Henan

Basic Overview

Natural Landscapes

1.Songshan Mountain:

The Central Yue of Five Great Mountains, birthplace of Shaolin culture, integrating mountains, Zen and martial arts.

2.Yuntai Mountain:

Representative Taihang scenery with red stone gorges, waterfalls and peaks, stunning landscape all year round.

3.Laojun Mountain:

A famous Taoist mountain with grand golden-top temples, famous for sea of clouds and snow scenery.

4.Yellow River Scenic Area:

Iconic landscape of the middle and lower Yellow River, showing the grand momentum of China’s mother river.

Historical & Cultural Sites

1.Longmen Grottoes:

A World Cultural Heritage and one of China’s three major grottoes, representing the peak of Tang stone carving art.

2.Shaolin Temple:

The No.1 Buddhist temple, birthplace of Zen and Shaolin Kung Fu, famous for ancient temples and pagoda forest.

3.Luoyang Ancient City:

An ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, famous for peonies and Sui-Tang historical relics.

4.Qingming Shanghe Garden (Kaifeng):

Restores the style of Northern Song Bianjing, reproducing the scene of Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

Folk Customs & Intangible Heritage

1.Yu Opera:

China’s largest local opera with powerful and resonant singing, popular across the Central Plains.

2.Zhuxian Town New Year Painting:

The originator of Chinese New Year paintings, with strong colors and ancient lines.

3.Shaolin Kung Fu:

World-famous martial arts culture, a business card of Chinese martial arts.

4.Henan Shadow Puppetry:

Traditional folk performance with ancient character modeling and local tunes.

Local Cuisine

1.Henan Stewed Noodles:

Signature Central Plains noodles with chewy wide noodles and rich mutton soup.

2.Spicy Pepper Soup:

Classic Henan breakfast, thick, spicy and full of ingredients.

3.Luoyang Water Banquet:

A thousand-year-old royal feast with mostly soup dishes, representative of Henan banquet culture.

4.Kaifeng Soup Dumplings:

Thin skin, juicy filling and rich soup, a famous local snack.

Recommended Itinerary

1. D1 Zhengzhou → Dengfeng: Shaolin Temple → Songshan Scenic Area → Pagoda Forest
2. D2 Dengfeng → Luoyang: Longmen Grottoes → White Horse Temple → Luoyi Ancient Town night view
3. D3 Luoyang → Kaifeng: Qingming Shanghe Garden → Drum Tower Snack Street
4. D4 Landscape Tour: Yuntai Mountain Red Stone Gorge → Tanpu Gorge → Taihang hiking

Travel Tips

1. Best time: March–May and September–November; Luoyang peony blossom in April is the most beautiful.
2. Climate & clothing: Four distinct seasons, cold in winter and hot in summer, pleasant in spring and autumn.
3. Reservation: Book Longmen Grottoes, Shaolin Temple and Qingming Shanghe Garden in peak seasons.
4. Transportation: Zhengzhou is a national transportation hub with high-speed trains reaching major ancient capitals.
5. Food: Noodle-based dishes with large portions, order moderately.