Hebei is a province in North China. It is China's sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It borders Shanxi to the west, Henan to the south, Shandong and Liaoning to the east, and Inner Mongolia to the north; in addition, Hebei entirely surrounds the direct-administered municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin on land. Its population is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and 0.3% Mongol. Varieties of Chinese spoken include Jilu Mandarin, the Beijing dialect of Mandarin, and Jin Chinese.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (771–226 BC), the region was ruled by the states of Yan and Zhao. During the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), the region was called Zhongshu. It was called North Zhili during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), and simply Zhili during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). The modern province of Hebei was created in 1928. Five UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be found in the province: the Great Wall of China, Chengde Mountain Resort, Grand Canal, Eastern Qing tombs, and Western Qing tombs. It is also home to five National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities: Handan, Baoding, Chengde, Zhengding and Shanhaiguan.
Hebei's economy is based on agriculture and manufacturing; it is China's premier steel producer, which has contributed to serious air pollution.
Etymology
"Hebei" means 'north of the river', derived from the province's location north of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. In the Yu Gong, the province is recorded as "Jizhou", lending to its traditional abbreviation of "Ji" ().
The province's nickname is "Yanzhao" (), which is the collective name of the Yan and Zhao states that controlled the region during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (771–221 BC). In 1421, the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, and the province surrounding the new capital was first called North Zhili or Zhili, meaning 'directly ruled'. When Nanjing became the capital of the Republic of China in 1928, the province of Zhili was abolished and given its present name of Hebei.
History
Pre and early history
Peking Man, an early pre-historic Homo erectus, lived on the plains of Hebei around 200,000 to 700,000 years ago. Neolithic findings at the prehistoric Beifudi site date to 7000 and 8000 BC.
Many early Chinese myths are set in the province. Fuxi, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, is said to have lived in present-day Xingtai. The mythical Battle of Zhuolu, won by the Yellow Emperor, Yan Emperor, and their Yanhuang tribes against the Chiyou-led Jiuli tribes, took place in Zhangjiakou and started the Huaxia civilization.
During the Spring and Autumn period (722–476 BC), Hebei was under the rule of Yan in the north and Jin in the south. Also during this period, a nomadic people known as Dí invaded the plains of northern China and established Zhongshan in central Hebei. In the Warring States period (403–221 BC), Jin was partitioned and much of its territory in Hebei went to Zhao.
Qin and Han dynasties
The Qin dynasty unified China in 221 BC. The Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) ruled the area under two provinces, You Prefecture in the north and Ji Province in the south. At the end of the Han dynasty, most of Hebei was under the control of warlords Gongsun Zan in the north and Yuan Shao further south. Yuan Shao emerged as the victor of the two, but he was defeated by Cao Cao in the Battle of Guandu in 200. Hebei came under the rule of the Kingdom of Wei, established by the descendants of Cao Cao.
Jin through the Three Kingdoms
After the invasions of northern nomadic peoples at the end of the Western Jin dynasty, chaos ensued in the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern dynasties. Because of its location on the northern frontier, Hebei changed hands many times and was controlled at various times by Later Zhao, Former Yan, Former Qin, and Later Yan. The Northern Wei reunified northern China in 440 but split in 534, with Hebei coming under Eastern Wei; then the Northern Qi, with its capital at Ye near modern Linzhang, Hebei. The Sui dynasty again unified China in 589.
thumb|200px|Tricolor Duck-Shaped Cup, Tang dynasty, unearthed from Anxin County
Tang and Five dynasties
During the Tang dynasty (618–907), the area was officially called Hebei for the first time. The Great Yan State was established in Hebei from 756 to 763 during the An Lushan Rebellion. After the rebellion, Lulong Jiedushi retained its autonomy from Tang during most of the 9th century. During the late Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Lulong was fragmented among several regimes including the short-lived Yan. It was eventually annexed in 913 by Li Cunxu, who established the Later Tang (923–936). Emperor Gaozu of the Later Jin dynasty ceded much of northern Hebei to the Khitan Liao dynasty. This territory, called the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, became a weakness in the Chinese defense against the Khitans for the next century because it lay within the Great Wall.
Song through Yuan dynasties
During the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), the sixteen ceded prefectures continued to be an area of contention between Song China and the Liao dynasty. Later, the Southern Song dynasty abandoned all of North China, including Hebei, to the Jurchen Jin dynasty after the 1127 Jingkang Incident of the Jin–Song wars. Hebei was heavily affected by the flooding of the Yellow River; between 1048 and 1128, the river ran directly through the province rather than to its south.
The Mongol Yuan dynasty divided China into provinces but did not establish Hebei as a province. Instead, the area was directly administrated by the Secretariat at the capital Dadu.
Ming and Qing dynasties
During the Ming dynasty, what is now Hebei was first constituted as Beizhili, when the capital of China was located at Nanjing along the Yangtze River. In 1403, the Ming Yongle Emperor relocated the capital to Beiping, which was subsequently renamed Beijing. The region known as Beizhili was composed of parts of the modern provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, including the provincial-level municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin.
thumb|upright|Zhili during the [[Qing dynasty.]]
The Qing dynasty came to power in 1644 and centralized its capital in Beijing. Southern Zhili was reconstituted as the province of Jiangnan, while Northern Zhili simply became known as Zhili, or Directly Ruled. The northern borders of Zhili extended deep into Inner Mongolia and overlapped in jurisdiction with the leagues of Inner Mongolia.
In the 18th century the borders of Zhili were redrawn and spread over Hebei, as well as what is today Beijing, Tianjin, and the provinces of Hebei, western Liaoning, northern Henan, northern Shandong, and Inner Mongolia.
Republic of China
thumb|Hebei in 2022
thumb|right|[[Mount Langya (Hebei)|Langyashan (Wolf Tooth Mountain), in Yi County]]
The Qing dynasty collapsed in 1912 and was replaced by the Republic of China (ROC). In a few years, China descended into a civil war, with regional warlords vying for power. Since Zhili was so close to the capital of Beijing, it was the site of the Zhiwan War, the First Zhifeng War, and the Second Zhifeng War. With the success of the Northern Expedition in 1926 and 1927 by the Kuomintang, the capital was moved from Beijing to Nanjing. The ROC assigned portions of northern Zhili province to its neighbors in the north and renamed the remainder to Hebei, reflecting the relocation of the capital and its standard provincial administration.
During World War II, Hebei was under the control of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, a puppet state of the Empire of Japan.
People's Republic of China
The founding of the People's Republic of China saw several changes. The region around Chengde, previously part of Rehe Province (historically part of Manchuria), and the region around Zhangjiakou, previously part of Chahar Province (historically part of Inner Mongolia), were merged into Hebei. This extended its borders northwards beyond the Great Wall. Meanwhile, the city of Puyang was carved away, causing Hebei to lose access to the Yellow River. The city became part of the short-lived Pingyuan Province before eventually being annexed into Henan.
The capital was also moved from Baoding to the new city of Shijiazhuang, and, for a short period, to Tianjin. On July 28, 1976, Tangshan was struck by the Tangshan earthquake, the deadliest earthquake of the 20th century, killing over 240,000 people. There were a series of smaller earthquakes in the following decade.
Today, Hebei, along with Beijing and Tianjin municipalities which it includes, make up the Jing-Jin-Ji megalopolis region. With a population of 130 million, it is about six times the size of the New York metropolitan area and is one of the largest megalopolis clusters in China. Beijing had also unloaded some of its non-capital functions to the province with the establishment of the Xiong'an New Area, which integrates the three municipalities.
Geography
Hebei is the only province in China to contain plateaus, mountains, hills, shorelines, plains, and lakes. Most of central and southern Hebei lies within the North China Plain. Western Hebei rises into the Taihang Mountains (Taihang Shan), while the Yan Mountains (Yan Shan) runs through northern Hebei. Beyond the mountains are the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. The highest peak is Mount Xiaowutai in Yu County in the northwest of the province, with an altitude of .
|-
!City
!July (°C)
!July (°F)
!January (°C)
!January (°F)
|-
| Baoding || 31.7/22.6 || 89.1/72.7 || 2.5/–7.7 || 36.5/18.1
|-
| Qinhuangdao || 28.1/21.7 || 82.6/71.1 || 0.1/–8.8 || 32.2/16.2
|-
| Tangshan || 30.2/21.7 || 86.4/71.1 || 0.9/–10.2 || 33.6/13.6
|-
| Zhangjiakou || 29.4/18.7 || 84.9/65.7 || 2.2/–12.9 || 36.0/8.8
|}
Government
As with other provincial-level divisions in mainland China, Hebei is governed under a dual party-government system. The Governor of Hebei is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Hebei and is responsible for the provincial administration. However, the most powerful official in the province is the Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Hebei Provincial Committee, commonly known as the "Party Secretary", who holds greater influence than the governor within the province's political structure.
Administrative divisions
Hebei is divided into 11 prefecture-level divisions, all of which are prefecture-level cities:
- Shijiazhuang
- Tangshan
- Qinhuangdao
- Handan
- Xingtai
- Baoding
- Zhangjiakou
- Chengde
- Cangzhou
- Langfang
- Hengshui
These prefecture-level cities are further subdivided into 168 county-level divisions:
- 47 districts
- 21 county-level cities
- 94 counties
- 6 autonomous counties
These in turn are divided into 2,207 township-level divisions, comprising:
- 1 District public office
- 937 towns
- 979 townships
- 55 ethnic townships
- 235 subdistricts
As of the end of 2017, Hebei had a population of approximately 75.2 million.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: auto; text-align:center"
! Division code
! Division
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! Population (2020)
! Seat
! Districts
! Counties
! Autonomous counties
! County-level cities
|-
| 130100 || Shijiazhuang || 15,848 || 11,235,086 || Chang'an District || 8 || 11 || — || 3
|-
| 130200 || Tangshan || 14,334.6 || 7,717,983 || Lunan District || 7 || 4 || — || 3
|-
| 130300 || Qinhuangdao || 7,791.6 || 3,136,879 || Haigang District || 4 || 2 || 1 || —
|-
| 130400 || Handan || 12,066 || 9,413,990 || Congtai District || 6 || 11 || — || 1
|-
| 130500 || Xingtai || 12,433 || 7,111,106 || Xindu District || 4 || 12 || — || 2
|-
| 130600 || Baoding || 22,185 || 11,544,036 || Jingxiu District || 5 || 15 || — || 4
|-
| 130700 || Zhangjiakou || 36,861.6 || 4,118,908 || Qiaoxi District || 6 || 10 || — || —
|-
| 130800 || Chengde || 39,513 || 3,354,444 || Shuangqiao District || 3 || 4 || 3 || 1
|-
| 130900 || Cangzhou || 14,305.3 || 7,300,783 || Yunhe District || 2 || 9 || 1 || 4
|-
| 131000 || Langfang || 6,417.3 || 5,464,087 || Anci District || 2 || 5 || 1 || 2
|-
| 131100 || Hengshui || 8,836.9 || 4,212,933 || Taocheng District || 2 || 8 || — || 1
|}
"Urban area" refers to built-up zones and may exclude newer administrative districts established since the 2010 census.
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
! # !! City !! 2020 Urban Area !! 2010 Urban Area !! 2020 City Population
|-
|1||Shijiazhuang||4,805,079||2,770,344||11,235,086
|-
|2||Tangshan||2,667,603||2,128,191||7,717,983
|-
|3||Handan||2,280,755||1,316,674||9,413,990
|-
|4||Baoding||2,167,607||1,038,195||11,544,036
|-
|5||Xingtai||1,371,150||668,765||7,111,106
|-
|6||Qinhuangdao||1,320,988||967,877||3,136,879
|-
|7||Zhangjiakou||1,185,494||924,628||4,118,908
|-
|8||Langfang||768,439||530,840||5,464,087
|-
|9||Cangzhou||727,879||499,411||7,300,783
|-
|10||Hengshui||707,905||389,447||4,212,933
|-
|11||Chengde||548,329||540,390||3,354,444
|-
|12||Xiong'an||717,120||—
|}
Economy
Hebei is one of northern China's major industrial provinces, with a diverse economy shaped by its strategic location surrounding Beijing and Tianjin, and a strong manufacturing base—though by national standards, it ranks relatively low in per capita income and development indicators. As of 2025, Hebei's gross domestic product (GDP) was approximately 4.931 trillion yuan (about US$690 billion), ranking it 13th among China's provincial-level regions. The province's GDP per capita was around 66,936 yuan (roughly US$9,371), placing it 26th nationally. The registered urban unemployment rate was 3.08% as of the latest available data from 2021.
Hebei's economy is supported by a robust industrial base, with mining and heavy industry playing a central role. The province is a key hub for coal and iron ore mining, as well as for steel production. Other important industries include petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, ceramics, power generation, food processing, and textiles.
Hebei possesses significant mineral resources, which form the backbone of its industrial development. The Kailuan coal mine in Tangshan, with origins dating back to the late 19th century, is one of China's oldest and most historically important modern mines. It remains operational today, producing over 20 million tonnes of coal annually. In addition to coal, the province is rich in iron ore. Major deposits are found in Handan and Qian'an, both of which supply raw materials to nearby steel plants.
Hebei is also home to a portion of the North China Oilfield, one of China's largest inland oilfields, which supports the province's petroleum and petrochemical industries.
Despite its industrial strength, Hebei also retains a significant agricultural workforce, with about 40% of the labor force engaged in agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry. A large portion of Hebei's agricultural output supplies the neighboring cities of Beijing and Tianjin. Principal crops include wheat, maize, millet, and sorghum, while cash crops such as cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame are also cultivated.
Economic and technological development zones
- Baoding Hi-Tech Industry Development Zone
- Langfang Export Processing Zone
- Qinhuangdao Economic & Technological Development Zone
- Qinhuangdao Export Processing Zone
- Shijiazhuang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
- Xiong'an New Area
Demographics
The population in Hebei is mostly Han Chinese. There are 55 ethnic minorities in Hebei, representing 4.27% of the total population. The largest ethnic groups are Manchu (2.1 million people), Hui (600,000 people), and Mongol (180,000 people). Population totals do not include those in active service with the People's Liberation Army.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" align="center" | Ethnic groups in Hebei, 2000 census
|-
! Nationality !! Population !! Percentage
|-
| Han Chinese || 63,781,603 || 95.65%
|-
| Manchu || 2,118,711 || 3.18%
|-
| Hui || 542,639 || 0.78%
|-
| Mongol || 169,887 || 0.26%
|-
| Zhuang || 20,832 || 0.031%
|}
In 2019, the birth rate was 10.83 births per 1,000 people, while the death rate was 6.12 deaths per 1,000 people. The male population is 37,679,003 (50.50%), the female population is 36,931,232 (49.50%). The gender ratio of the total population was 102.02, decreasing by 0.82 from 2010.