14 Days in Zhoukou

In by HSR to Zhoukou East, opened with the Zhengzhou-Fuyang line in 2019; an evening walk on the Sha-Ying riverfront and a spicy-soup dinner set the Henan clock.

1. zhoukou shaying riverfront

The walled tomb-temple of Fuxi runs to about 875 mu, some 58 hectares; the lunar-second-month fair from the 2nd to the 3rd of that month once drew a reported 825,000 visitors in a single 2008 day.

1. zhoukou taihao mausoleum

A slow day around the water — morning boat, afternoon lakeside paths; the lake ring keeps the old town on what is effectively an island.

1. zhoukou longhu lake

The trigram terrace ties to the Fuxi legends; Xiange Terrace remembers the account of Confucius going seven days without food between Chen and Cai; Pingliangtai preserves a walled town of some 4,300 years ago.

1. zhoukou huaguantai
2. zhoukou xiange tai
3. zhoukou pingliangtai site

Old-town lanes inside the lake ring — Huaiyang was Chen, capital of Chu in the late 3rd century BC — with a stop at a clay-toy workshop to see the temple-fair mud puppies painted by hand.

1. zhoukou huaiyang old town

The Guandi Temple began in 1693 as the Shanxi-Shaanxi guildhall of the river port; the prefecture museum lays out the Chen and Chu story in bronze and jade.

1. zhoukou guandi temple
2. zhoukou city museum

An honest county day about 90 kilometres east — the Taiqing Palace grew into an imperial temple under the Tang, who counted Laozi among their ancestors; stay the night in the county town.

1. zhoukou taiqing palace

The county-town complex climbs the old Laojun Terrace; a second, unhurried day beats doubling back from Zhoukou, and the local sesame-oil snacks make the market loop.

1. zhoukou mingdao palace
2. zhoukou laojun terrace

Thirty-odd kilometres northwest down the Sha-Ying, the manor begun in the Qianlong era lines grey-brick courtyards above the old ferry landing.

1. zhoukou ye family manor

An honest county-city day about an hour south — the walled Yuan family compound at Yuanzhai, home village of Yuan Shikai, born there in 1859, keeps Qing-era courtyards behind its moat-and-wall plan.

1. zhoukou yuanzhai compound

Two honest county stops north of the city — the Nüwa temple complex at Xihua, described here purely as a place of worship with fair dates, and the Ji Hongchang memorial hall in his home county of Fugou, recorded factually.

1. zhoukou nuwa city
2. zhoukou ji hongchang memorial

The city's wildlife park pairs walk-through and drive-through zones on the edge of town; go early for the feeding rounds and keep the evening for a Yuediao opera house if the schedule cooperates.

1. zhoukou wildlife world

A neighbouring-city day, labelled as such — about two hours by road north to the old Song capital for its imperial-park sights, night market and city wall; stay the night to see it lit.

1. kaifeng

The second honestly labelled neighbour day — a little over two hours east to Shangqiu for the rebuilt Guide city walls and the Yingtian Academy; return to Zhoukou by evening bus, or board onwards from Shangqiu's rail junction.

1. shangqiu