Baoding

Baoding 保定市
Prefecture-level city
Back street in old Baoding
Location of Baoding City jurisdiction in Hebei
Baoding Location of the city centre in Hebei
Coordinates: 38°52′N 115°28′E / 38.867°N 115.467°E / 38.867; 115.467Coordinates: 38°52′N 115°28′E / 38.867°N 115.467°E / 38.867; 115.467
Country	China
Province	Hebei
County-level divisions	5 districts 4 county-level cities 15 counties
Township-level divisions	28 subdistricts 142 towns 170 townships 3 ethnic townships
Area
• Prefecture-level city	22,185 km2 (8,566 sq mi)
• Urban	326 km2 (126 sq mi)
• Metro	1,840 km2 (710 sq mi)
Elevation	25 m (83 ft)
Highest elevation	2,286 m (7,500 ft)
Lowest elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population (2010 census)
• Prefecture-level city	11,194,379
• Urban	1,157,891
• Urban density	3,600/km2 (9,200/sq mi)
• Metro	2,176,857
• Metro density	1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code	071000
Area code(s)	0312
Licecse plate prefixex	冀F
Website	bd.gov.cn

Baoding (Chinese: 保定; pinyin: Bǎodìng) is a city in Hebei province, China, approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) southwest of the national capital, Beijing. At the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,372 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of 3 urban districts and Qingyuan and Mancheng counties largely being conurbated, on 1,840 km² (710 sq mi). Baoding is among 13 Chinese cities with a population of over 10 million, ranking seventh.

Baoding is a city with a history dating back to the Western Han Dynasty. It was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century, but after the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, it was rebuilt. It acquired the name "Baoding" during the Yuan dynasty — the name is roughly interpreted as "protecting the capital", referring to the city's proximity to Beijing. Baoding served for many years as the capital of Zhili, and was a significant centre of culture in the Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. During the Boxer rebellion, Boxer rebels killed a Turk, two Swiss, and an Italian in Baoding. After Zhili province was abolished in 1928 Baoding became the capital of the newly formed Hebei province. During World War II, the city was the site of a headquarters for Japanese occupation forces. In 1958, the role of provincial capital was assumed by Tianjin, which had lost its status as a provincial level municipality, but when Tianjin was elevated again in 1966, Baoding regained its position. In 1970, however, the rapidly growing city of Shijiazhuang became the provincial capital instead.