Travel around Henan

Author: Jin Lieniu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: Henan, abbreviated as Yu, is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Located in the Yellow River Basin, Henan is the central heartland of China, known since ancient times as "he who controls the Central Plains controls the world." Throughout the long history of China, Henan has long served as the country's political, economic, and cultural center, with numerous dynasties establishing their capitals here, leaving behind a profound historical and cultural heritage. Therefore, many historians refer to Henan as the "natural museum of Chinese history." Among China's seven ancient capitals, three are in Henan: the ancient capital of the Yin-Shang dynasty, Anyang, the ancient capital of nine dynasties, Luoyang, and the ancient capital of seven dynasties, Kaifeng. Luoyang boasts one of China's three major grotto art treasures, the Longmen Grottoes, and the White Horse Temple, one of the earliest Buddhist temples built after Buddhism was introduced to China. Kaifeng is home to the Iron Pagoda, Dragon Pavilion, Xiangguo Temple, and Yuwang Pavilion. Anyang is an ancient city with a history of over 3,000 years, famous for the Yinxu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Henan also boasts numerous natural landscapes. The state has designated three major scenic areas: Longmen, Songshan, and Jigong Mountain, in addition to 15 provincial-level scenic areas, 48 forest parks (including 16 national-level), and 16 nature reserves (including 5 national-level). Longmen is characterized by its majestic mountains and clear waters, with two peaks facing each other and the Yi River flowing between them. Jigong Mountain is known as the "cooling world" and the "cloud park." Songshan has been designated as a national forest park, where visitors can not only see the famous Shaolin Temple, the largest Taoist temple among the Five Great Mountains, and the Songyang Academy, one of the four great academies of the Song Dynasty, but also enjoy the world-renowned Shaolin martial arts. Currently, Henan has formed two major tourism routes: the Yellow River cultural heritage route (representing Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, and Luoyang), and the forest ecological tourism route (featuring Songshan, Yunshan Mountain, Baiyun Mountain, Longyu Bay National Forest Park, Jigong Mountain, and Shiren Mountain National Nature Reserve).
Due to its location spanning two natural geographical zones (temperate zone and northern subtropical zone), and with the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Huai River, and Hai River flowing through the province, visiting Henan allows travelers to explore the long-standing civilization of ancient China while also experiencing the rugged and magnificent northern landscapes and the lush, picturesque southern scenery of a land abundant in fish and rice.
With China's rapid economic development and improving living standards, there is a growing demand for people living in urban areas to return to nature, to visit famous mountains and rivers for sightseeing, recreation, relaxation, and vacationing, and to explore forested areas. For the increasingly affluent rural population, stepping out of their small worlds to visit famous historical sites and experience the glorious Chinese culture will be the main theme of tourism development in the 21st century.
Although Henan tourism has enormous potential, it has long been underdeveloped, leading to a phenomenon of "more tourists leaving than entering" despite its rich tourism resources. To address this, we have compiled the book "Explore Henan," aiming to help travelers better understand and appreciate the province, thereby promoting the development of Henan's tourism industry.
The 90 million people of Henan, known for their "hospitality and simplicity," warmly welcome friends from all walks of life to visit the province, allowing them to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of Eastern culture and experience the vicissitudes of Chinese history.
Henan's tourism resources are abundant and diverse. Due to the difficulty in collecting complete information and the limitations of the compilers, some omissions are inevitable. We sincerely invite all concerned parties and readers to provide valuable feedback to help improve and update the book for future editions.
This book introduces the main scenic spots and tourism service guides in Henan, covering the geographical location of Henan, its topography, and detailed introductions to key historical and cultural sites such as Shaolin Temple and Pagodas, Longmen Grottoes, and Jigong Mountain Scenic Area.