How Did China's Most Gaokao-Savvy City Engineer Its Own Destiny?

Every year during the gaokao season, Hengshui—a place that usually goes unnoticed—resurfaces in public discourse.

The "Hengshui model" of high school education, represented by Hengshui High School, has always been controversial. Some see it as a precious opportunity for ordinary children to "change their fate," others view it as nothing more than a ruthless or even brutal exam-oriented assembly line, while some consider it a meticulously calculated business venture... Regardless, the "Hengshui model" represents an extreme adaptation to a specific set of rules, and it is precisely for this reason that countless people have grown curious about this place.

Inside a high school in Hengshui, students practice folding "tofu blocks" (neatly stacked bedding).

Back when I was in college, Hengshui High School didn’t attract as much discussion as it does now. I only knew of this city because the train I took to and from my hometown would always stop here for a long time. I often stepped onto the platform for fresh air, where advertisements for Hengshui Laobaigan liquor were everywhere, making my younger self wonder what "manly flavor" really was. Many years later, I learned that Hengshui Laobaigan was, for a long time, the only A-share listed company in Hebei Province, which reignited my interest in Hengshui.

Clearly, Hengshui is not a city with exceptional tourist attractions that would captivate outsiders. Beyond the high school students running in formation and the strong liquor, people generally know little about this place. However, viewed from another angle, it’s remarkable that such a seemingly "mediocre" small town could carve out such a prominent reputation across vast China—there must be something extraordinary behind it.

A high school in Hengshui holds a 100-day pledge rally before the gaokao.

Hebei has always been a simple and low-key northern province. Encircled by two massive, highly prominent direct-administered municipalities, the province itself often struggles for recognition. Many don’t realize that Hebei’s geography encompasses mountains, sea, and vast plains—grand and majestic.

It serves as the boundary between Hebei and Shanxi provinces.

The long and towering Taihang Mountains shield Hebei’s western region. Many of the province’s major cities, such as Shijiazhuang and Baoding—and even Beijing, which is geographically surrounded by Hebei—are built at the foot of these mountains. To the east lies the sea, where Hebei’s coastal cities, from Qinhuangdao in the far north to Cangzhou in the south, boast excellent ports, vast seascapes, and delicious seafood, making it the "most underrated coastal province."

Across the expansive plains between the mountains and the sea, numerous rivers flow from the Taihang Mountains to the ocean. These winding rivers, through centuries of flooding and course changes, have formed depressions like Baiyangdian. Hengshui is precisely such a settlement shaped by rivers and depressions—its name, meaning "traversing waters," comes from the Fuyang River, which cuts through the modern city center, adorned with ancient bridges as evidence of its watery past. Today’s Hengshui Lake is also the second-largest lake in Hebei after Baiyangdian.

For a long time, "Hengshui" was just the name of a small county. The current prefecture-level city’s territory historically belonged to multiple counties and prefectures, including the prominent and ancient Jizhou, Shenzhou, Jingzhou, and Anping. Jizhou, in particular, was once the foremost of the Nine Provinces in the Yu Gong (Tribute of Yu), and Hebei’s abbreviation "Ji" originates from it. Yet, after millennia of change, these once-glorious regional centers have "declined" into modern-day county towns under Hengshui’s jurisdiction.

Unsurprisingly, like all ancient plain counties in the North China Plain, each of Hengshui’s subordinate counties boasts unique customs and abundant cultural relics. For instance, the Feng clan cemetery in Jing County yielded numerous national treasures, now key artifacts for studying Northern Dynasties aristocracy. The city also hosts several ancient pagodas, such as Baoyun Pagoda in the urban area, the Kai Fusi Sarira Pagoda (known as "Jingzhou Pagoda"), and Qinglin Temple Pagoda—all precious Buddhist relics from different dynasties.

Modern Hengshui’s rapid rise to prefecture-level status was fueled by railway construction. In fact, southern Hebei’s two most important rail hubs—Shijiazhuang and Hengshui—both emerged due to railways, surpassing older towns to become new regional centers. This was no coincidence: railways in this "borderland between Yan and Zhao" horizontally link Shandong and Shanxi, while vertically connecting Beijing and the Central Plains, forming one of northern China’s busiest networks. The flow of people and goods along these lines could transform a small county or even village into a major city within decades.

Hengshui’s strategic advantage lies at the intersection of the Shijiazhuang-Dezhou Railway (vital for Shanxi coal transport) and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway (a national artery). This earned it the title "Golden Crossroads" from sociologist Fei Xiaotong, explaining why my train always lingered here.

In the high-speed rail era, Hengshui remains a key node linking Shijiazhuang and Jinan. The upcoming Beijing-Xiong’an-Shangqiu HSR (set for 2026) will further cement its status as a high-speed rail "Golden Crossroads," ensuring its long-term role as southern Hebei’s transport hub.

As a railway-born city, industry is Hengshui’s traditional strength. Its manufacturing thrives—local engineering rubber reportedly accounts for over half of national output. The surrounding plains also make it a major agricultural processing base.

Photo by Wei Likun, via Tuchong Creative.

Frankly, as part of a flat (even monotonous) plain, Hengshui lacks stunning natural resources. Pre-railway, locals relied on crafts and trade for livelihood, resulting in rich county specialties. Farmers here mastered unique skills, earning regional renown.

For example, Wuqiang County’s woodblock New Year paintings—a half-artistic, half-commercial tradition since the Ming-Qing era—once made this obscure county rival Tianjin and Suzhou as a national distribution hub. Houidian Village (south of downtown) has produced fine brushes since the Ming Dynasty, while Hengshui artisans excel at crafting snuff bottles for Beijing elites. These traditions blend deep local heritage with the area’s logistical advantages, creating distinct cultural flavors.

Photo by Elephant Knight, via Tuchong Creative.

It must be said that Hengshui people are still adept at this kind of "alternative path" development. For example, the Hengshui goldfish, now recognized by locals as one of the "Three Wonders of Hengshui," was pioneered by a Beijing-educated youth who came to Hengshui during the Cultural Revolution. His family had bred goldfish for the imperial court for generations. In the 1980s, the city's landscaping department, with great sincerity, persuaded this gentleman—who was originally planning to return to Beijing—to stay and supported him in breeding goldfish locally. Eventually, this originally Beijing court specialty became a unique product of Hengshui.

Another example is Laobaigan liquor. Although this strong distilled spirit has long been popular locally and in surrounding areas, it struggled to gain recognition in the standardized liquor industry after the founding of New China. So, in the late 20th century, Laobaigan actively applied for a distinct "Laobaigan aroma type" to avoid direct competition with mainstream light-aroma liquors. Ultimately, "Laobaigan aroma type" became one of the ten major aroma classifications in Chinese liquor, and Hengshui Laobaigan rose to prominence as the leader of this category, achieving nationwide commercial success.

Against this backdrop, it’s not hard to understand the rise of Hengshui’s most famous modern calling card: a series of elite high schools, represented by Hengshui High School. Thirty years ago, all high schools in Hengshui were just like any other struggling schools in Hebei, with nothing particularly remarkable. Hebei’s gaokao (college entrance exam) environment is notoriously tough, and Hengshui’s GDP and population rank modestly within the province. Just like its unremarkable natural endowments, fate did not seem to favor this land. Who could have predicted that, in the near future, it would become China’s most exam-savvy city?

Thus, you’ll find a classic quote from Hengshui High School today: "You can’t change the rules; you can only change yourself." Through meticulous study and relentless effort, the school has become an "academic miracle" envied by principals across China. Although the "Hengshui model" has since been distorted by the widespread imitation of "county high schools," in Hengshui itself, we should still hold deep respect for the school’s achievements. After all, if you were born on this plain where almost nothing exists except the railway, you, too, would do everything possible to make your life shine to the fullest.

Text Editor | Dabenglv

Unsigned Image Source | Visual China