Henan—“Central Plain”

Henan, an agricultural province, in the middle-lower Yellow River valley, derived its name from the greater part of the province's lying south of the Yellow River. One of the earliest developed regions in the country. It was a political and cultural center in ancient China. In the remote past, China was divided into nine geographical regions, and Henan was called the "Central Region" or "Central Plain" because it was situated in the middle of the nine regions. Henan has an area of 167,000 sq km and a population of 89.46 million.
     Henan has a continental climate of the north temperate zone, with hot, rainy summer, dry, inclement winter and windy spring. It has a mean annual temperature of 13°－15°C, increasing from north to south, an annual frost-free period of 6-8 months, and a mean annual precipitation of 600-900 mm, also increasing from north to south.

Tourist Attractions

Zhengzhou is the capital city of Henan Province. The city is a national historical and cultural city and also the first destination for any Henan Tour. The ancient city was the capital of Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) 3,500 years ago when porcelain and the Chinese technique of bronze smelting were comparatively more developed. A long history has left Zhengzhou with many cultural and historic sites, among which the most impressive are Song Mountain and its Shaolin Monastery.
     - Song Mountain: As one of the Five Famous Mountains in China, there is no need to say more about the beauty of Song Mountain. If you visit one mountain in Henan, make it this one for its charming natural views and its fame. Song Mountain has fine natural scenery. Its 72 mountains, grouped around the peaks of Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi, extend for about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from east to west. Besides these mountains, there are many valleys, caves, pools and waterfalls, each of which provides the visitor with a unique and wonderful experience. The landscape is so unique that it has been given the title of 'International Geological Park' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
     - Shaolin Monastery: Located at the foot of Songshan Mountain, the Shaolin Monastery is well known all over the world for its outstanding Shaolin Martial Arts. Each year, many Martial Art organizations in Japan, Singapore, America and Switzerland send their members to visit Shaolin Temple and learn the Shaolin Martial Arts. Built in 495AD, Shaolin Temple is the famous home of Kung Fu (wushu). It is also the home of the Chan (Zen) sect of Buddhism, which was introduced in 527 by the Indian monk Boddhidharma, founder of the sect. At Shaolin, Boddhidharma supposedly spent 9 years facing a wall in the state of illumination and visitors can still go to the cave where he meditated. The draw of Shaolin Temple for most is Kung Fu. Visitors can watch thousands of young trainees dressed in the colors of their respective schools practice this martial art. In September, the temple comes alive with guests from all over the world, as it hosts the international Wushu Festival.
     One of the four Academies of Classical Learning in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), Songyang Shuyuan, gives a complete depiction of Chinese ancient education. In addition, many ancient tombs, temple buildings and battle sites all show the dense culture of Zhengzhou. In the Henan Provincial Museum, ancient tombs and bronze wares unearthed which tell the long history of the land quietly.

Luoyang is a small city “lying in the centre of the earth” near to the south of the Yellow River in Henan province. For several centuries, Luoyang was the gravity center of China. It’s well known as "The Capital of Nine Dynasties". It is one of the most important origins of Chinese civilization. 
    The White Horse Temple: 12 kilometers east of downtown Luoyang, was the first temple built in 68 A. D. , the 11th year during the reign of Emperor Yongping of the Eastern Ran Dynasty (25-220) after the introduction of Buddhism to China. As legend has it, the Buddhist scriptures were carried by a white horse, hence the name. Covering an area of 40, 000 square .meters, the temple has Qiyun Pagoda erected in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) , a pair of sculptured white horses, the tombs of eminent monks from India, pagodas to enshrine Buddhist sutras, stone tablets carved in the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1271-1644) and bell tower. On New Year's Eve, the bell in the temple chimes to welcome the New Year
Lying at the northern foot of Shaoshi, Shaolin Temple was built in 495, the 19th year during the reign of Emperor Taihe of the North Wei period. It is the birthplace of the Zen Buddhism in China. The temple is famous worldwide for Shaolin Kongfu, or Chineses martial arts. In the Thousand-Buddha Hall, the famous mural painting of 500 arhats can be found in a 300-square-meter area.
- Longmen Grottoes: Longmen Grottoes is one of the four great grottoes in China; it is located 12 km south to the city of Luoyang. There is a Yi River here, and on the two sides are Fragrant Mountain and longmen Mountain. During the 400 years from Beiwei to later Tang dynasty, the workers and artistic designers were sweating on the caves and temples on the two mountains, and hence became the world famous treasury of stone carving art. Longmen Grottoes is 1 km long from north to south; there are all together more than 97000 statues of Buddha, more than 1300 caves, more than 3600 inscriptions and titled tablets.
Fengxian Temple is the biggest cave in Longmen Grottoes, which is 30-meter in length and width. The wonder of Fengxian Temple lies in its huge Lushena statue in the central place; it is indeed a wonderful artistic work.
Lushena statue is 17.14 meters in height, her head is 4-meter high, and has two 1.9-meter long ears. According to Buddhist Scripture, Lushena means illumination. This statue has heavy feature, her curving lips show kindness, with her head lowers down a little as if she is in deep thinking; she resembles a mid-aged lady, deserves respect but not fear. The critics say, the artistic workers integrated exalted sentiment, rich emotions, wide vision and classic appearance into one perfect unity during their construction; hence the statue contains boundless charm. 
    One thing will always be mentioned when talking about the city of Luoyang, which is Peony Flowers. And Peony Flower is regarded as National Flower of China. Since Henan is also an important fort in the Romantic Era of Three Kingdoms, historical scenic such as the Memorial Temple to Zhu Geliang, Forest of Guanyu are hot destinations for tourists all over the world.

Culture

As one of the major birthplaces of the Chinese civilization, Henan has several epoch-making archeological discoveries, including the Peiligang Culture Site dating back 7,000 years, Yanshao Culture Site of some 6,000 years ago, and Dahe Culture Site of more than 5,000 years ago. In ancient China, more than 20 dynasties established their capitals in Henan. Three of China’s seven great ancient capitals are located in Henan: Anyang of the Shang Dynasty, Luoyang of nine dynasties and Kaifeng of seven dynasties. Three of ancient China’s four great inventions, the compass, paper-making and gunpowder, were made in Henan. The province numbers first in the whole country in terms of underground cultural relics, and the second in existing cultural relics on the ground. The Yellow River, with numerous ancient relics and scenic attractions, also provides a rich tourist resource to Henan.

Food

Dining in Luoyang is quite an enjoyable experience. Various kinds of local dishes, including Water Feast, Yan Cai and others which use the famous Yellow River carps as an ingredient, together with the uniquely flavored soups, will greatly satisfy your taste buds. As the dish most peculiar to Luoyang, the Water Feast is famed as 'Top Banquet under the Heaven' and parallels the well renowned Dumpling Banquet in Xian. It originates from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and has a long history of over one thousand years. There are in total 24 dishes accompanied by different soups, hence the name of the feast. The dishes combine meat and vegetables together and are served according to a very strict order. You can delight your taste buds with the abundance of flavors that include sour, sweet, salty and hot.

Shopping

Henan has many local specialties ranging from fruits to handicrafts to replicas. Apples from Luoning County and pears from Mengjin County are sold throughout the country. The Palace Lantern is a special handicraft in Luoyang. Craftsmen make the lanterns in various shapes including dragon head, butterfly and running horse. The lanterns are beautiful and easy to store, making excellent gifts.
- The Tang Dynasty three-color glazed pottery (Tangsancai) is the crystallization of a highly developed art, which is already over ten millennia old.
Although the pottery was so named because of its three major colors - red, green and yellow, some other colors can still be seen, such as white, black, blue and purple, helping it secure its place as one of the most famous specialties in China.
The pottery work on display around Luoyang, mainly featuring horse, camel and human figures, are all modeled in a smooth style and bear a sort of a metallic luster thanks to the application of the unique glazing technique.
- Bronze Ware from Luoyang: As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-771 B. C.), there were large bronze ware producers in Luoyang. At present, the researchers at the Luoyang Arts & Crafts Co. have developed new techniques for bronze ware production. The products made in Luoyang are varied and have beautiful shapes. The most representative works are A Horse Pedaling a Flying Swallow and The Rhinoceros. Theres products have been displayed in New York and San Francisco, and are the best seller at theGuangzhou Trade Fair.
- Peony Painting Since the Tang Dynasty (618A.D.-907A.D.) Flower-bird Painting has been an independent branch of art and the painting of peonies gradually became a most important theme of Flower-bird painting. The painting displays not only the inherent beauty of the flowers, but also manifest its cultural significance of luck and wealth. Although some painters have expressed political messages with peonies, as a whole, the cultural messages of luck and wealth are the most recognized.

Transportation

As a tourist city, Luoyang offers various means of transportation. Public buses offer service at a very low price. Convenient tourist buses pass many famous sites in the city. Near the railway station regularly scheduled buses to tourist spots outside the city. In addition, taxis are readily available. You can bargain with drivers when you want to go to interesting sites in suburban areas.