Dingzhou Examination Hall
定州贡院
The former site of a Qing examination hall, with intact examination cells and halls, a rare physical record of the imperial civil service examination system.
Dingzhou Examination Hall was first built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty. It was the testing ground for young candidates (tongsheng) from the Dingzhou area taking the imperial examinations. Its surviving buildings include a screen wall, gates, examination cells and the Kui Pavilion. It is one of the more completely preserved examination halls in China and a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit. The hall displays the examination system and life inside the examination halls, and wax figures of candidates in the cells give a vivid sense of the test. Tickets are required (or a combined ticket with the Kaiyuan Temple Pagoda, confirm on site). Allow 45 minutes; it is about a 10-minute walk from the pagoda.
Opening hours
About 08:30–17:30
Nearby sights
- Liaodi Pagoda of Kaiyuan Temple
- Beiyue Temple (Quyang)
- Yaowang Temple (Anguo)
- Ranzhuang Tunnel Warfare Site
- Mancheng Han Tombs
- Huai Army Guild Hall
- Guangyuan Garden (Cao Kun's Residence)
- Ancient Lotus Pond Garden