City: Henan
Top Things to do in Henan
Top Hotels in Henan
- 1. Holiday Inn Zhengzhou Riverside, an IHG hotel
- 2. Yuda Palace Hotel
- 3. Daocheng Zhongzhou International Hotel
- 4. GreenTree Inn Puyang Oil-field Headquarters Business Hotel
- 5. Radisson Blu Zhengzhou Huiji
- 6. Holiday Inn Express Luoyang City Center, an IHG hotel
- 7. Holiday Inn Express Luoyang Yichuan, an IHG hotel
- 8. Holiday Inn Express Zhengzhou Zhengdong, an IHG hotel
- 9. Novotel Zhengzhou Convention Centre Hotel
- 10. Holiday Inn Nanyang, an IHG hotel
The 10 Best Things to Do in Henan, China
Henan (Chinese: 河南) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (中州) which literally means "central plain land" or "midland", although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization with over 3,000 years of recorded history, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago.
Restaurants in Henan
1. Longmen Grottoes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Early Chinese Buddhist cave art is represented by well-preserved pagodas, carvings and statues.
Reviewed By Myo M - Coquitlam, Canada
There are two sides to this "huge" cave complex: the side to the west of the green-colored river (called the Yi River) and the side to the east of the river. And just to be clear, these are not walk-in caves but instead shallow caves (that look more like "windows" than caves) with sculptures of Buddha & monks & like giants carved on the rock walls inside the caves (& some right outside as well); and yes, you'll have to go up onto the mountain sides for a close-up look of what's inside the caves (not too high on the west side where walking up is really quite effortless, but it could be "a bit strenuous" on the east side where the caves are located a bit higher but they're also fewer compared to the west side). Also the riverside promenades on both sides are pretty wide & smooth for a comfortable walk, but yes be sure to go up the stairways too (to the caves along the mountain sides above) because you won't quite get a "feel of the place" if you just stay on the promenades.
Apart from the "general wandering" though, the area that should not be missed on the west side is the cave with a "large-sized" Buddha flanked on each side by four sculptures that are also pretty sizeable so a total of nine big sculptures (called Fengxian Cave which is definitely "a lot bigger" than all the other window-like caves as mentioned above, but still a shallow cave which is also open above so you won't actually feel at all that you're in a cave); the area that should not be missed on the east side is the temple which is "colorful" both inside the temple buildings (with beautiful statues & nicely-decorated interiors) and outside on the temple grounds (with these clusters of small red-colored plates where I think people write their wishes & things like that) and where a little further back on the temple grounds is a building with some "display rooms" & a big portrait of Sun Yat-Sen on a wall in one of those rooms so I wondered if that famous Chinese leader of the early 1900's had stayed at the temple at some point in time or if the rooms were just decorated as such in his memory without him actually having been there (called Xiangshan Temple which is about a 5-minute-walk uphill from the riverside Promenade on the east side). Also, be sure to "look back" as you're crossing the river on the bridge from the west side to the east side for that "phenomenal view" of the west side of the cave complex which looking from a distance is like a "big honeycomb"; and yes as you walk along on the east side, you'll also get to the viewpoint (before getting to the stairway to Xiangshan Temple) for those big sculptures of Fengxian Cave on the west side across the river.
If coming from Xian (like I did), there's an overnight train that just takes about 5 hours (from like 12 30 am to 5 30 am) from Xian Station to Luoyang Station where right outside the station (walk to your left after coming out of the station all the way to the end of the square where you see buses in a street) is the K81 bus that will bring you here (about a 45-minute ride to the "last stop"). If you're arriving instead at Luoyanglongmen Station (by a high-speed train from Xian Bei Station which takes about 3 hours), I would suggest just to take a taxi for a short 10-minute ride which costs about 20 Yuan.
2. Yuntaishan Geopark
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 987 reviews
Reviewed By chan_pup - Bangkok, Thailand
The views are breathtaking and beyond one's imagination especially the greenery,waterfalls,bridges and tunnels.As the top attraction in Jiaozuo there are thousands and thousands of visitors every day.If you are mentally prepared for the masses of visitors you will enjoy your visit.Again lots of walking and climbing steps but not to worry as there are many rest areas where you can catch your breath.
3. Millennium City Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 244 reviews
Reviewed By MEMworldwide
The key to enjoying your experience here is to know what to expect. First, this park is a complete reconstruction. None of it is original, so don't be expecting there to be relics and artefacts. The park is based on an ancient scroll painting that depicts aspects of life in the Song Dynasty. There are a series of Performances and a set viewing schedule. Look at the schedule in advance, figure out which Performances you want to see, and plan accordingly. We really enjoyed the "kung fu on horseback," the marriage ceremony, and the water puppet theatre. It was inexpensive fun (RMB 20 per person) to dress up on Song Dynasty costumes and take pictures. If it is a hot day, go in the afternoon, stay for dinner in the park and stay for the evening show. It will be much less crowded than it is in the morning. Swing on the swings, stroll around the lakes - enjoy the chance to be in a big green garden space. None of it is "real" but it can still be lovely and calm.
The evening show is a crazy spectacle really only to be seen in China. It starts with a Deng Xiao Ping impersonator auctioning off his calligraphy. Weird and hilarious. The show is a story of the history of the Song Dynasty and it is told in a grand and gaudy light show set on the water. You'll enjoy it more if you read a bit of the history in advance, or go with someone who can translate the song lyrics for you during the performance. You really haven't seen theatre to this scale if you haven't seen it in China. The "fire" at the end is amazing!!!
4. Shaolin Temple
Overall Ratings
4 based on 642 reviews
This is a famous martial arts monastery, the birthplace of both kung fu and Zen Buddhism
Reviewed By Soozee - Middleton in Teesdale, United Kingdom
We were excited to learn about the Shaolin way and see some martial arts. Unfortunately we didn't.
Basically we walked through a temple complex, peering into buildings with very little explanation (our guide was pretty useless).
We saw some basic acrobatics by the martial arts kung fu school at the perimeter, but that was it. I expected some demonstration by the monks, but we had nothing at all.
The Pagoda Forest was interesting - monuments to past monks.
Rather disappointing, really - felt it just filled time before we caught the train to Beijing! I don't feel I learnt very much about Shaolin at all.
5. Henan Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 116 reviews
Reviewed By Chris P - Manchester, United Kingdom
This is an interesting museum, but nothing too special. 15 minutes and you're done, so worth visiting when you're passing, but less for a special trip
6. Bali Valley Scenic Resort
7. Yin Dynasty Ruins
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 43 reviews
Reviewed By Raymond W - Chengdu, China
Yin Xu was the site of the palace of the Shang Dynasty. Here, an incredible thirty-four centuries ago, the kings of Yin ruled a prosperous kingdom in the Yellow Ruver valley. They produced bronzewares of astonishing craftsmanship and wonderful pieces of carved jade. They also performed human and animal sacrifice on a grand scale, as the skeletons in the burial pits attest.
Highlights are the six ancient chariots, the incredible burial pit of the lady waarior with its hundreds of bronze items and jade discs, and Shimuwu, the largest piece of bronzeware ever unearthed in China. This container weighs a remarkable 870 kilograms and can be viewed in the site museum.
8. Longmen Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 197 reviews
Reviewed By 79linda2015 - Auckland Central, New Zealand
This was my second time going to the Longmen Grottos. They are absolutely amazing. You need to be fit to experience all the grottos, there is a lot of walking up steep rock. The stairs are well organised but its arduous. You would struggle to enjoy this site in a wheel chair. Take water in the summer as this site is very hot. There are few places a long the way to purchase water.
9. Mt. Song
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
Reviewed By mattodowd - Beijing, China
This is absolutely beautiful scenery, with some really fascinating rock formations on the way and is great for those who enjoy a hike.
General information:
Mount Song (嵩山, songshan), is within the Shaolin Temple scenic area, entry for which costs 100 RMB. If you go into the Shaolin Temple scenic area via the main entrance, you reach the Shaolin Temple after 15 mins walk, and the bottom of Mount Song in another 10 mins, where you can take the cable car up or walk. A single ride on the cable car costs 50 RMB, return costs 80 RMB. Once you get to the top, there is a hiking route which takes you along the top of the mountain, then all the way down, finishing in Sanhuangzhai (三皇寨). The signs all say it takes 3-4 hours, but I did it in just under 2.5 hours. Bear in mind that this is a completely different point of the mountain to the Shaolin Temple. I have found on some websites that there is a bus from there to Dengfeng, but there was no sign of it when I went. I had to take an illegal taxi.
Instead, what I would recommend is that you do it the other way round, starting at Sanhuangzhai, walking up and then taking the cable car down to the Shaolin Temple. Do bear in mind that there are a LOT of steps if you are walking up, so it is only for those who are fit. I don't think the scenery on the way up the mountain is actually fantastic, I'm just recommending it this way for practicality based on the transport available, and because it will be quieter this way. The scenery once you reach the top of the mountain is fantastic, so it will be worth the hike!
How to get there from Luoyang (NB - I would only recommend doing it this way if you can speak some Chinese):
I went to the Shaolin Temple Scenic Area from Luoyang, where there are buses from the Luoyang Jinyuan Coach Station (洛阳锦远汽车站）at 5am and 8am for 19 RMB one way. Ask for the Shaolin Temple (少林寺，shaolinsi). This is the coach station NEXT TO the Luoyang train station - don't get it confused for the Luoyang Coach Station (洛阳汽车站), which is diagonally opposite the train station. Ensure you buy the ticket from the official ticket windows, ignoring the unofficial "travel agencies" that try to pester you outside the station. If you are going for the 5am bus, you might need to buy the ticket a day in advance, as I'm not sure the ticket windows are open that early in the morning. The coach station is a bit chaotic, so you might need to ask a few times before you find the right bus. The right one to get is the coach which says 洛阳＝少林寺 in red bold letters on the front.
The bus takes about 2 hours to get there and you can buy tickets for the return bus back to Luoyang on the way there. Return buses are at 3:30 and 4:30. If you want to see both the Shaolin Temple and Mount Song, then definitely go for the 4:30 one. The driver just told me that he would be somewhere outside the main entrance, so I'd advise getting there early in case you can't find it. There is a phone number on the ticket that you can ring if you can't find it.
On the way there, the bus driver might offer to take you to some smaller places too, which I went to, but it is not worth it. You need as much time as you can get for Mount Song and the Shaolin Temple. So just ask him to drop you off at the entrance to the Shaolin Temple.
Itinerary that I would recommend if starting and finishing in Luoyang:
1. Bus at 8am from Luoyang Jinyuan Coach station, arriving at the Shaolin Temple about 10am.
2. Catch a taxi to Sanhuangzhai, which is the bottom of the mountain, arriving 10:30am.
3. Hike the mountain to where the cable cars are, arriving about 14:30. Just follow the signs to the Shaolin Temple.
4. Catch the cable car down to near the Shaolin Temple, then walk 10 minutes to see the Kungfu martial arts show at 15:00.
5. Visit the Shaolin Temple and the Pagoda forest.
6. Catch the bus back to Luoyang at 16:30 from the car park outside the main entrance to the Shaolin Scenic Area (bear in mind it takes about 15 mins to walk to the car park from the Shaolin Temple).
NB - The itinerary above would be if you did the hike fairly quickly. If you want to spend more time on it, I recommend staying the night in Dengfeng, which can be reached cheaply by taxi from the Shaolin Temple.
10. Dragon Pavilion Park (Long Ting)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
Reviewed By Jarko2015 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is the main sight inside Long Ting Park and is included in the park's RMB60 entrance fee. It's not an original building and the base is simply ugly, painted concrete, but the hike up the steep steps to the recreation of the throne room of the old palace is well worth it. The views from the top are also very good.
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