central · Henan (Hénán)
Henan Travel Guide
Henan (河南, "south of the Yellow River") is where Chinese civilization started. The Yellow River basin here has been continuously farmed for over 5,000 years. Luoyang alone was capital of 13 dynasties; Kaifeng was the world's largest city during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE); Anyang produced the earliest Chinese writing on oracle bones. Today Henan is China's third-most-populous province with 99 million people, and while it is less developed for foreign tourism than Beijing or Shanghai, the raw density of UNESCO sites and archaeological treasures makes it one of the most rewarding provinces for travelers who care about history. The HSR network ties the main cities together in under an hour each, so you can bounce between dynasties across a long weekend.
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TL;DR
China's most historically saturated province — four of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals are here (Luoyang, Kaifeng, Anyang, Zhengzhou), plus Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes. Henan is basically an outdoor Chinese history textbook.
Quick facts
| Capital | Zhengzhou |
|---|---|
| Population | 99 million |
| Area | 167,000 km² |
| Best season | April–May (peonies, mild) and September–October (dry, harvest season) |
| Famous for | Shaolin Temple (kung fu birthplace), Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO Buddhist carvings), Yellow River, ancient capitals — Luoyang, Kaifeng, Anyang |
| UNESCO sites | 5 sites |
Why visit Henan
Most travelers come for two sites and walk away stunned by a dozen others. The Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang hold over 100,000 Buddhist statues carved into a kilometer of limestone cliffs — the 17-meter Vairocana Buddha alone is worth the trip. Shaolin Temple, 90 minutes from Luoyang, is the actual birthplace of kung fu and Chan (Zen) Buddhism; the kung fu performances are touristy, yes, but the Pagoda Forest and the hike up Song Mountain behind the temple are genuinely serene. Kaifeng's night markets serve some of the best street food in northern China, and the Millennium City Park is a full-scale recreation of a Song Dynasty scroll painting brought to life. Less-visited Anyang holds Yin Xu, the capital of the Shang Dynasty (1300-1046 BCE) and the site where oracle bone inscriptions — the earliest known Chinese writing — were discovered. Getting between these cities is easy now: Luoyang to Zhengzhou is 30 minutes by HSR, Zhengzhou to Kaifeng is 20 minutes, and Anyang is 45 minutes north of Zhengzhou. A traveler with 5 days can see three ancient capitals comfortably. The tradeoff is that English signage outside the headline attractions is thin, and you will rely on translation apps more here than in Beijing or Shanghai.
Key cities
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Henan
- Longmen Grottoes (inscribed 2000)
- Yin Xu (inscribed 2006)
- Historic Monuments of Dengfeng "Center of Heaven and Earth" (inscribed 2010)
- Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (inscribed 2014)
- The Grand Canal (inscribed 2014)
Getting there & around
Getting there: Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) is the main air hub, with direct flights from major Chinese cities and a growing list of international routes (Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore). Luoyang Beijiao Airport (LYA) handles limited domestic flights. The smarter arrival strategy for most foreigners is to fly into Xi'an (XIY) — 1.5 hours from Luoyang by HSR — and enter Henan from the west, or to arrive via Beijing West Station (2.5-3 hours HSR to Zhengzhou). HSR connections: Xi'an to Luoyang 1-1.5h, Beijing to Zhengzhou 2-2.5h, Shanghai to Zhengzhou 4-5h, Wuhan to Zhengzhou 2h. The province sits at the crossroads of China's entire HSR grid.
Getting around: HSR is the default way to move between Henan's cities. Zhengzhou–Luoyang: 30 min, ¥40-65. Zhengzhou–Kaifeng: 20 min, ¥25-30. Zhengzhou–Anyang: 45 min, ¥55-80. Within cities, DiDi works reliably and is the best option for foreign visitors since taxi drivers rarely speak English and bus signage is Chinese-only. Luoyang's metro has 2 lines covering the city center and Longmen Station, ¥2-6 per ride. Kaifeng is small enough that DiDi trips rarely exceed ¥25. For Shaolin Temple from Luoyang, take the tourist bus (¥30, 1.5h each way) or hire a private car for the day (¥300-400 round trip).
Suggested itineraries
3 days — Henan Express: Luoyang + Shaolin
Day 1: Arrive Luoyang, afternoon at Longmen Grottoes (best light 2-4 PM). Day 2: Full day at Shaolin Temple + Song Mountain cable car. Day 3: White Horse Temple + Luoyang Museum, then HSR to Zhengzhou for departure.
5 days — Three Capitals Loop
Day 1: Zhengzhou — Henan Museum (world-class Bronze Age collection). Day 2: HSR to Anyang — Yin Xu ruins + oracle bone museum. Day 3-4: HSR to Luoyang — Longmen Grottoes + Shaolin. Day 5: HSR to Kaifeng — Millennium City Park + night market, depart from Zhengzhou.
7 days — Deep Henan: All Four Ancient Capitals
Add Dengfeng's UNESCO cluster (Songyang Academy, Observatory, Zhongyue Temple) between Luoyang and Zhengzhou, and spend a full day in Kaifeng for the Iron Pagoda, Dragon Pavilion, and Xiangguo Temple. End with a Yellow River scenic stop at Xiaolangdi Dam.
Local cuisine
Luoyang Water Banquet (Luòyáng shuǐxí)
A 24-course Tang-dynasty banquet where every dish involves soup or broth — the finale is a delicate egg-drop soup meant to "send off" the meal
Hu La Tang (Hú là tāng)
Pepper-thick soup with beef, glass noodles, and wood ear mushrooms — Henan's breakfast staple, spicy and deeply savory
Kaifeng Soup Dumplings (Kāifēng guàntāng bāo)
Paper-thin-skinned dumplings filled with piping-hot broth, a precursor to Shanghai's xiaolongbao but with a wheatier wrapper
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to the Shaolin Temple from Luoyang?
Tourist bus from Luoyang Longmen Bus Station to Shaolin Temple takes about 1.5 hours and costs roughly ¥30 each way. Private car or DiDi runs ¥300-400 round trip (book a full-day hire — the driver waits while you explore). The Shaolin Temple entry fee is ¥100 as of June 2026, with an additional ¥30 for the kung fu performance (staged 3-4 times daily). The site opens at 8:00 AM and closes at 5:30 PM in summer, 5:00 PM in winter. Go early — the morning kung fu show at the Wushu Training Hall fills fast, and the temple grounds are quietest before 10 AM when the big tour buses arrive.
How many days do I need for the Longmen Grottoes?
One half-day (3-4 hours) is enough for the main western cliff and the Fengxian Temple with the 17-meter Vairocana Buddha. If you are a serious Buddhist art or sculpture person, budget 5-6 hours to cross the river and walk the eastern cliff too, which is less spectacular but has subtler carvings that reward slower looking. The ticket is ¥90 as of June 2026, and the site is open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (summer) or 5:00 PM (winter). Visit in the afternoon — western light hits the cliffs from about 2 PM onward and brings out detail that flat midday light washes out. The electric cart from the entrance to the cliffs (¥20 round trip) is worth it on hot days.
When is the Luoyang Peony Festival?
Mid-April to early May every year, peaking around the third week of April. Luoyang grows over 1,000 peony varieties and the festival transforms the entire city — Wangcheng Park and the National Peony Garden are the two main venues. Entry is ¥30-60 per park. Book hotels 2-3 months ahead if you plan to visit during the festival, because Luoyang fills with domestic tourists and room rates can double or triple for weekend nights. Weekday visits during the festival are noticeably less chaotic. Outside festival season, the gardens are still pretty but the bloom is the main draw.
Is Kaifeng worth visiting?
Yes — for one very specific and excellent reason: the night markets. Kaifeng's Drum Tower Night Market is one of the best food streets in northern China, running from about 6 PM to midnight with 100+ stalls selling soup dumplings (灌汤包 guàntāng bāo), lamb kebabs, fried dough, and a dozen things you will not be able to identify but will want to eat anyway. The Millennium City Park (清明上河园, ¥120 as of June 2026) is a full-scale theme park recreation of a Song Dynasty scroll painting, with costumed performers, boat rides, and evening lantern shows — it sounds cheesy and it kind of is, but it works, especially with kids. Kaifeng is also where Chinese Jews lived for centuries; the old synagogue site and the Jewish history museum on Jiaoyu Hutong are small but historically significant. One full day plus an evening is the sweet spot.
What is the best way to see the Yellow River in Henan?
The Xiaolangdi Dam scenic area, about 90 minutes north of Luoyang by car, is the most dramatic spot. During the annual flood-release period (usually late June through early July), the dam opens its gates and water explodes out in a massive yellow-brown plume — it is a genuinely wild sight. The rest of the year, you can walk the dam, take a river boat, or hike the surrounding hills. Closer to Zhengzhou, the Yellow River Scenic Area (黄河风景名胜区, ¥60) has a giant statue of Emperor Yan and Huangdi, a cable car across the river, and a small museum about Yellow River culture. Both sites are about an hour from their respective cities. A half-day is enough for either. Do not swim in the Yellow River — the current is deceptively strong and the silt makes the water opaque; people drown here every year.
How do I visit Anyang and the Yin Xu oracle bone site?
Anyang is 45 minutes north of Zhengzhou by HSR (¥55-80, 20+ trains daily). Yin Xu (殷墟, ¥90 as of June 2026) is a UNESCO site about 2 km from Anyang city center — a DiDi or taxi takes 10 minutes, ¥15-20. The site has two parts: the palace-temple area with excavated Shang Dynasty foundations and a modern museum that houses the oracle bones (tortoise shells and ox scapulae with the earliest known Chinese writing, about 3,200 years old), and the royal tomb area about 3 km away. Budget 3-4 hours total. Almost nothing is in English, so download a translation app or hire a guide through your hotel (¥200-300 for a half-day). The National Museum of Chinese Writing (中国文字博物馆) in Anyang is free, modern, and genuinely excellent — it traces the entire history of Chinese characters from oracle bones to digital fonts and has good English panels.
Is Henan safe for foreign tourists?
Very safe in the normal sense — violent crime against tourists is essentially unheard of. The practical risks are about communication, not safety. English is spoken far less in Henan than in Beijing, Shanghai, or Xi'an, even at hotels; carry your hotel's Chinese name and address on a card or screenshot for DiDi drivers. Zhengzhou and Luoyang are modern cities with reliable DiDi service and mid-range hotels familiar with foreign passport registration. Kaifeng and Anyang are smaller and rougher around the edges but perfectly fine during the day. The one thing to watch for: touts at Luoyang Longmen Station will offer "cheap rides" to Shaolin Temple — ignore them, use DiDi or the official bus. They overcharge by 3-4x and sometimes detour to commission-paying souvenir shops.
What is the Henan Museum and is it worth a stop?
The Henan Museum (河南博物院) in Zhengzhou is one of China's top five provincial museums and absolutely worth 2-3 hours if you are passing through Zhengzhou. Its Bronze Age collection is world-class — the Shang and Zhou dynasty ritual bronzes here are among the finest ever excavated. The star piece is a set of bronze bells from the Spring and Autumn period (about 2,500 years old) that can still play a full octave. Free entry with passport. The museum was renovated in 2020 and has good English labels on most major exhibits. Closed Mondays, like nearly all Chinese museums. The museum is 20 minutes by DiDi from Zhengzhou East Station (HSR hub) or reachable by Metro Line 1 to Zijingshan Station.
Can I combine Henan with Xi'an or Wuhan in one trip?
Easily. Xi'an to Luoyang is 1.5 hours by HSR, so you can do Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors, city wall, Muslim Quarter) for 2-3 days, then slide east into Henan for Luoyang-Shaolin-Kaifeng over 3-4 days. Coming from the south, Wuhan to Zhengzhou is 2 hours by HSR — do Wuhan for 2 days (Yellow Crane Tower, hot dry noodles, Hubei Provincial Museum), then Zhengzhou-Luoyang-Kaifeng. Both combos work as a one-week trip without feeling rushed. If you are doing a longer China loop, Henan sits perfectly between Beijing/Xi'an and the Yangtze Delta.
What does the Luoyang Water Banquet actually taste like?
It depends on the dish — the banquet is 24 courses, so the flavors range widely. The unifying thread is that every dish has some form of liquid: soup, broth, sauce, or aspic. The cold appetizers tend to be vinegary and refreshing. The hot dishes cycle between rich braises, peppery soups, and delicate steamed items. The most famous single dish, Mudan Yancai (牡丹燕菜), is a radish-and-vermicelli soup shaped like a peony blossom — it is mild, savory, and more about texture and presentation than bold flavor. The final egg-drop soup (song ke tang, "send-off soup") signals the meal is over. I ate a 16-dish abbreviated version at Zhenqingtang in Luoyang's Old Town for ¥180 per person in April 2026 — it took nearly two hours and I was genuinely full by dish 12. Book ahead during Peony Festival.