Zaoqiang County 枣强县

Setting and landscape

The county borders Jingxian (景县) and Gucheng (故城) to the east, Nangong (南宫) to the south, Jizhou (冀州) to the west, and Taocheng (桃城) and Wuyi (武邑) to the north. The Qingliang River (清凉江) crosses its east, and the Suolu River (索泸河) runs through the county town. The climate is warm-temperate continental monsoon, with a mean temperature of 13°C and about 497 millimetres of rain a year.

History

Zaoqiang County was first set up in the early Western Han; under the Han it was repeatedly merged with and split from neighbouring Guangchuan (广川). In 1126 a flood destroyed the old county town at today's Jiuxian village (旧县村), and the seat moved to Liuma village (刘马村), the site of the present town. A stone statue of the Confucian master Dong Zhongshu (董仲舒石像) is a Hebei provincial heritage site.

What to see

Along the Suolu River, the Eight Scenes Park (八景公园) recreates the county's old eight views, such as "spring rain at Duyan" (杜烟春雨) and "pear blossom on the sandy bank" (沙岸梨花), with a cultural street and intangible-heritage displays. The Tanhuage Traditional Architecture Craft Museum (探花阁传统建筑技艺馆) uses models and reconstructed scenes to trace how traditional Chinese building techniques developed. Daying keeps its fur heritage in the Qiuzu culture park (裘祖文化园), which recalls the Shang minister Bi Gan (比干), traditionally credited with inventing fur-making while posted at Daying, and in a fur market, the Daying Xiya Fur City (大营西亚皮草城). Daying furs were fixed as a tribute item in the Jiajing reign of the Ming, and in the Daoguang reign of the Qing merchants from more than ten countries, including Britain, Russia and Japan, set up warehouses there.

Food and local products

Local snacks include shoe-sole shaobing (鞋底烧饼), flatbread rolled around smoked meat (烙饼卷熏肉), Zaoqiang old tofu (枣强老豆腐), Zaoqiang braised flatbread (枣强焖饼) and Shao family crisp fish (绍氏酥鱼). In 2026 the county government added Zaoqiang smoked-meat making, as practised by three named shops, to its intangible heritage list, along with stone-mill sesame oil and sesame paste, and mud-cured roasted duck eggs. Malian small jujubes (马莲小枣) are eaten fresh or made into jujube cakes, wine, vinegar and paste.

Getting oriented

The county town is 272 kilometres south of Beijing and 124 kilometres east of Shijiazhuang (石家庄). Zaoqiang and Daying stations are on the Beijing–Kowloon railway, and the Daqing–Guangzhou Expressway (大广高速) crosses the county.

Highlights

• Eight Scenes Park 八景公园: Riverside park on the Suolu River recreating the county's eight traditional views.
• Tanhuage Traditional Architecture Craft Museum 探花阁传统建筑技艺馆: Models and reconstructed scenes tracing the development of traditional Chinese building techniques.
• Qiuzu culture park 裘祖文化园: Daying park on fur culture, recalling Bi Gan, the legendary founder of the trade.
• Zaoqiang smoked meat 枣强熏肉: Smoked-meat making by three named shops, on the county intangible heritage list since 2026.