Top Henan Destinations - Henan Places to Visit 2024/2025

No.1: Luoyang - Ancient Capital & Profound Buddhist Culture and Art

Location: in the south of Henan, 140 km away Zhengzhou

Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 days

Highlights: Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, Luoyang Museum

As one of four great ancient capitals of China, Luoyang is the living fossil of Chinese Culture awaiting tourists to unlock its civilization. Visiting Longmen Grottoes, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will not only be marveled by its mighty and splendid large-scale grottoes, but also get to the history between Northern Wei Dynasty and Northern Song Dynasty. Want to have a glimpse of antiquated city? You should visit some other sites as well, like White Horse Temple and Luoyang Museum.

Besides, this tourist city has a nickname of “city of peonies”, so if you want to appreciate peonies, travel to Luoyang during April to May and enjoy the flower blossoming with colorful cultural activities.

No.2: Dengfeng - Home to Shaolin Temple and Many Historical Relics

Location: in the middle west of Henan, 70 km away Zhengzhou

Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 days

Highlights: Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Kung Fu Show, Mt. Song

Dengfeng, the county-level city of Zhengzhou, is known for hometown of Chinese Kung Fu andLocated at the foot of Mt. Song, one of five great Chinese Mountains, Shaolin Temple, in the west of Dengfeng for 12 km, becomes the top must-see and attracts most tourists for it’s the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu. Under the Buddhist culture, Shaolin Kung Fu shows the typical Chinese martial art with its spiritual enlightenment.

Apart from Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng has other religious institutions to integrate Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism: Taishi Que Gates, Zhongue Temple, Shaoshi Que Gates, Qimu Que Gates, Songye Temple Pagoda, Huishan Temple, Songyang Academy and Observatory, together called "centre of heaven and earth" and into World Heritage List in 2010.

No.3: Zhengzhou - Transportation Center & DelectableLocal Snack

Location: in the center of Henan

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 days

Highlights: Henan Museum, Yellow River Scenic Area, Erqi Memorial Tower

Being the capital of Shanxi province, Zhengzhou is the main transportation center in Henan and important hub between Beijing-Guangzhou and Xian-Shanghai. If you want to visit Shaolin Temple, Zhengzhou is the best city to transfer. Situated south of the Yellow River, the civilization has been cultivated in 3,500 years ago, now as a modern economical city, it kept its history in Henan Museum and combined the Yellow River culture into Yellow River Scenic Area, where you can enjoy a fabulous waterfall.

No.4: Kaifeng - Trace Back on the Glorious Song Dynasty

Location: in the east of Henan, 70 km away Zhengzhou

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 days

Highlights: Millennium City Park, Grand Xiangguo Temple

Kaifeng is an ancient capital of seven dynasties, and had its great prosperity in Northern Song Dynasty which has been fully presented in the Millennium City Park, the landmark of this city, built according to a painting called “Going Upriver for Qingming Festival”. Strolling around this park, you can feel the daily life, shops and workshops in Song Dynasty.

Also there are some other historical sites to rich your Kaifeng sightseeing, including Daxiangguo Temple, The Site of Kaifeng Synagogue, Dragon Pavilion, Iron Pagoda and so forth.

No.5: Anyang - Explore the Mysterious Shang Dynasty over 4000 Years Ago

Location: in the north of Henan, 160 km away Zhengzhou

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 days

Highlights: the ruins of Shang Dynasty (Yinxu Museum)

With a history of over 3,000 years, Anyang is known for the hometown of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells where can be seen in Yinxu Museum displaying over 154,600 unearthed inscriptions and more than ten thousand pieces of bronze. After Shang dynasty, this ancient city had accumulated many historical relics from different dynasties.

The Tianning Temple, Wenfeng Pagoda, Tomb of Caocao, China National Writing Museum and various grottoes, all carried the profound and special culture of each time.

No.6: Yuntai Mountain - Stunning Gorges and Valleys

Type: Points of Interest, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended visiting: 1 ~ 2 days

Yuntai Mountain or Yuntaishan, is a world geopark located in the intersection of Henan and Shanxi Province. Because of its comples topography and characteristic climate, Yuntai Mountain enjoys four distinctive seasons with different amazing scenery. With so much to admire and cherish, it is classified as National Geopark, National Heritage and National Scenic Area of Wetlands. In Yuntai Mountain you can not only enter a virgin forest and appreciate the charm of the nature, but also take a deep breath of fresh air and taste the local dishes.

No.7: Guoliangcun Village - the Pearl in Taihang Mountains

Type: Religious sites, Historic sites, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended visiting: 2-3 hours

Nested in a steep cliff of Taihang Mountains, Guoliangcun Village is an ancient village with rugged terrain, spectacular scenery and brilliant culture. The most attracting part of Guoliangcun Village is the unbelievably tunnel which is honored as the Pearl in Taihang Mountains.

Attracted by awe-inspiring scenery, astonishing road and characteristic landform and quaint local customs, over 40 films and teleplays have been shot in Guo Liang Cun, including hot Chinese films Hands Up and Bell of Purity Temple .