Day 1 Across the country → or → Zhengzhou
All day
Tourists from all over the world will meet in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, by plane or train, and then check into their hotel. (Check-in is available after 2:00 PM at the meeting hotel in Zhengzhou.) Early arrivals can leave their luggage at the hotel front desk and arrange their own sightseeing in downtown Zhengzhou. Recommended attractions include the Henan Provincial Museum, the Erqi Memorial Tower, and the Yellow River Huayuankou, and sample Zhengzhou's local delicacies (such as Henan braised noodles and Daokou roast chicken). Please be safe during your free time. The tour leader will inform everyone of the meeting time the following morning.
Day 2 Zhengzhou → Shaolin Temple → Luanchuan
All day
After breakfast, we will gather in Zhengzhou and depart for Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chinese Zen Buddhism, the most famous temple in the world, and the holy land of Shaolin Kung Fu.
The tour guide (or leader) leads everyone to interact on the way, and everyone arrives at the destination with laughter and joy;
Arrive at the scenic area around 9:30 AM and go to the martial arts hall to watch the Shaolin martial arts performance (30 minutes) and appreciate the profoundness of Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin Kung Fu is famous throughout the world and has now become a spiritual totem of China.
Around 10:00, visit the core building of Shaolin Temple, where the presiding monk and the deacon monks conduct Buddhist activities - the Permanent Residence (1 hour). The total area is over 30,000 square meters, with seven courtyards, red walls and black tiles, and a constant stream of fireworks. If you are lucky, you may also encounter the Shaolin abbot and get a glimpse of the monk's temperament.
Afterwards, visit the Pagoda Forest (30 minutes), a national key cultural relic protection site with a history of over 1,400 years. It houses the tombs of 240 eminent monks from successive generations of Shaolin Temple. You can try to find the seven-story pagoda and listen to the tour guide explain the story of the relics.
After lunch, we'll explore the Sanhuangzhai Scenic Area (2.5 hours), a major component of Songshan National Forest Park. Along the way, we'll enjoy the sights of the First Patriarch Temple, the Second Patriarch Temple, and the Bodhidharma Cave. Sanhuangzhai is a natural village nestled halfway up the Shaoshi Mountain. Legend has it that in ancient times, the three sages, the Emperor of Heaven, the Emperor of Earth, and the Emperor of Man, practiced cultivation here, hence the name "Sanhuangzhai." While visiting Sanhuangzhai, Xu Xiake composes a poem: "Songshan is the most mysterious mountain in the world, Shaoshi is the most dangerous and unique. If you haven't visited Sanhuangzhai, you're not considered a Shaolin monk."
Gather around 16:00, leave Shaolin Temple, and head to Luanchuan, where Laojun Mountain is located. Check into a hotel at the foot of Laojun Mountain to facilitate climbing the mountain the next day.
Day 3 Laojun Mountain → Luoyang
All day
After breakfast, we departed for Luanchuan. Laojun Mountain, the main peak of the Funiu Mountains, a remnant of the Qinling Mountains, stands at 2,297 meters above sea level and boasts stunning scenery. It is also a sacred site for the Quanzhen School of Taoism, with over 2,000 years of Taoist cultural history. Renowned contemporary writer Li Jun exclaimed, "It surpasses the Five Sacred Mountains in beauty, and the Three Mountains in wonder. Huangshan has 72 extraordinary peaks, and how many wonders are there on Junshan?"
After arriving at the scenic area, you can take the Austrian Doppelmayr cable car up the mountain to Zhongtianmen. Along the way, you can visit the Linggong Palace Scenic Area and get off at the Jiukudian parking lot. You can hike to the Sheshen Cliff Scenic Area and visit the Feilai Stone, Chuanjing Tower, Guanyin Hall and other attractions.
Afterwards, we'll head to the Laojun Mountain Golden Summit complex, a dazzling sight shimmering in the sunlight. It's said to be "like the Wudang Golden Summit in the south, and the Laojun Iron Summit in the north." This section of the hike is expected to take about two hours. Those who prefer not to climb can take the Fenglin Cableway up the mountain.
After reaching the summit, we visited the Laojun Temple and the Ten-Mile Painting Gallery. The Ten-Mile Painting Screen is a breathtaking natural wonder of Laojun Mountain. This granite peak forest landscape, surrounded by mountains and shimmering seas of clouds, creates a fairyland-like atmosphere. The unique geological structure has also created a rare and remarkable phenomenon: "from afar, it looks like a forest; from close, it looks like a peak," a signature sight of Laojun Mountain. Before we knew it, we reached the highest peak of Laojun Mountain, Mazongling, at 2,217 meters, offering a prime spot for viewing the mountain's natural beauty. From the summit, peaks both near and far loom below, creating a sense of enchantment.
Descend the mountain at the right time and take a bus to Luoyang, the ancient capital of 13 dynasties, around 16:00 (about 3 hours' drive).
After arriving in Luoyang and checking into your hotel, tourists can freely explore scenic spots such as Lijing Gate, Luoyi Ancient City, and Tiantang Mingtang. Lijing Gate, a representative city gate in Chinese history, was built during the Sui Dynasty and serves as the western gate of Luoyang Ancient City. Walking along the bluestone pavement, you can experience the vicissitudes of history while traversing the ancient city. Tiantang Mingtang was a key location for Empress Wu Zetian, where she governed, worshipped Buddha, and lived her life. You can also explore the legendary Luoyang buffet banquets in Luoyang Old Street and experience the down-to-earth life of the city.
4th Tianlongmen Grottoes → Luoyang Longmen Station
All day
08:00 Have breakfast at the hotel, then drive to Luoyang Museum, a national first-class museum (due to ticket restrictions, tourists are required to make reservations two days in advance!!!);
09:00 Visit Luoyang Museum, a national first-class museum, which houses over 400,000 cultural relics and over 11,000 on display. Its main exhibits include the Han and Tang Dynasty Pottery Hall, the Tang Dynasty Tri-color Pottery Hall, the Stone Carving Hall, the Painting and Calligraphy Hall, and the Wang Xiu Peony Art Hall. Its collection is among the largest in China. (If the museum is closed due to policy, this attraction will be omitted. Please understand that it is normally closed on Mondays.)
Then we will take a car to visit the Longmen Grottoes. The Longmen Grottoes were first built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It has been a thousand years since then and has been severely damaged. Since the day of excavation, the collapse of surrounding rocks, water leakage in the caves, and weathering of carvings have been listed as the three major problems of the Longmen Grottoes. The rocks here are mostly limestone and dolomite, which have moderate strength and are easy to excavate, but are also prone to leakage and dissolution disasters. The Longmen Grottoes standing on both sides of the river condense the endless stretch of time, carry the thickness and depth of space, and connect the past and present memories. The Longmen Grottoes are a world cultural heritage and one of the three major cave art treasures of Chinese Buddhism. Here you can find the style of the great dynasties such as Wei, Tang, and Song, feel the atmosphere of Buddhism, and appreciate fine calligraphy. It is not only Buddhist culture, but also a microcosm of history and a fashion of culture;
The tour ends around 3:00 PM, with everyone saying goodbye with tears. The group will be dropped off at Luoyang Longmen Station at 3:30 PM. Please remember to plan your return trip accordingly.
