A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.
Baoding, known in ancient times as Shanggu, Baozhou, Zaocheng and Baofu, is located in the middle of Hebei Province and at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains. It is one of the central cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and a part of China (Hebei) Free Trade Experimental Zone. It is known as "three passes controlled in the north, nine provinces in the south, and an important place in Gifu." it's called Nanpinghan. Today, the name of Baoding means "defend the capital and stabilize the world". Baoding has always been the "capital capital" and the "south gate of the capital". In the Qing Dynasty, Baoding was the capital of Zhili Province and the resident of the governor of Zhili Province. for nearly 300 years from 1669 to 1968, Baoding was the political, economic, cultural and military center of Hebei and the regional political center of China. After the founding of New China, it has also been the provincial capital of Hebei Province twice. Baoding is also the legendary hometown of Emperor Yao, with a history of more than 3000 years. It is the kingdom of Yan and Zhongshan in history.