A Weekend Getaway in Tangshan

The newly opened Shangri-La Hotel, Tangshan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Just two hours' drive from China's capital city of Beijing, Tangshan is an ideal location for a weekend getaway from the busy urban life.

Tangshan is a historic city in the east of Hebei Province. Situated to the east of Beijing, travelers can start their weekend by commuting to Tangshan conveniently by road or train.

Guests can check into the newly opened Shangri-La Hotel, Tangshan, and rest in a spacious and comfortable room before setting out to explore the region over the weekend.

Tangshan is best known in China for its heavy industry development but it is also a city with many scenic and cultural sites to offer. Visitors can pamper themselves with the hotel's complimentary breakfast buffet that is known for its variety and taste, before taking a one-day trip to the Eastern Qing Tombs.

A UNESCO World Heritage site dating from the Qing Dynasty, the Eastern Qing Tombs are the largest, most complete and best-preserved existing monument of their kind. In the 15 tombs that cover an area of 2,500 square kilometers, five emperors (Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong, Xianfeng and Tongzhi), 15 empresses, 136 imperial concubines, three princes, and two princesses of the Qing Dynasty are buried.

Surrounded by four mountains and two rivers, the Eastern Qing Tombs area is well positioned according to the concepts of Chinese feng shui. More importantly, the tombs combine the best architectural techniques and materials remaining from the Qing Dynasty, making them a history book written in brick and stone. Sites at the tombs that should not be missed include China’s widest stone archway, which survived two huge earthquakes; the 5.5-kilometer long spirit way in Xiaoling, the mausoleum of Emperor Shunzhi; the "five-sound bridge", which when knocked sounds like a golden bell; the tomb chamber of Yuling, the tomb of the Qianlong Emperor, which is known for its sculptures and Buddhist imagery at a depth of 54 meters; and the three halls of extremely luxurious decoration in Ding Dongling, the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi.