2025 Summer Escape Plan | 2-Day, 1-Night Self-Driving Guide to Pingdingshan from Jiaozuo

🌿 2025 Summer Escape Plan | 2-Day, 1-Night Self-Driving Tour from Jiaozuo to Pingdingshan: Waterfalls, Giant Buddha, and a World of Fireworks

📍 Address: Pingdingshan City, Henan Province

🚗 Transportation Guide

- Driving Route: Depart from Jiaozuo → Jiaotong Expressway → Ningluo Expressway → Zhengluan Expressway (approximately 253 kilometers, 2.5 hours), tolls approximately 110 yuan. It's recommended to avoid the construction section of the Shangdeng Expressway (K209-K212) in Xinmi and exit at Yaoshan Station for a smoother journey.
- Supplies Along the Way: The Lushan Service Area offers charging stations and specialty Jiaxian tofu dishes, making it a great rest stop.

📅 Itinerary

🌞Day 1: Cooling Down at Yaoshan + Praying at the Giant Buddha

- Depart from Jiaozuo between 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM, enjoying the hilly scenery of western Henan along the way, and arriving at Yaoshan Scenic Area. - 10:30-15:00 Yaoshan In-Depth Tour:
- Must-do: Take the cable car to Jade Emperor Peak (60 yuan one-way). See the peaks entwined by clouds, the splashing mountain springs, and the sensation of just 25°C. Walk the Qinglongbei Suspension Plank Road and take in the 188-meter glass plank road overlooking Rainbow Falls.
- Recommended Rafting: Yaoshan Grand Canyon Rafting (9 kilometers with a 150-meter drop), traversing jungle and treacherous rapids. The two-hour adventure is thrilling, so remember to bring a change of clothes.
- 15:30-17:30: Drive 30 minutes to the Zhongyuan Giant Buddha Scenic Area. Climb the 108-meter Buddha Hand Square to pray. In the evening, watch the Buddha's light illuminate the sunset, a breathtaking golden glow. - 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Check into a B&B at the foot of Yao Mountain (we recommend "Yunxi Rice Fields," with mountain views from the window, and a rice field B&B costing 150 yuan per person). For dinner, try the Jiaxian Xianle noodles and Lushan Languo dishes for a carb-filled meal.
- 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM Enjoy the hot springs at the Fuquan Hotel (within the Zhongyuan Giant Buddha Scenic Area). Choose from over 60 hot springs, including the rose pool for a relaxing soak, and the starry sky pool for stunning photos.

🌅Day 2: Family Water Fun in Huamei Valley + Return Trip

- 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM After breakfast, take a 10-minute walk to the Huamei Valley Scenic Area. The shallow waterfalls are perfect for taking children to catch small fish and shrimp. Wild kiwis are ripe and ready for picking in August. - 09:00-12:00 Enjoy the Hongshi Gorge Trail, past cascading waterfalls and springs. Six-fold Waterfall hangs like a white silk ribbon, while birdsong fills the Dujuan Gorge, all shaded by trees.
- 12:30-1:30 Enjoy clay pot chicken and scrambled eggs with locust flowers at Gukou Farmhouse, 40 yuan per person.
- 14:00 Return to Jiaozuo, stopping at Baiguihu National Wetland Park. The 18-kilometer cycling path around the lake offers stunning sunset views.

⏰Opening Hours

- Yaoshan: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Rafting lasts at 2:00 PM)
- Zhongyuan Buddha: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Hot Springs: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM)
- Huamei Valley: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

🍽Food Map

- Must-Try List:
- Jiaxian Xianle Noodles (buckwheat noodles with mutton sauce, you can finish all the soup)
- Lushan Languocai (pork belly, fried crispy pork, vermicelli noodles, a perfect rice-killer)
- Sanlang Temple Beef (intangible heritage braised beef, vacuum-packed for a great souvenir)
💰 Average Cost per Person (2 Days, 1 Night)

- Tickets: Yaoshan 65 yuan + Zhongyuan Buddha 120 yuan + Huamei Valley 60 yuan = 245 yuan (Pingdingshan Residents' Annual Pass offers free access to all 52 scenic spots for 60 yuan; out-of-town visitors can purchase the pass for 50 yuan with a transportation voucher for a better deal).
- Accommodation: B&B 150 yuan/night (shared between two people).
- Meals: 150 yuan/person (including a special dinner and snacks).
- Other: Rafting 168 yuan + Hot Springs 90 yuan = 258 yuan.
- Total: Approximately 800-1000 yuan/person.

📸Photography Guide

- Yaoshan: Photograph the waterfall and rainbow before 10 am, using your phone to adjust to bright, warm colors. Wear a brightly colored long dress on the glass plank road and use a subtly placed lens to create a "sky mirror" effect.
- Zhongyuan Buddha: After 4 pm, when the light softens, capture panoramic views of the Buddha and the valley. Enjoy a cup of tea by the hot spring pool for stunning silhouettes.

🌿Reflections

This summer, escape the city heat and feel the refreshing 25°C coolness of Yaoshan's cascading waterfalls. Wash away your impatience beneath the compassionate gaze of the Great Buddha of the Central Plains, and rediscover the joys of childhood in the shallow streams of Huamei Valley. Pingdingshan weaves a healing journey with its natural beauty and vibrant life. As dusk paints the mountains red and the steam from the hot springs lingers, you truly understand the meaning of "stealing a moment of leisure from this busy life." Two short days are enough to rejuvenate your body and mind through the dual nourishment of nature and humanity—perhaps the charm of short trips: poetry is all around you, no need to travel far.