Attractive Henan
Henan hides the very wealth of history and culture of China in its two ancient capital cities Luoyang and Kaifeng, and keeps the track of the origin and development of Chinese Kung Fu in the world-famous Shaolin Temple. That is the reason why you should visit Henan at least for once. This private tour takes you to discover the Golden Triangle of Henan – Luoyang, Shaolin Temple and Kaifeng with a leisure pace. It’s an authentic cultural experience which is quite different from what you can get in other parts of China.
Highlights of this tour
Welcome to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province. You will be picked up by local tour guide in Zhengzhou airport or train stations, and escorted to check in to your hotel in Zhengzhou downtown. The rest time is free for you to relax and explore this city of Yellow River.
Where to go if you have some free time? 1) go to Henan Museum to learn about the history of the region and appreciate ancient bronze ware; 2) view how the mighty Yellow River run through the plain of Zhengzhou city in Yellow River Scenic Area; 3) hunt for local snacks at Erqi Square.
How to Get to Zhengzhou? Arrival Ideals: At present, you can get to Zhengzhou by high speed trains from Beijing (about 3hrs), Xian (about 2.5hrs), Luoyang (40mins), etc., or direct flights from Beijing (about 2hrs), Shanghai (about 2hrs), Chengdu (about 2hrs), Hangzhou (about 2hrs), Guangzhou (about 2.5hrs), etc.
After breakfast, meet your tour guide in your hotel, then drive about 1 hour to Kaifeng, a famous ancient capital city in China where there are many ancient buildings and relic sites remaining for you to discover Chinese history especially the prosperous era of Northern Song Dynasty (960~1127). You will visit Dragon Pavilion, a part of the ancient ruin of the imperial palace of the Song and Jin Dynasties. Then go to enjoy a leisure stroll on the Ancient City Wall of Kaifeng. With a length of 14.4 kilometers, this city wall still remains the architecture style and scale in Yuan and Ming Dynasties (1271~1644).
After lunch, you will visit the Millennium City Park, which is a real reflection of the most famous ancient painting in China titled "Qing Ming Shang He Tu" (Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival). This historical cultural theme park is a recreation of the buildings, merchant life and landscape of Kaifeng during the Song Dynasty.
Later, you will go to see Kaifeng Iron Pagoda, a Buddhist Chinese pagoda built in 1049 during Song Dynasty. This pagoda is made of iron, with octagonal-base structure standing at a height of 56.88 meters with 13 stories.
After the visit, driven back to Zhengzhou.
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to visit the Astronomical Observatory near Dengfeng City. It was built by astronomer Guoshoujin in Yuan Dynasty (1271~1368) to observe the shadow of the sun and locations of stars. Based on this Astronomical Observatory, Guoshoujin invented Shoushi Calendar and regulated that each year has 365.2425 days, which is more than 300 years earlier than the universal Gregorian Calendar.
Keep driving about 25km to Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Kung Fu. You will visit the grandiose temples and halls, admire stone carving art, learn about Buddhism culture, and observe the daily living and meditation of monks in the temple. Don't miss the famous Pagoda Forest, the existing largest pagoda forest in China. When an important monk passed away, their cremains or skeleton would be put into the underground palace, and a pagoda will be built on it. The pagoda's height, size and number of layers will be decided according to the monk's Buddhism knowledge, reputation and merits and virtues when during his lifetime. You will also enjoy a magnificent Kung Fu Show in Shaolin Wushu Hall which is performed by martial monks of Shaolin Temple daily, and usually lasts for about half an hour.
After the Kung Fu experience, drive about 1.5 hour to Luoyang, one of the greatest ancient capitals of China. Check in to your hotel in downtown. The rest time is free for you to relax.
After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit Longmen Grottoes, which contains the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). The UNESCO World Heritage site is densely scattered on the cliffs of Mount Longmen (West Hill) and Mount Xiangshan (East Mountain) – on two banks of Yi River. West Hill houses the major caves with notable displays of Buddhist sculptures and calligraphic inscriptions. You won’t miss Bingyang Cave which tells a wealth of history and artistic value, including Guyang Vave with over 1,000 Buddha statues and 800 calligraphy inscriptions, and Fengxian Temple – the largest cave with a 17.14-meter-tall sculpture of Vairocana Buddha.
After the great sightseeing in Longmen Grottoes, drive to Luoyang Museum which shows ancient Luoyang from all perspectives. There are more than 1,000 exhibits dating back to the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618 ~ 907) and even to the earliest prehistoric times (before the 21st century B.C.) in the informative display halls, such as exquisite tri-colored glazed potteries, various bronzeware, ancient clay sculpture, treasured calligraphy and paintings, etc.
Then head to the center of Luoyang to visit Tianzi Jialiu Museum. The burial of the royal horses and chariots that were sacrificed during Eastern Zhou Dynasty is earlier than that of Terracotta Warriors in Xian. Lastly, go to take a leisure walk on the ancient streets of Luoyang Old City. It is a lively place with many old residential buildings, food streets, and delicate shops. Just freely appreciate the splendor of old Luoyang, taste some local snacks or purchase some interesting souvenirs freely.
After the trip, drive back to your hotel.
Today is free for you to relax until your tour guide and driver escort you to catch your flight/train to next destination. Your memorable Henan culture tour ends.
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Zhengzhou / Shaolin Temple / Luoyang
Luoyang / Dengfeng / Luoyang
Luoyang / Dengfeng / Luoyang / Xian
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“Very good experience”
“WONDERFUL 25 DAYS IN CHINA - PRIVATE TOUR”
“Awesome China tour from northeast to southwest”
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