago.