Things to do in Henan

Since you're already in Luoyang, how can you miss the Longmen Grottoes? The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are painted, while the Longmen Grottoes are sculpted—they're completely different. Many Buddha statues were destroyed due to historical reasons; those that remain are fortunate! Go to Bai Juyi's mausoleum! Bai Juyi himself wanted to be laid to rest here. There are few people, so you might think it's not worth seeing? But it's truly moving! There's a monument erected by Bai Juyi's descendants. They endured many hardships; due to war, they were scattered to various countries, but they all share a common root in Bai Juyi's mausoleum. You can also learn about the Japanese people's feelings for Bai Juyi and his influence on Japan. The monument erected in Singapore really brought me to tears; the simple words are full of emotion.

Stepping into Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden is like opening a living "Dongjing Menghualu" (The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor), with every step resonating with the bustling prosperity of a thousand years ago. Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden is a time labyrinth that allows you to fully immerse yourself in the Northern Song Dynasty; once you enter, you'll never want to leave.

I highly recommend spending 80 yuan for the aerial photography at the summit; I personally think it's well worth the money. The footage is very clear and excellent. We started climbing at 10 am. It was the off-season, so the first-level cable car wasn't crowded. After reaching the top, we started hiking. Zhongtianmen requires walking up stairs (if you can't climb, take the second-level cable car 🚡). The rest of the path was very gentle, all the way to the summit. The weather on the mountain was a bit cold, probably around 0 degrees Celsius, but it didn't snow; it just drizzled a little (I still recommend bringing a raincoat just in case). There were many people on the mountain. The descent involved both cable car and toboggan rides. A complete tour takes about 7 hours.

It's very worthwhile, but it's also very crowded, which might slightly detract from the overall experience. However, the people are incredibly welcoming, and there are many beautiful spots for taking photos. The food is also affordable and inexpensive, which kids enjoy. I'll definitely go back when it's less crowded.

The price is quite reasonable. The main attractions are the performances and the interactive games with NPCs in the park where you can win silver tickets. I wouldn't recommend it when it's crowded. The "Three Attacks on Zhu Family Village" and "Iron Flower Show" require reservations after entering the park, which are quite difficult to book. Overall, it's okay.

The tour guide was incredibly professional, and the few hours flew by. She even piqued my mom's interest, as she doesn't usually enjoy museums, and listened attentively the whole time.

There was a slight unpleasantness with the merchant's customer service when making the reservation, as I had booked a guided tour of the Longmen Grottoes, but the merchant's page description was incorrect and I requested a refund, which they refused. I only got a refund after contacting the platform's customer service. Because of this unpleasant experience, I didn't have high expectations for the tour. However, once inside the museum, Mr. Pei's explanation was truly dedicated, and he was a very kind person; it was clear he genuinely loved the experience. Special praise! 👍 He made up for the merchant's shortcomings! 👍

Overall, it's alright, especially at night when the lights are dazzling. There are parades and performances. There are many things to do and interact with. There are also some interactive projects where you can exchange "jiaozi" (paper money). Currently, there's a chrysanthemum exhibition, and various tea and snack shops. There is parking, but the nearby roads are completely congested at night, making it difficult to get into the parking lot.

The world famous Shoalin temple is within the Songshan scenic area. The almost theme park like entrance area is filled with food and souvenir shops, following the foot paths you should hit the performance centre depending on your timing you can catch a short indoor kung fu show. After that took a leisurely 20 min walk to the actual Shoalin temple grounds. You can rent electric buggy’s if you do t like to walk. It’s pretty much free and easy after this you could do hikes if you wanted. We took the two person Songyang cableway to the phoenix terraces to view the famous ‘book pages’ cliffs which is a short walk from the top station followed by a long flight of stairs, was pretty misty when we were there but a nice view anyway. Nice experience.

Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area, a 5A-level scenic area, is located in Xiuwu County, Jiaozuo City. It is one of the world's first Global Geoparks, encompassing areas such as Hongshixia (Red Stone Gorge), Tanpuxia (Panpu Gorge), and Zhuyu Peak. It is a science-based ecological tourism area characterized by the Taihang Mountains' waterscapes and rich geological features. We chose to visit the Hongshixia area, representing the core essence of the Yuntai Mountain Global Geopark (Figure 1). The main geological feature of the scenic area is purplish-red quartz sandstone dating back 1.2-1.4 billion years (Figure 2), formed by iron oxide staining and water erosion. The gorge is approximately 70 meters deep and 2000 meters long (Figure 3). The tour follows a one-way loop, avoiding backtracking, and walks along the cliffside plank road, taking approximately 2 hours. Along the way, cascading waterfalls, deep pools, and potholes abound, offering scenic views at every turn (Figure 4). Bailong Waterfall cascades down from a height of tens of meters, its water curtain forming a rainbow in the sunlight (Figure 5), attracting tourists to stop and take photos. There are many canyon scenic areas in China. Some have rugged rocks and sharp lines, but they are "dry," meaning they have no water or only a few streams—they are "dry canyons." However, the Red Stone Canyon we visited today, and the nearby Baquan Canyon in Shanxi, are "lush," with springs every three steps, waterfalls every five steps, and pools every ten steps. The majestic canyons paired with clear water are even more beautiful and pleasing to the eye (Figures 6-7). Zhuyu Peak, the highest point in the scenic area, is about 1297 meters above sea level. Its majestic appearance can be seen everywhere in the canyon (Figure 8). Wang Wei's famous poem "Remembering My Brothers in Shandong on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Lunar Month" was inspired by this place. The waterfalls, pools, and springs in the canyon have abundant water, unlike the dry season. Reaching the upper reaches near the exit and seeing Zifang Lake (Figure 9), we understand that this is the "constant and strong support" for the valley floor.