Live Your Best Lives
Henan is a province steeped in history, a land of mountains and rivers. Henan is vast, boasting numerous 5A scenic spots. Add to that its large population, and you'll find yourself squeezed in at the wrong time, missing out on experiences you'd otherwise miss, and simply checking in. So, how should you decide on a first-time visit?
When you feel that you are not good enough, go to Taihang Mountains. It sounds like a joke at first.
But if you have seen the people in Taihang Mountains and the cliff-hanging roads built by them with your own eyes, you will know that this is not a joke.
Yuntaishan is an incomparable and unique geological park. The construction of its scenic area was once a model for learning for national 5A scenic spots, and was also described by Dr. Ide as "the most wonderful symphony of mountains and rivers."
"I know from afar that my brothers are climbing the mountain, but among them there is one less person wearing dogwood branches." These are the lines Wang Wei wrote over 1,300 years ago while admiring Zhuyu Peak in Yuntaishan. Zhuyu Peak, at 1,308 meters, resembles an upside-down cauldron and boasts a glass-fronted plank road, perfect for adrenaline-seeking tourists.
/Macaque Valley/
Taihang macaques belong to the macaque group living at the lowest latitude. They have long fur and short tails and are agile. If you go to play with them, be careful to hold on to your belongings so that they don't get snatched away by the monkeys.
/Red Stone Gorge/
The rock walls are all red, so it is called "Red Stone Gorge", also known as "the first scene in Central Plains". The scenic area is beautiful, secluded, majestic and dangerous. There are springs, waterfalls, streams and pools in one valley. The temperature is 25 degrees all year round, making it a good place to escape the summer heat.
/Tanpu Gorge/
There is a spring every three steps and a waterfall every five steps in the canyon. The stream here can dance and sing.
Tips:
Admission: 120 yuan; internal transportation: 60 yuan per person. Half-price admission: Minors aged 6 to 18 years old with student ID/ID card; full-time undergraduates and below with student ID card; seniors aged 60 to 65 years old with ID card/senior citizen discount card; provincial-level model workers and outstanding teachers enjoy a 50% discount with valid ID. Free admission: Children under 1.4 meters (inclusive) or under 6 years old are free; seniors aged 65 and over are free with ID card/senior citizen card; active military personnel with officer or soldier ID card are free; persons with disabilities with disability certificate; retired cadres with retirement certificate; first-class heroes and models, national moral models, and members of the China Photographers Association are free with valid ID card.
Accommodation: Yuntaishan has five service areas: Wujiatai, Gudongyao, Heishiling, Qianheishiling, and the Shore Service Area. Each area provides accommodation and meals, and has a designated pick-up point for the scenic area shuttle (a 60 yuan fare). The Shore Service Area is closest to the scenic area and features a small commercial street, making it the most convenient for accommodation, dining, and shopping.
Highlights: Hongshi Gorge (Zifang Lake), Tanpu Gorge, Quanpu Gorge, Zhuyu Peak (Diecai Cave), Macaque Valley, Wanshan Temple
Many people know Guoliang, but they may not be aware that it's part of the Wanxian Mountain Scenic Area. Here, you can witness the breathtaking scenery of "thousand valleys echoing with the sounds of nature, while thousands of peaks stand silently in the setting sun." You can also traverse the Guoliang Hanging Wall, a cliffside road carved barehanded into the cliff face.
The peaks and valleys seen from Guoliang Cave
Guo Liang's hanging wall is like a long winding dragon
Tips:
Wanxian Mountain consists of three scenic areas: Guoliang Village, Nanping, and Luojie Village; the scenic spots are Guoliang Village (Guoliang Hanging Wall), Nanping (Danfengou)
Tickets including scenic bus: 107 yuan/person (must take the scenic bus)
As the name suggests, there's plenty of water here, and you can enjoy it to your heart's content. With an average annual temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, it's a fantastic place to enjoy the water in the summer.
Tips:
Baoquan Scenic Area Adult Ticket (including round-trip transportation) 110 yuan
Tour route: Taohuaping - Youlong Gorge - Tianpu Valley - Qianpu Valley - Feihong Valley, a total of 4-5 hours
During holidays, the peak entry period is from 9:00 to 12:00. It is recommended that you avoid entering during the peak hours during the scenic area opening hours.
I always feel that before the sun rises and after the sun sets are the most charming times in a city, and also the quietest and noisiest times of the day.
When you think of Luoyang, you'll definitely think of the Longmen Grottoes. Both for their fame and the beauty of their statues. But beyond the major attractions like the Longmen Grottoes and the White Horse Temple, there are also some lesser-known attractions worth exploring.
China has a crown and robes with gorgeous patterns, so it is called Hua, and because of its grand rituals, it is called Xia, which is called "Huaxia".
Hanfu enthusiasts are increasingly becoming more and more popular, and public acceptance of the garment is growing. Many young women are even wearing it on the street. As Hanfu enthusiasts know, an authentic Hanfu set costs at least 1,000 yuan (hold tight on your wallet), and outside of photo shoots, major holidays, and outings, you don't often get to wear it. Therefore, renting Hanfu is a great option, and it also allows you to learn Hanfu etiquette. Every time I see people bowing and greeting on TV, their gestures are so incredibly elegant, polite, and approachable!
Luoyang's Tang Dynasty tri-colored glazed pottery is renowned, and the Luoyang Museum boasts a wide variety of authentic, historic examples. But seeing more is never as good as making one yourself. In Mengjin Tri-colored glazed pottery town, you can not only admire and learn about Tang tri-colored glazed pottery, but you can also make one yourself, shaping and glazing it—just thinking about it makes you feel impressive!
Tips:
Experience location: Luoyang Mengjin Tri-color Town
Fee: 100 yuan/person
The production of a sancai work requires the following processes: shaping - firing - pouring the mold - glazing - firing - air drying, etc. It takes about 3 days. Due to time constraints, we only arrange the experience of shaping and glazing. The rest of the steps will be completed by the staff and then delivered home.
Experience time: about 2-3 hours
Luoyang is home to so many ancient tombs that it's even home to a museum (which boasts murals and a variety of other items). Fans of "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" and "Ghost Blows Out the Light" will undoubtedly know that tomb raiding requires the use of a tool called a "Luoyang Shovel." Originally used primarily for tomb robbing, the Luoyang Shovel later became an archaeological tool. Using the Luoyang Shovel to identify soil quality is a fundamental skill for every archaeologist.
If you are timid but want to explore, it is recommended to go when there are many people. It can boost your courage. Note that you can learn and experience using the Luoyang shovel.
As the four great inventions that represent the wisdom of the ancients, you must experience them when you come to Luoyang.
"Tang Sancai + Luoyang shovel + papermaking + printing + wearing Hanfu and learning Han etiquette", this is how an afternoon in Luoyang should be spent, this is the correct way to enjoy the ancient capital!
Tips:
Kaixuan Road Municipal Party Committee Family Compound, 1 hour
Nowadays, takeout has become a part of our daily life, but the earliest takeout was not in modern times, but in the Song Dynasty. Yes, it was the Song Dynasty!
The rapid economic development and the lifting of the curfew in the Song Dynasty are just casual talks. There is a picture of it in "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and it is also mentioned in "Dreams of Splendor in the Capital". You can look for it if you are interested.
The main reason I say this is to say that Kaifeng was truly an amazing city in the Song Dynasty. Although Tokyo at that time was fraught with danger, it was bustling with traffic, teahouses and wine shops, and the overall economy was thriving.
(The delivery guy outside the Shiqianjiao store, two takeaway boxes in his left hand and two pairs of chopsticks in his right hand)
When you go to Kaifeng, in addition to visiting the "Qingming Shanghe Park" (highly recommended, you can spend the whole day enjoying the performances, and you can choose to stay in the scenic area at night. The night view is unique, and you can enter and exit the scenic area multiple times a day), you can also take a local rickshaw to tour the ancient capital in the early morning while everyone is still asleep, and listen to the rickshaw driver tell the romantic and interesting stories of Li Shishi and Song Huizong, which is very leisurely.
Qingming Riverside Park
Qingming Shanghe Park "The Great Song Dynasty: Tokyo Dream Splendor" performance
The night market has everything. Here you can see the most real life and eat the most authentic Kaifeng cuisine.
Take a cruise or stroll on the river in Kaifeng, listen to the songs of the Song Dynasty that have been passed down for thousands of years, see the dim lights and lantern-filled cruise ships, and it is as if you have traveled back to Bianliang a thousand years ago and heard the sounds of prosperity a thousand years ago.
Tips:
Boat Ticket: Daytime: One-way 35 yuan/person, round trip 50 yuan/person, Night Tour: One-way 60 yuan/person, round trip 80 yuan/person (Night Tour recommended)
Time: Daytime 9:00-17:30, evening 18:00-22:00 (cruise boats depart on the hour and half-hour), 17:30 is the last day cruise, 18:00 is the first night cruise
It would be a shame to only visit Shaolin Temple at the foot of Songshan Mountain. You should also visit Sanhuangzhai, where you can see geological features from five different eras. Xu Xiake once praised Sanhuangzhai highly.
If you haven't been to Sanhuangzhai, you are not a Shaolin visitor.
When visiting Shaolin Temple, I followed a regular tour group and felt that the temple was heavily commercialized. Only by taking an in-depth tour of Shaolin can I discover the charm of Shaolin Temple.
Eat a vegetarian meal, meet the abbot of Shaolin Temple by chance; listen to the literary monks talk about the history of Shaolin, and learn Shaolin martial arts from the martial monks. You will definitely have a different experience.
The Shaolin abbot whom I met by chance when I went to Shaolin Temple
Most travel products on the market today tend to offer a cursory tour of attractions, like visiting Shaolin Temple and seeing a martial arts performance, or visiting the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. But China-TravelNote is different. The China-TravelNote product offers special features:
1. Stay two nights in Luoyang, taking advantage of the night to see the night view of Lijingmen and eat Luoyang snacks;
2. Take a night tour of the Song Dynasty Imperial River and Kaifeng Night Market, and take a rickshaw to the Qingming Riverside Park in the early morning (after all, morning and evening are the most charming times of the year for a city);
3. Enjoy vegetarian meals and martial arts lessons at Shaolin Temple, and then visit Sanhuangzhai to experience the beauty of Mount Songshan.
4. Make Tang Sancai pottery by yourself in Luoyang;
If you have enough time, you can choose the extended version of this route, which adds Yuntaishan, Baoquan and Wanxianshan to the above attractions.
