Travel｜This 2-3 Day Cultural Itinerary for Anyang Can Be Saved with Eyes Closed

Henan Anyang is definitely a must-visit city within the 3-hour travel circle from Beijing. High-speed trains range from 2h14min to 2h50min, with departures reasonably spread throughout the day. Since I was traveling with my younger sister and wanted to keep it easy, I chose Anyang. Let’s go!

📚 Preparation Before Departure

I’ve shared notes before, but I think this is the most essential part. Traveling isn’t just about seeing beautiful scenery; you should also understand the history and culture to deeply appreciate the trip.
Documentaries:
"China Archaeology Exploration—Yinxu"
"Oracle Bone Dynasty"
"National Treasure" episodes 3-7 on Anyang Yinxu
"If National Treasures Could Talk" episodes 1-9 on Yinxu turquoise-inlaid oracle bones
Books: "Jian Shang," "Yinxu: Behind a Dynasty," "Every Character Has a Story"
Poetry: Poems by Cao Cao (such as "Viewing the Sea," "Short Song Style," "Turtle’s Longevity," etc.)
Movies: "Fengshen" (I still haven’t finished watching it)

🚄 Itinerary:
Day 1: Museum of Writing + Yinxu
Day 2: Cao Cao’s Gao Ling Mausoleum + Xiangtangshan Grottoes
Day 3: Hongqi Canal + Yuanlin (If it’s a weekend, you can skip Hongqi Canal and replace Xiangtangshan Grottoes with Yuanlin)

🫕 Food:
Jiafeng Old Restaurant: Their specialty is folk-style jar chicken, which is very tender and flavorful. Other dishes are safe bets too, but overall we found the food a bit salty;
Shengdeli: This is a very famous local eatery with many signature dishes like the Six Big Bowls, fried blood cake, and rice with starch paste. The flavors are great, but again, a bit salty for us;
Heji Huimian: This place was definitely the surprise of the trip. The flavors are mild and just right, everything is delicious, and the prices are cheap—about 35-40 RMB per person. The four liang (about 140g) portion of Huimian can be split into two servings, which is perfect for girls. Very friendly! We especially loved this restaurant.

🏠 Accommodation:
Anyang Yingbin Hotel: It’s said to be one of the highest-standard hotels in Anyang, and the price reflects that. The facilities are good, and breakfast is abundant with many local specialties—great for trying new things. However, I felt the front desk service didn’t match the quality of the facilities.

We initially booked the Wanda Realm Hotel, which had good online reviews and a swimming pool on the fifth floor. But since our group stayed at Yingbin Hotel, we canceled that booking.

Tips: The biggest regret this trip was that the schedule was too tight to visit Wenfeng Tower, so I chose a photo of Wenfeng Tower as the cover image to make up for it. Life is like this—sometimes a little imperfection makes the experience even more beautiful and memorable.

🌺 I am the mom of Watermelon and Apple, recording cultural travel and parent-child moments with my two kids.