Henan河南·豫 / 中州
The cradle of Chinese civilization, kung fu, and ancient Buddhist art.
Henan sits in the middle of the at the heart of the country — and at the heart of Chinese history. lie here, and the Yellow River cuts through its loess plains.
This is the province for , the world-famous , and the philosophical home of both .
It is also where Chinese writing began — the of the Shang dynasty, China's first verified script, were unearthed at Yinxu near Anyang in the 1890s.
Top Attractions
Culture & Traditions
Shaolin Kung Fu
The legendary monk Bodhidharma is said to have taught the original Shaolin exercises around 527 AD. Modern Henan operates dozens of martial-arts academies training students from around the world.
Yu Opera
Henan's regional opera form — louder, more direct and rural-rooted than the polished Peking opera. Yu opera is one of the four most popular opera traditions in modern China.
Ancient Capital Heritage
Luoyang and Kaifeng each served as the capital of multiple dynasties — Luoyang under thirteen dynasties, Kaifeng under the Northern Song. Their stratified history is unmatched anywhere else in China.
Yellow River Identity
Locals call the Yellow River "Mother River" — Henan's loess soil was the cradle of agriculture, the oracle-bone script and the very concept of "Zhongguo" (the central states).
Henan Noodle Culture
Stewed noodles (huimian) with mutton, hand-pulled noodles in soy-fermented soup, and the "lao tang noodles" of Luoyang — Henan eats noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Cities
10 prefecture-level · sorted by tourist popularity- 1
Zhengzhou
郑州CapitalProvincial capital and national HSR cross-hub — Shaolin Temple day-trip, the Yellow River Scenic Area, Henan Provincial Museum (bronze "lotus-and-crane" square cauldron), and the Erqi Memorial Tower.
- 2
Luoyang
洛阳Ancient capital of 13 dynasties — Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, Luoyang Old Town, peony festival in mid-April, and the Mount Song complex 1h east.
- 3
Kaifeng
开封Northern Song capital — Iron Pagoda, Millennium City Park (the painting come alive), Daxiangguo Temple, Bao Gong Memorial (the legendary upright magistrate), and Kaifeng's signature steamed soup-bun.
- 4
Anyang
安阳Late Shang capital — Yinxu UNESCO ruins, National Yin Ruins Museum (2024), Wenzi (Chinese Character) Museum, and Yue Fei's birthplace at Tangyin 25 km south.
- 5
Nanyang
南阳Southwest Henan — birthplace of Zhuge Liang and the Han pharmacologist Zhang Zhongjing; the Wolong Gang temple complex; Neixiang Yamen (the best-preserved Qing county-government compound).
- 6
Xinyang
信阳South Henan tea country — birthplace of Xinyang Maojian (one of the top 10 Chinese green teas), Lake Nanwan, Jigong Mountain hill station, and the Dabie Mountain Revolutionary Base.
- 7
Jiaozuo
焦作North-Henan industrial city turned tourist hub — Yuntai Mountain UNESCO Geopark, Wenxian (Taijiquan birthplace at Chenjiagou village), and Chenjia Gou Tai Chi schools.
- 8
Pingdingshan
平顶山Central Henan — Mount Yao (the Tang Buddhist Da Xiangshan Temple), Shenhua Cave Geopark, and the Ruzhou Han-era kiln sites of imperial Ru-ware celadon ceramics.
Famous Locals
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