Handan
prefecture-level city in Hebei, China
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shandong on the east. At the 2010 census, its population was 9,174,683 inhabitants of whom 2,845,790 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of 5 urban districts. By the end of 2024, the total resident population of the city is 9,182,100, and the urbanization rate of the resident population is 62.10%. Yongnian District in Handan and Shahe City in Xingtai have largely formed into a single conurbation.
Handan is one of the oldest cities in China, first settled around 6500 BC by the Cishan culture. Throughout the city's long history, it contributed significantly to Chinese culture, serving as the capital of State of Zhao, was northern China's political, economic and cultural center, and home to Tai chi and the first compass, made from stones collected in the nearby Mount Ci (magnet mountain). Handan is designated as one of China's National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities.
Etymology
The city's name, Handan (Chinese: 邯郸), has remained unchanged for over 3,000 years. The name first appeared during the reign of King Zhou of Shang, in the chronicle Bamboo Annals.
The public source identifies “Handan” as prefecture-level city in Hebei, China. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Handan, prefecture-level and city.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Handan”, the useful work is to connect “prefecture-level city in Hebei, China” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q58570. VIAF identifies the subject as 157110160. The Library of Congress control number is n80157797. Authority coordinates are 36.612, 114.489. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010 and 2024.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Handan”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Handan primary sources, Handan archive and Handan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Handan”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Handan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.