7 Days in Zhoukou

The walled tomb-temple of Fuxi runs to about 875 mu, some 58 hectares, and the lunar-second-month fair once drew a reported 825,000 visitors in a single 2008 day. Boat the lake ring in the afternoon.

1. zhoukou taihao mausoleum
2. 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

A slow loop of the old town inside the lake ring — Huaiyang was Chen, capital of Chu in the late 3rd century BC — with temple-fair clay toys and lakeside teahouses filling the gaps.

1. zhoukou huaiyang old town
2. zhoukou longhu lake

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; the Mingdao Palace complex climbs the old Laojun Terrace.

1. zhoukou taiqing palace
2. zhoukou mingdao palace
3. zhoukou laojun terrace

Thirty-odd kilometres northwest down the Sha-Ying, Dengcheng keeps the Ye family manor begun in the Qianlong era — grey-brick courtyard lines above the old ferry landing, with river air and slow lanes.

1. zhoukou ye family manor

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 free for a Yuediao opera evening if the schedule cooperates.

1. zhoukou wildlife world

One last market morning — sesame-oil pancakes, spicy soup — a riverside goodbye, then the HSR from Zhoukou East, opened with the Zhengzhou-Fuyang line in 2019.

1. zhoukou city markets
2. zhoukou shaying riverfront