Provincial Travel

Henan

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Located in the lower-middle reaches of the Yellow River and with a population of 93 million, Henan province is 167,000 square meters in size. It is also known for its tea, wheat, cotton, sesame, watermelon and peonies. Henan is also a busy transportation center at the same time: both the Jingguang (from Beijing to Guangzhou and vice versa) and Longhai Railways (connects to most cities in east, west and central China) pass through the provincial capital Zhengzhou, forming a great transportation network.

Pursuing over 50 cooking techniques, the Henan cuisine is rated as the representative of cooking civilization in central China. Remarkable dishes include hand-stretched noodles, young chicken with a unique taste, egg crepes, fried tofu, sea cucumber and much more.

Attractions to visit

Zhengzhou

Capital of Henan province, Zhengzhou is also an important center of the railway system in China. With in-depth backgrounds of Chinese history, art history and industrial development history, the city is certainly a great place to explore the extensive Chinese civilization.

• Yellow River Tourist Scenic Zone

  Approximately 30 kilometers away from Zhengzhou, tourists may explore the gorgeous sceneries around the Yellow River by motorboats and sample fresh seafood in nearby diners.

• Henan Provincial Museum

  Over 10,000 remarkable cultural relics are currently on display. Visitors can also enjoy traditional Chinese music during their explorations between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Shaolin Temple

Located on the Songshan Mountain, the temple is reputable for its first-class martial arts training. Performances are conducted daily and visitors may get to explore the training and practice room of Jet Li.

Nearby attractions include Songyang Academy, which was one of the most famous schools in ancient China, and the Songyue Temple, the home of a 700-year-old brick pagoda, which is said to be the oldest throughout China.

Luoyang

Rated as one of the six most remarkable ancient capitals of China, the city of Luoyang is over 1,200 years old. The best time to explore Luoyang is April, when the beautiful peonies are in bloom.

• Longmen Grottoes

  Comparable to the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi province, the Longmen Grottoes contain over 90,000 small and large Buddhist carved statues and are located 12 kilometers south of the city of Luoyang. This remarkable attraction is regarded as the "Treasure land of engrave art".

• White Horse Temple

  It is the first government built temple after the widespread Buddhism teachings in ancient China.

• Guanlin

  Also known as the Temple of Lord Guan, Guanlin is the burial site of Lord Guan's head. Lord Guan was a famous general during the Three Kingdoms Period and was beheaded by his enemies during battle.

Kaifeng

With a rich historical background of 2,700 years, Kaifeng is among the six ancient capitals of China and is 72 kilometers west of Zhengzhou. During the Song Dynasty (roughly 900 years ago), the city was the most prosperous city in the world.

• Dragon Pavilion Scenic Zone

  Used to be part of the imperial courtyard during the Song Dynasty, the scenic zone contains fantastic architectural buildings, gardens, pavilions, bridges and corridors.

• Iron Pagoda

  55.88 meters in height, the pagoda is made with brown colored glazed bricks. The color looked very similar to the shinny iron; that was why the architecture was known as the "Iron Pagoda".

• The Riverside Garden of the Pure Brightness

  Constructed according to a famous painting "The Riverside Painting of the Pure Brightness", the attraction has various ancient architectures, shops, liquor stores, restaurants, ancient streets, etc, serving as the best representation of the city of Kaifeng during the Song Dynasty.