Weixian 威县

Setting and landscape

The county government sums up Weixian's old situation as "four not-nears and two withouts": not near mountains, the sea, a railway or a big city, with no minerals underground and no resources above ground. It borders Qinghe (清河) and Linxi (临西) to the east, Qiu County (邱县) in Handan to the south, Guangzong (广宗) to the west and Nangong (南宫) to the north, and its seat is Mingzhou Town (洺州镇).

History

Legend says Gun (鲧) built dykes here against floods more than 4,500 years ago. The Gun Dyke (鲧堤) is the county's best-known ancient remain, and more than 40 li of it survive in fair condition. Under the Yuan the area was the seat of Weizhou (威州); the name recalls the Song-dynasty Tianwei Army (天威军) and means "martial might". Weizhou was reduced to a county in 1369, the second year of the Ming Hongwu reign, and first called Weixian.

In the autumn of 1898 Zhao Sanduo (赵三多), a Weixian exponent of Plum Blossom Boxing, joined Yan Shuqin (阎书勤) of Liyuantun (梨园屯), renamed their groups Yihe Boxing (义和拳) and rose at the Jiangzhuang horse ground (蒋庄马场), becoming a key force of the Boxer movement. During the war against Japan and the civil war, the southern Hebei (冀南) party, government and army organs were based here for seven years.

What to see

The Boxer Memorial Hall (义和团纪念馆) is described by the county government as the only large memorial hall in China that tells the story of the Boxer movement in full. Wartime sites include the former southern Hebei party and government offices (冀南党政机关旧址), Hongji Hospital (宏济医院), the Southern Hebei Bookshop (冀南书店) and the Southern Hebei Military and Political Cadre School (冀南区军政干部学校). On 4 April 2026 the county's pear orchards hosted a blossom-viewing spring outing with intangible-heritage performances.

Food, crafts and traditions

Weixian pears (威梨) and Weixian grapes (威县葡萄) are Hebei provincial public brands. Weixian hand-woven cloth (威县土布) is spun and woven from cotton into cloth with regular lengthwise stripes, in white, black, blue, yellow and green and rarely in bright red or purple; the craft has a history of some 700 years and joined the national intangible-heritage list in 2014. Plum Blossom Boxing (梅花拳), named after being practised on posts, was listed for Weixian in 2011. Weixian luantan (威县乱弹), a local opera with several vocal styles accompanied by suona, flute and sheng, has around 300 plays and was listed in 2008.

Highlights

• Gun Dyke 鲧堤: Legendary flood dyke; more than 40 li survive in the county.
• Boxer Memorial Hall 义和团纪念馆: Described by the county government as China's only large hall giving a full account of the Boxer movement.
• Weixian hand-woven cloth 威县土布: Striped cotton cloth in five colours; national intangible heritage since 2014.
• Plum Blossom Boxing 梅花拳: Martial art practised on posts; listed nationally for Weixian in 2011.
• Weixian luantan 威县乱弹: Multi-style local opera with about 300 plays; national intangible heritage since 2008.
• Weixian pears 威梨: Hebei provincial public brand.