Get to know Yixian
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Baoding
- Chinese name
- 易县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 2,534.00 km²
- Population · 2013
- 557,400
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The county sits where the Taihang uplands slope down to the North China Plain, and about seven-tenths of it is mountain. On the plains, farmers grow wheat, maize, apples and peaches.
History
The Western Han set up Gu'an County (故安县) here. In 597 the Sui created Yi County on its old site as the seat of Yizhou (易州). Under the Qing emperor Yongzheng, the choice of this area for the Western Qing Tombs led to Yizhou being raised to a directly administered prefecture; it became Yi County again in 1913. Earlier layers include the Warring States culture of the state of Yan (燕国), remembered in the Golden Terrace (黄金台) and the Yi River.
What to see
The Western Qing Tombs were begun in 1730 and hold 14 tombs, a travelling palace and Yongfu Temple (永福寺), with more than a thousand halls and over a hundred stone structures. They were in the first group of national key protected sites in 1961, joined the World Heritage List in 2000 and became a 5A scenic area in 2020. More than 16,000 old pines survive around them, which the county government calls the largest planted old pine forest in North China.
Zijing Pass (紫荆关), a Great Wall pass on Zijing Ridge 45 kilometres north-west of the county town, dates from the Warring States period and forms the "inner three passes" with Juyong Pass (居庸关) and Daoma Pass (倒马关). Jing Ke Tower (荆轲塔), 1 kilometre south-west of the town, was built in 1103 under the Liao to honour Jing Ke (荆轲), who tried to assassinate the King of Qin; it is 26 metres high with 13 storeys. Yishui Lake (易水湖) covers 27 square kilometres and is nearly 50 metres deep at its deepest, and was a location for the film Red Cliff (赤壁). Langya Mountain (狼牙山) stands as a symbol of the resistance against Japan.
Food and local products
The Yishui inkstone (易水砚), which the county government counts among China's famous old inkstones, is carved from sedimentary stone in flat, round, openwork and relief techniques; its making is on the national intangible-heritage list. The county government says Yi inkstones are traditionally dated to the Warring States period.
Highlights
- Western Qing Tombs 清西陵: Begun 1730; 14 tombs; World Heritage since 2000.
- Zijing Pass 紫荆关: Great Wall pass 45 km north-west of the county town, one of the inner three passes.
- Jing Ke Tower 荆轲塔: Liao pagoda of 1103 honouring Jing Ke, 26 m high.
- Yishui Lake 易水湖: 27 km² of water, nearly 50 m deep at its deepest.
- Langya Mountain 狼牙山: Symbol of the anti-Japanese resistance period.
- Yishui inkstone 易水砚: Its making is national intangible heritage.
Sources for this guide
清西陵-易县旅游-易县人民政府 · Yi County People's Government, Hebei
紫荆关-易县旅游-易县人民政府 · Yi County People's Government, Hebei
荆轲塔-易县旅游-易县人民政府 · Yi County People's Government, Hebei
易水湖-易县旅游-易县人民政府 · Yi County People's Government, Hebei
国家级非物质文化遗产——易水砚-历史文化-易县人民政府 · Yi County People's Government, Hebei
易县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Yixian
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Yixian
The Shengong Shengde stele pavilion on the main Sacred Way of the Western Qing Tombs, September 2016.Western Qing tombs清西陵
The Western Qing Tombs lie beneath the hills of Yi County and contain the burial complexes of Yongzheng, Jiaqing, Daoguang and Guangxu. Each follows the broad language of Qing imperial funerary architecture, but their scale and…
Read the place guide →
Yishui Lake lake with pedal boats moored at the shore, Yi County · 易县易水湖，岸边停靠脚踏船 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 8 November 2007.Yishui Lake易水湖
Yishui Lake (易水湖) is the scenic name of Anggezhuang Reservoir, a mountain-ringed artificial lake southwest of Yi County's town centre.
Read the place guide →
Successive rocky ridges of Langya Mountain in Hebei. Photographed on 16 April 2017.Langya Mountain狼牙山
Langya Mountain combines sharp, wooded ridges with the wartime story of the Five Warriors. The memorial museum at the foot introduces that history through photographs and objects, including images by wartime photographer Liu…
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Yixian is about 55 km in a straight line from central Baoding. Search for 易县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Western Qing tombs and Yishui Lake are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Baoding →More in Baoding
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 易县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Western Qing tombs · Siyuwj · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Yishui Lake · 周连绘 · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Langya Mountain · Huangdan2060 · CC0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.