Last updated 2026-10-20

Shengfang Ancient Town

Shengfang is a waterside market town in Bazhou, the county-level city in the south of Langfang prefecture, about 35 kilometres east of Bazhou's centre. It sits among reed ponds that local writing calls the Dongdian, the eastern marsh, because they belong to the same water system as Baiyangdian to the west. Two things bring visitors. The old quarter keeps a handful of late Qing merchant houses, and the lantern-making and folk-troupe traditions put on a Lantern Festival display that is on the national intangible heritage list.

Shops and traffic on a street in Bazhou, Langfang — Street scene in Bazhou, the county-level city that includes Shengfang. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Matthew Summerton, CC BY-SA 3.0.

A northern water town

Bazhou government material dates the settlement to the late Spring and Autumn period, more than 2,500 years ago, and repeats a local saying that pairs it with the south, "Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south, Shengfang in the north". A story says the Qianlong Emperor passed through in disguise and left a line praising the lotus scent on the water. Such tales are common in old market towns and are best read as local pride. The town is a national 3A scenic area.

The water still shapes the food. Shengfang is known for river crabs, lotus root and preserved eggs, and crab season in autumn is a good reason to come outside the festival.

The three treasures

Guides to the town list three buildings as its treasures.

Wenchang Pavilion, also called Kuixing Tower, stands at the south end of the old town. It is a square, three-storey tower 3 zhang 3 chi high, a measure chosen to echo the thirty-three heavens. A pond lies in front of the gate. The second floor has a statue of Wenchang, the patron of literary success, and the top floor a figure of Kuixing, the star god of examinations. An outer gallery on the third floor looks south over the wetland and north across the roofs of the town.

The archway at the entrance to the old street has three bays, four posts and three roofs, and carries four gilded characters meaning "protect the country, shelter the people".

The opera stage, named Jiucheng Lou, faces north under a hip-and-gable roof with ridge beasts and brick-carved dragon finials. A wooden screen divides front stage from backstage. It was rebuilt during the restoration of the old town and now hosts local performances.

The Zhang and Wang courtyards

The Zhang family courtyard, known by its hall name Juxingtang, belonged to one of Shengfang's "eight great families". It was enlarged in 1830 and covers about 1,648 square metres, with 51 rooms around four courtyards. The street wall has crenellations, and a watchman's walkway runs along the roof edge. The western yards are traditional, while the eastern pair borrow Western door and window shapes. In 1947 General Sun Yi directed a seven-day defence of the town from here. In late 1948 thousands of cadres trained in the courtyard before taking over the administration of Tianjin, and the Tianjin Daily and other Tianjin institutions trace their founding to it. The film Little Soldier Zhang Ga used it as a location. The house has been a Hebei provincial protected site since 2008.

The Wang family courtyard, or Shizhutang, was begun in 1880 for a merchant named Wang Zijian. Bazhou's official description says engineers from Tianjin designed and built it for 30,000 taels of silver, mixing European, tropical and Qing styles across four small yards. Brick carvings over one gate show the White Pagoda Temple in Beijing, Broadway in Shanghai and a canal in Tianjin. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake destroyed two of the yards and the gates. The northwest and northeast yards survive, about 652 square metres in all.

The Shengfang Museum on Zhongshan Street occupies a Sino-Soviet friendship hall built in 1958, next to the Tongji Bridge over the Shengfang River. It is the place to see the town's lanterns and festival photographs out of season.

Lanterns and the festival

Shengfang lanterns are made by hand from reed and bamboo strips and silk, with no metal, and Bazhou counts more than 2,000 designs. The folk troupes, called huahui, have a history of more than three centuries, and local sources list 72 of them. The town's Nanyin ensemble music was on China's first national list of intangible heritage.

The lantern festival was revived in 1984 and became national intangible heritage in 2008. It runs around the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The 36th edition ran from 9 to 13 February 2025. Dates move each year with the lunar calendar, so check the announcement from Bazhou or Langfang before booking, and expect very large crowds from Beijing and Tianjin.

About three kilometres west of the Wenchang Pavilion along the dyke, the Zhongting River scenic area has boat trips among lotus and reeds in summer.

Tickets, hours and getting there

Recent listings describe most old-town sites as free with ID registration, though rules change for the festival. This page quotes no prices or hours. Check the notice on the day.

Bazhou North station is on the Beijing-Xiong'an high-speed line. From there, a taxi or the long-distance bus from Bazhou reaches Shengfang. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism's route note puts the drive from Bazhou at about 40 minutes. Driving from Tianjin is also practical.

Before you go

Allow half a day for the old town and courtyards, more in festival week.
Book festival transport and rooms early.
Visit in autumn for crabs.
Combine with the Only Red Mansions theatre city on another day.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shengfang worth visiting outside the festival?

Yes, for a quiet half day of courtyards, the pavilion and a crab lunch. The festival is the big draw.

How old are the buildings?

The two courtyards date from 1830 and 1880. The opera stage was rebuilt during recent restoration.

Can I combine it with Baiyangdian?

They share a water system but sit in different prefectures. Baiyangdian is a separate day from Baoding.

Are ticket prices listed here?

No. Entry rules follow the notice on the day.

Sources

Facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved 20 October 2026.

The photo is from Wikimedia Commons under the licence shown in the caption. No freely licensed photo of the old town itself was available.