Day 1 → All day meeting in Shijiazhuang
All day
The whole day is the gathering day for [Shijiazhuang]
Tourists arriving in Shijiazhuang should check in at designated hotels after 2:00 PM. Please report your "China-Travel Note + Name" at the hotel front desk. You will then be free to move around. Please keep your belongings safe and take care of yourself.
Recommended attractions
Hutuo River, Zhangshiyan Rock, Cangyan Mountain, Longquan Ancient Town, Hebei Science and Technology Museum, Baoduzhai, Rongguo Mansion, etc.
Food recommendations
Golden lionfish, Zhengding Eight Bowls, donkey meat hot cakes, oven-baked pancakes, beef noodles, Golden Phoenix Braised Chicken, Red Star buns, etc.
Traffic Tips
Pickup service is not available at Shijiazhuang Zhengding Airport or Shijiazhuang Station. We recommend taking a taxi or subway to the hotel.
Tourists with time can go to the Hebei Museum on the D1 gathering day. The museum is quite large, and the D2 teacher will only cover the key exhibition halls. You can explore the other exhibition halls on your own
. It is divided into the north and south areas. The south area is the main exhibition area, with a total of 10 exhibition halls, distributed as follows:
First floor: "Quyang Stone Sculpture" (teacher's lecture), "Northern Dynasties Murals", "Famous Kilns and Porcelains"
Second floor: "The Glory of the Warring States Period - Ancient Zhongshan Kingdom" (2 exhibition halls, teacher's lecture), "The Last Song of the Han Dynasty - Mancheng Han Tomb" (teacher's lecture 1); among them, "Mancheng Han Tomb - Part 1" is temporarily changed to "National Treasure Hall" with a limit of ~150 people (internal tour guides of the museum will give lectures at 10:30/3:30, lasting 20 minutes)
Third floor: "Hebei in the Stone Age", "Hebei Shang Dynasty Civilization", "The Tragedy of Generosity - The Story of Yan and Zhao"
-1st floor ~ Cultural and creative store + restaurant
Day 2 Shijiazhuang → Hebei Museum → Pilu Temple → Zhengding Confucian Temple → Stay in Zhengding
All day
After breakfast, go to [Hebei Museum] so close and so beautiful, go to Hebei on weekends
To truly understand a city, start by exploring its museums. The Hebei Museum boasts 10 permanent exhibitions, including "Hebei in the Stone Age," "Hebei Civilization of the Shang Dynasty," "A Song of Generosity and Tragedy: The Story of Yan and Zhao," "The Glory of the Warring States Period: Ancient Zhongshan," "The Last Song of the Han Dynasty: Mancheng Han Tombs," "Quyang Stone Carvings," "Northern Dynasties Murals," "Famous Kilns and Porcelains," "The War Against Japanese Aggression: Heroic Hebei," and "Enjoy Hebei: An Intangible Cultural Heritage Living Room: Exhibition of Achievements in the Protection of Hebei Province's Intangible Cultural Heritage." Treasures of the museum include the Changxin Palace Lantern, the inlaid gold-inlaid Boshan Incense Burner, the openwork bronze door knocker with dragon and phoenix patterns, the bronze tripod with iron feet of the King of Zhongshan, the Western Han Dynasty Vermillion Bird holding a bronze cup, the gold-thread jade burial garment, and the Five Dynasties white stone relief of Sanyue (a musical instrument)—all truly remarkable.
Then go to [Bilu Temple] National Four, one of the "Four Great Murals of Ancient China"
Originally built in the Tang Dynasty and later renovated through the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the temple faces south and, from south to north, comprises the mountain gate, Sakyamuni Hall, bell tower, drum tower, and Pilu Hall. The Pilu Hall and Sakyamuni Halls contain over 200 square meters of Ming Dynasty murals. The Pilu Hall features rare examples of water and land paintings that integrate Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, rivaling those of Beijing's Fahai Temple, Dunhuang, and Yuncheng's Yongle Palace. The Pilu Hall murals are arranged in three staggered layers: the upper layer depicts heaven, featuring arhats, bodhisattvas, and the Taoist Zhenwu Emperor; the middle layer houses the human world, depicting emperors, consorts, loyal ministers, generals, and virtuous women; and the lower layer, hell, depicting mountains of swords, seas of fire, and cauldrons of oil. Auspicious clouds separate the layers and groups, making each group both independent and cohesive within the overall composition. The painting is rich in subject matter and depiction techniques, with extensive use of the gilding technique, giving the figures a three-dimensional quality.
In April 1933, Liang Sicheng began his exploration of the ancient city of Zhengding in Hebei Province. "The impression I received within a few minutes of entering the city suddenly dawned on me: the sheer size of Zhengding was beyond my wildest dreams. Little did I know then that within this vast expanse of buildings, so many treasures lay hidden."
Zhengding has long been known for its "nine towers, four pagodas, eight temples, and twenty-four golden archways." With a history spanning over 1,600 years, this ancient city has survived war and natural disasters.
Then go to [Zhengding Confucian Temple Dacheng Hall] National Fourth, the oldest surviving Confucian Temple in China
In his "Zhengding Investigation Notes," Liang Sicheng wrote: "The County Chronicles claim that the County Confucian Temple was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, but this Dacheng Hall is definitely not from that period. Could it be that the original temple was modified to accommodate the Buddha Hall and the Dacheng Hall was replaced by the Buddha Hall?" "Comparing the appearance of this hall with the buildings depicted in the Dunhuang murals, I strongly suspect it is a relic of the late Tang and Five Dynasties." At the time, this was the building of the Zhengding Women's Rural Normal School. Liang Sicheng immediately instructed the principal: "This Dacheng Hall may be the oldest building in the entire city of Zhengding. Do not modify it without permission to preserve its original appearance."
The Dacheng Hall of the Zhengding Confucian Temple faces south, is five bays wide and three bays deep, and stands 11.2 meters high. It features a single-eaved, tiled hip roof. Its brackets are large and simple, and the column capitals are constructed with double-beam, five-beam, and a culvert-shaped structure. There are no intervening beams, and the lintels do not extend beyond the columns. The column grids have distinct side feet and raised projections—all typical features of wooden architecture from the Tang to the Five Dynasties period. Slightly larger than the first-grade materials specified in the Song Dynasty's "Construction Code," it demonstrates a remarkable grandeur.
Stay in Zhengding at night and enjoy local specialties such as Zhengding Eight Great Bowls, Ma's Braised Chicken, Hao's Spare Ribs, and Broken Liver.
Day 3: Longxing Temple → Zhengding Four Pagodas Tour: Guanghui Temple - Linji Temple - Kaiyuan Temple - Tianning Temple → Check in Quyang
All day
After breakfast, go to Longxing Temple, a national treasure visited four times by Liang Sicheng.
In April 1933, Liang Sicheng visited Zhengding for the first time. He was struck by the cruciform plan of the Mani Hall at Longxing Temple, with its four-sided hip-and-gable porches, calling it "a unique and original creation in Chinese architecture." In November of the same year, he described the Mani Hall as "magnificent and magnificent, a masterpiece of art," and included it in his book "The Evolution of the External Appearance of Wooden Halls Throughout the Ages." In 1952, after becoming the director of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture at Tsinghua University, Liang Sicheng took his students to Zhengding during his summer vacation and drew the entire structure of the Mani Hall. In 1963, after careful consideration of the architectural form, Liang Sicheng proposed that the Mani Hall was likely built around 1050 during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty. This conclusion is consistent with the discovery of numerous ink inscriptions during the dismantling of the structure for major restoration.
Built during the Sui Dynasty, Longxing Temple is one of China's ten most famous temples and a prime example of the architectural layout of ancient Chinese Buddhist temples. It boasts six of China's best: the Mani Hall, a unique example of Song Dynasty architecture hailed by Liang Sicheng as "a masterpiece of state-of-the-art," the Five-Colored Hanging Sculpture of Avalokitesvara, a reclining Guanyin hailed by Lu Xun as "the goddess of beauty from the East," the Chakravartin, the largest early Chakravartin in my country, the Longzang Temple Stele, hailed as "the greatest Sui Dynasty stele," the Cishi Pavilion, the earliest and only extant building in China constructed using the Yongding column method, and the Bronze Vairocana Buddha, the finest bronze Vairocana Buddha in ancient my country, showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient casting techniques. The Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin statue at Longxing Temple is considered a world-class masterpiece, both for its imposing scale and grandeur.
Afterwards, we went to Guanghui Temple, where Liang Sicheng praised it as a unique example in China.
This temple was originally built during the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. Today, only the Hua Pagoda remains standing. Its resemblance to a giant bouquet of flowers earns it the affectionate nickname "Flower Pagoda." The Guanghui Temple Hua Pagoda is an octagonal brick-carved, imitation-wooden pavilion-style pagoda, standing 40.5 meters tall. From the third floor onwards, the tower's octagonal vertical lines are decorated with mural sculptures of dragons, tigers, leopards, lions, elephants, and Buddhas, resembling a bouquet of flowers. Its upper half is adorned with massive, colorful murals, each of which is both simple and majestic, and each is gorgeous and vivid, making it a prime example of its kind.
Then go to [Linji Temple] National Five, the ancestral temple of Linji Sect, the best in the pagoda
First built during the Eastern Wei Dynasty, it is located on the banks of the Hutuo River, hence the name Linji. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the founder of the Linji School of Zen Buddhism, Master Yixuan, resided at the temple. Linji Temple is the birthplace of the Linji School of Zen Buddhism in Chinese Buddhism and the ancestral home of the Rinzai sect of Japanese Buddhism (Fun fact: Ikkyu was a monk of the Rinzai school). The Chengling Pagoda at Linji Temple, commonly known as the "Blue Pagoda," was built during the Tang Dynasty. It houses the stupa of Master Yixuan's relics, which Liang Sicheng praised as "clear and beautiful, the finest among all pagodas."
Then go to Kaiyuan Temple, which houses three and a half of the extant Tang Dynasty wooden structures in China.
Kaiyuan Temple was originally built during the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Its principal buildings include the Three Gate Tower, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Sumeru Pagoda, the Bell Tower, and the remains of the Dharma Ship Hall. The Sumeru Pagoda is a nine-story, dense-eaves brick and stone tower, 42.5 meters high and square in plan. Its nine stories are entirely constructed of brick and stone. Its style is similar to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, earning it the nickname "Zhengding Wild Goose Pagoda." Its architecture exhibits strong official architectural features. Of the three and a half Tang Dynasty wooden structures still extant in China, the Kaiyuan Temple Bell Tower is one of them. This two-story pavilion, with a hip roof, measures three bays wide and deep, stands 14 meters tall, and is the only surviving Tang Dynasty bell tower from Kaiyuan Temple in China. Made of brick and wood, it is the only remaining bell tower from the Kaiyuan Temple in China.
Then go to Tianning Temple, the fourth national temple, the only one in China, Lingxiao Pagoda
Tianning Temple in Zhengding was built simultaneously with the Lingxiao Pagoda during the Weitong reign of Emperor Yizong of the Tang Dynasty. At the time, the temple was grand and magnificent, with its main buildings, including the memorial archway, double gates, Heavenly King Hall, front hall, back hall, and Lingxiao Pagoda, arranged in order from south to north. The Lingxiao Pagoda stands 40.98 meters tall and has nine stories. Floors one through three are brick-like imitation wood, while floors four through nine are wooden. Its most distinctive feature is its core-column structure, which provides excellent stability. Renowned ancient architecture expert Luo Zhewen stated that this core-column structure is "the only surviving example of this structure in my country, the wooden pagoda of Tianning Temple in Zhengding, Hebei Province, making it an extremely rare example."
Afterwards, we'll go to Quyang to stay overnight. You can explore and enjoy local specialties like Quyang sesame cakes, fried dough twists, Quyang stewed goose, black girl dumplings, baked cakes, and jujube wine.
Day 4 Beiyue Temple → Dingzhou Museum → Zhaozhou Bridge → Yongtong Bridge → Overnight in Handan
All day
After breakfast, go to Beiyue Temple, the second grade, Tang Dynasty style and Yuan Dynasty rhyme, and the painting on the wall
Built during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Beiyue Temple served as a venue for successive feudal emperors to worship the deity of Hengshan, the Northern Mountain. After the Qing Dynasty relocated the shrine to Hunyuan, Shanxi, the temple gradually fell into disrepair. Beiyue Temple is a rich cultural and artistic venue, integrating ancient architecture, painting, calligraphy, stone carving, and Ding porcelain. The Dening Hall, situated on the central axis, captivates all who see it. Its exceptionally rare double-eaved hipped roof structure makes it the largest surviving example of Yuan Dynasty timber structure in China. The east and west walls and the north gable of the hall are covered with monumental colorful murals by the Tang Dynasty painter Wu Daozi. These murals, based on Taoist themes, depict the gathering of the deities of Heaven and Earth, the Five Mountains, and the Four Rivers at Hengshan, the Northern Mountain. In order, the murals depict "The Procession of the God of Hengshan, the Northern Mountain," "Clouds and Rain," and "All Nations in Peace" on the west wall. The vibrant charm of the "Wu Dai Dang Feng" style of calligraphy is vividly captured in these paintings, making them truly rare treasures.
Special note: The murals inside the main hall of Beiyue Temple are currently under repair. The opening hours of the main hall are temporarily uncertain and await notification from the scenic spot. Please be informed!
Then go to Dingzhou Museum, which is known as the "ceiling of county-level museums".
The museum houses 31,216 cultural relics, including 965 precious pieces, primarily from the Han and Song dynasties. The collection is divided into six exhibition halls: Han Tombs, Northern Dynasties Buddha, The Great White World, A Thousand Years Beyond the Dust, Southern Jin Documents, and Hometown Starry Sky. Among the museum's most notable treasures are: an Eastern Han Dynasty jade wall painting depicting a dragon and a ring; an Eastern Han Dynasty openwork jade screen depicting immortal stories; a Northern Song Dynasty Ding kiln white-glazed dragon-headed vase; Northern Song Dynasty glazed grapes; a gilded dragon and phoenix crown inlaid with kingfisher feathers and gems; an Eastern Han Dynasty filigree inlaid gold talisman; a gilded bronze statue of a Heavenly King, a statue of a powerful warrior, and a painted wooden statue of a powerful warrior.
Then go to the Zhaozhou Bridge, the first "open-shoulder arch" structure in the history of bridges in the world.
Zhaozhou Bridge, also known as Anji Bridge, is a stone arch bridge located over the Xiao River south of Zhao County. Locals call it the Big Stone Bridge to distinguish it from the Yongtong Bridge (Small Stone Bridge) outside the city's west gate. Designed and constructed by the craftsman Li Chun during the Sui Dynasty, it was later named Anji Bridge by Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Xu, who formally adopted the name. Anji Bridge is the world's oldest, largest, and best-preserved single-span, flat-arc, open-shoulder stone arch bridge. Its unique construction technique, pioneering the "open-shoulder arch" structure in global bridge history, holds significant scientific research value. The bridge deck features 42 exquisitely carved balustrades and balusters. The semicircular carvings of "douzi curling leaves" and "walking dragons" on the balustrades, with their well-proportioned and flowing lines, embody the robust, rigorous, and elegant stone carving style of the Sui Dynasty. The bridge's decorative patterns are intricately carved and possess high artistic value.
Then go to [Yongtong Bridge] National First and explore the "twin sister" of Zhaozhou Bridge
First built during the Yongtai reign of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty, Yongtong Bridge, named after the concept of "eternal prosperity," boasts a history of over 1,200 years, more than 160 years later than the Anji Bridge. A single-span, open-shoulder stone bridge with a belly arch and parallel arches, the bridge's piers and abutments are carved with motifs such as qilins, flying horses, flying celestial beings, Vajrapani, and the sun god—uncommon carvings in Chinese bridge history. Yongtong Bridge inherits the strengths of the Anji Bridge (a large stone bridge) while offering a new improvement: the ratio of the main arch to the smaller arches is greater than that of the Anji Bridge. The enlargement and elevation of the four smaller arches ensures a nearly balanced topography between the main arch and the four smaller arches, resulting in a gentle and flat bridge deck.
On the way, we will visit the Dharani Sutra Pillar, which was praised by Liang Sicheng as "the first one in China".
The Zhaozhou Dharani Sutra Pillar, located at the intersection of South Street and Shita Road in Zhao County, was built during the Northern Song Dynasty and is the tallest stone sutra pillar in China. Originally named the Buddha's Head Supreme Dharani Pillar, it was given the name Dharani Sutra Pillar due to the Dharani Sutra inscribed on its structure. Standing 16.44 meters tall, the pillar features octagonal canopies or eaves between each section. The entire stone pillar is composed of various reliefs, with the upper columns entirely carved. It exemplifies the fusion of Chinese architecture and sculpture, and offers a rare opportunity for studying Northern Song Buddhism and sculpture.
Afterwards, we stayed in Handan. Wu'an pulled noodles, Cizhou braised noodles, Yongnian donkey sausage, Guoba fire-baked bread, Linzhang mutton soup, Weixian noodles, Handan bean paste, etc. are all local specialties.
Day 5: South Xiangtang Grottoes → Zhifang Jade Emperor Pavilion → North Xiangtang Grottoes → Accommodation in Handan
All day
Xiangtangshan Grottoes | National No. 1, inheriting the Northern Wei Dynasty and ushering in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Xiangtangshan is always full of music, a swan song of darkness
The Xiangtangshan Grottoes, located on Gushan Mountain in the Fengfeng Mining District of Handan City, Hebei Province, were excavated during the Northern Qi Dynasty, with expansions during the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. They are named "Xiangtang" because clapping hands and waving sleeves in the cave produces a resounding echo.
The Xiangtangshan Grottoes are divided into the South Xiangtangshan Grottoes, the North Xiangtangshan Grottoes (including Changle Temple) and the Shuiyu Temple Grottoes (Small Xiangtang). Today we will take an immersive full-day tour of the North and South Xiangtangs.
The Xiangtangshan Grottoes currently contain 20 extant caves, over 450 niches for cliff carvings, and over 5,000 statues of various sizes. While incorporating foreign carving techniques, the Xiangtangshan Grottoes integrate traditional Chinese art. Their unique style, inheriting elements of the Northern Wei Dynasty and forging a precedent for the Tang Dynasty, is known as the "Northern Qi Style" or "Xiangtang Style."
Among them, the Great Buddha Cave in Cave 9 of Beixiangtang is the oldest, most elaborate, and boasts the richest and most exquisitely detailed sculptures. The Great Buddha Cave stands 12.58 meters high, 13 meters wide, and 12.5 meters deep. It features a central square pillar with niches on three sides, housing a composition of "one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas." The central figure within the cave is the 3.5-meter-tall Buddha, with a rounded figure, a full face, a high nose, long eyes, and a smile. This rounded and solid figure is in stark contrast to the typically slender, refined sculptures of the Northern Wei Dynasty, creating a sense of weight and power.
The Xiangtangshan Grottoes also pioneered the practice of engraving sutras on stone walls, creating a unique style of calligraphy within Chinese grotto art. The Northern Qi Dynasty sutra carvings at Xiangtangshan Grottoes are primarily located within and around the Scripture Cave at the southern end of the North Xiangtang Hall. Within the cave, tens of thousands of characters, some as large as buckets and others as small as coins, are densely inscribed on the stone walls, totaling over 50,000 characters. Each hammer, chisel, and stroke, each inscription bears witness to the unique skill of the artisans. The "Vimalakirti Sutra" (four volumes) is a masterpiece, embodying a blend of regular script, official script, and seal script, earning it the acclaim of later generations as "China's first engraved sutra."
Unfortunately, most of the statues here have long lost their heads and hands. Destruction and theft have caused these treasures to be lost to Japan, Europe and the United States. It is truly regrettable and sad. Both the incompleteness and the magnificence are the last sighs from the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
From a historical perspective, the Northern Qi Dynasty was a turbulent era, but it was also a wonderful dynasty for the history of Chinese art. Wars and slaughter gave birth to the flowers of art. A large number of grottoes were excavated during this dynasty, and many exquisite Buddhist statues were also born in this dynasty.
Visit the Jade Emperor Pavilion in Zhifang during your trip. It is a national sixth-class pavilion and the only one of its kind in China.
Built in the Ming Dynasty, the Jade Emperor Pavilion is located on the key Fukou Pass, one of the eight ancient Taihang Mountains. Built not directly on the ground, but on a stone arched platform, it stands 18.6 meters tall, five bays wide and deep. Its main structure is constructed of brickwork, imitating wooden structures, creating a unique shape. While there are several beamless pavilions in China, this one, with its interior structure of stepped corbels rather than barrel vaults, domes, or arches, is the only one in the country, making it extremely valuable. The interior's caisson ceiling, in the form of a bucket, is unassuming, yet its simple geometric form, composed of countless cubes, resembles a universe in a pixelated world, creating a sense of dizziness.
Stay in Handan at night, you can go shopping and eat freely.
Day 6: Yecheng Archaeological Museum → Anyang Cao Cao Gaoling Site Museum → Xiuding Temple Tang Pagoda → Accommodation in Anyang
All day
After breakfast, head to Yecheng Archaeological Museum, China's first museum dedicated to Buddhist statues.
Yecheng was once the capital of six dynasties: Cao Wei, Later Zhao, Ran Wei, Former Yan, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi. Archaeologists have rescued and excavated the largest Buddhist statue burial pit - the Beiwuzhuang Buddhist statue burial pit in the eastern suburbs of the Yecheng ruins. This is one of the three major Buddhist archaeological discoveries in the past half century. 2,985 pieces of cultural relics were unearthed, most of which were statues from the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties. The representative characteristics of Chinese Buddhist statues, such as "wide clothes and belts", "fine bones and clear images", and "Cao clothes emerging from water", are all presented here. Among them, the "Nagarjuna Back Screen" statue with typical regional characteristics appears here, which further demonstrates the integration of multiple cultures!
Then go to Cao Cao Gaoling Ruins Museum
Cao Cao was a renowned politician, military strategist, and writer in Chinese history. He founded the Cao Wei regime and promoted Jian'an literature. A powerful figure in troubled times? A capable minister in peaceful times? What kind of person was Cao Cao, as portrayed in legends? The archaeological excavation of Cao Cao's Gaoling Mausoleum in Anyang has revealed the true Cao Cao. Cao Cao's Gaoling Mausoleum in Anyang, Cao Cao's burial site, encompasses several key areas, including the remains of the sacred path, pre-mausoleum buildings, moat, wall, southern buildings, Cao Cao's tomb, and Tomb No. 7. The discovery and excavation of Gaoling Mausoleum has provided valuable material for the study of the imperial mausoleum system and history of the Han and Wei dynasties. Stepping inside, the Three Kingdoms period resurfaces, and millennia-old mysteries await unraveling.
Then go to [Xiuding Temple Tang Pagoda] National Second, Extreme Aesthetics, China DI No. 1 Hua Pagoda
The Xiuding Temple Pagoda is located within Xiuding Temple, on the southern slope of Qingliang Mountain in Anyang, Henan Province. The pagoda, now abandoned, features a carving of the Three Buddhas on its south lintel, earning it the nickname "Three Lives Pagoda." The pagoda is a single-story, square, brick stupa with relief carvings. It stands 20 meters tall, 9.30 meters tall, and 8.3 meters wide. It is a hollow structure with three solid walls and an arched doorway on the south side. It rests on a waisted Sumeru pedestal and a single-layered corbel eaves. The pagoda is inlaid with molded glazed tiles in shapes ranging from diamonds to rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms. The 3,775 high-relief bricks depict figures of life, warriors, maids, apsaras, musicians, children, powerful men, dragons, tigers, lions, celestial horses, pythons, and flowers. During the war in the late Qing Dynasty, many relief bricks and stones of the Xiuding Temple Pagoda were stolen and are now scattered in many countries including Britain, the United States, Canada, etc. Later, in order to protect the pagoda, local villagers covered the pagoda with white lime, saving the national treasure from disaster.
Stay in Anyang that night and enjoy the local specialties such as Daokou roast chicken, flat rice noodle dish, three-no-stick, rice noodle soup, Anyang blood cake, Laomiao beef, and Neihuang sausage. You can explore and eat freely.
Day 7 Anyang → Yinxu Museum → Disband at Anyang East Station
All day
After breakfast, go to [Yinxu Museum] to witness the world's Shang civilization
Special note: Due to the Yinxu Museum's interpretation regulations, only full-time guides or a small number of contracted social guides are allowed to give explanations. We will arrange for full-time guides to lead the tour, and expert teachers will accompany everyone to provide supplementary explanations and extract the essence. Please be advised.
Approximately 3,300 years ago, King Pan Geng of the Shang Dynasty relocated the capital to Yin. The Shang dynasty passed through eight generations and 12 kings, serving as the political, economic, military, and cultural center of the late Shang Dynasty for 255 years. After King Wu of Zhou conquered King Zhou of Shang, Yin gradually fell into ruin, becoming known as the Yin Ruins. Discovered at Yin Ruins are China's earliest systematic oracle bone inscriptions, the earliest remains of a chariot and horse pit, the tomb of Fu Hao, the earliest female general in China, and the world's largest and heaviest bronze artifact, the Houmuwu Ding (originally known as the Simuwu Ding). These discoveries complete the three key elements of a city, written language, and bronze artifacts, making Yin Ruins the first ancient capital site in Chinese history to be documented and verified by oracle bone inscriptions and archaeological excavations. Treasures of the museum include the Simu Xin Ding, the Yachang Ox Zun, the Yachang Bronze Hand Tool, the Yachang Bronze Gong, the Yachang Bronze Axe, the Yachang Bronze Square Zun, and inscribed oracle bones.
The tour is expected to end at 12:00, and then we will be dropped off at Anyang East Station. We are expected to arrive at Anyang East Station at 13:00. We recommend buying a return ticket after 13:50.
Due to the large number of high-speed trains between Anyang East Station and Zhengzhou East Station, tourists with transportation difficulties can choose to return from Zhengzhou. The tour will not be sent to Zhengzhou for disbanding. Please understand!
