Zhengding (Chinese: 正定县), originally Zhending (Chinese: 真定縣), is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately 260 km (160 mi) south of Beijing, capital of China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from at least the times of the Sui dynasty to the Qing dynasty.
It is the founding place of several major schools of Chan Buddhism. However, many former religious building complexes have been severely damaged throughout history. A noted temple is the Longxing Monastery, where the historical building ensemble has been preserved almost intact.
Furthermore, four famous pagodas, each with its own architectural style, are still standing.
Zhengding is a rural outerlying county of Shijizhuang, about 15km north. Before the rise of Shijiazhuang in the 20th century as a regional administrative and transportation center, Zhengding was the key administrative center of south Hebei. An interesting walled ancient town remains with a large number of historical sites and tourist attractions.Unlike other ancient towns, such as Pingyao, the town is largely modernised.
