Touring Dingzhou, Learning about Zhongshan

During the May Day holiday, take a 'City Walk' with the kids for a one-day tour of Dingzhou. Dingzhou was anciently known as Gu, also called Zhongshan Prefecture. In 414 BC, the state of Zhongshan moved its capital to Gu, marking the first time Dingzhou became the capital of a kingdom. In 408 BC, the state of Wei conquered Zhongshan, and Gu came under the jurisdiction of Wei. In 380 BC, Duke Huan of Zhongshan defeated Wei and successfully restored the state, bringing Gu back into the hands of Zhongshan. Not long after, Zhongshan moved its capital from Gu to Lingshou City (now Lingshou County, Shijiazhuang). Over nearly a hundred years, the ancient capital of Zhongshan changed to Lingshou. By 154 BC, Dingzhou was known as Lunu, and it was the capital of the Zhongshan state during the Han Dynasty. Emperor Jing of Han (grandson of Liu Bang) appointed his ninth son, Liu Sheng, as the king of Zhongshan, with the capital at Lunu (today's Dingzhou City), governing 14 counties: Lunu, Beiping County (now Mancheng County, Baoding), Beixincheng (now Xushui County, Baoding), Tang County, Shenzhe, Kujiao (now Xingyi Town, Xingyi Village, Dingzhou), Anguo, Quni, Wangdu, Xinshi, Xinchu (now Daxinzhuang Town, Dingzhou), Wuji (now Wuji County, Shijiazhuang), Licheng (now Li County, Baoding), and Anxian (now Gucheng Village, Dingzhou). Visit the Dingzhou Museum to learn about the history of the Zhongshan state.