Henan 河南Hénán

About Henan

The middle Yellow River is where early Chinese states took shape, and Henan holds the sites of several ancient capitals, including Anyang, Luoyang and Kaifeng. Outside Luoyang, the Longmen Grottoes line the riverside cliffs with more than 100,000 Buddhist statues, while Song Shan is home to the Shaolin Temple and its kung fu tradition. Kaifeng's night markets and the sheer red cliffs of the Taihang Mountains in the north round out a trip.

Henan at a glance

Area

167,000 km²

Population

99.4 million 2020

Highest point

Laoyachan'ao 老鸦岔垴2,414 m

Borders

Anhui, Hebei, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi

Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.

What to eat in Henan

• Henan braised noodles (烩面)
• Hulatang peppery soup (胡辣汤)
• Luoyang water banquet (洛阳水席)

Places to visit in Henan

• 

  Shaolin Temple 少林寺

  The cradle of Chan Buddhism and kung fu, at the foot of Mount Song

  Best time: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · Time needed: Most of a day · 5A scenic area · National heritage site · UNESCO World Heritage

• 

  Longmen Grottoes 龙门石窟

  Some 100,000 Buddhas carved into riverside cliffs, watched over by a serene giant

  Best time: Apr (peony season), Sep–Oct · Time needed: Half a day · 5A scenic area · National heritage site · UNESCO World Heritage

• 

  Yinxu 殷墟

  The last Shang capital, where China's earliest writing and Fu Hao's tomb came to light

  Best time: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · Time needed: 1 day · 5A scenic area · National heritage site · UNESCO World Heritage

• 

  Wanxian Mountain (Guoliang) 万仙山

  A village that hand-cut a road through the cliff face

  Best time: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov · Time needed: 1 day · 4A scenic area

• 

  White Horse Temple 白马寺

  China's first Buddhist temple, with Thai, Indian and Burmese halls beside it

  Best time: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · Time needed: 2–3 hours · 4A scenic area · National heritage site

• 

  Henan Museum 河南博物院

  Zhengzhou's treasure house of Central Plains bronzes, jades and Neolithic finds

  Best time: Year-round · Time needed: Half a day

• 

  Iron Pagoda 开封铁塔

  A 56-metre glazed-brick pagoda of 1049 that has outlasted floods and earthquakes

  Best time: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · Time needed: 1–2 hours · 4A scenic area · National heritage site

Listed sites in Henan

491 sites in Henan are on the official lists, 15 of them rated 5A and 280 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.

Cities and prefectures of Henan

• Anyang 安阳 City
  Oracle bones of the Shang kings and a canal hung on the Taihang cliffs
• Hebi 鹤壁 City
  A Shang king's capital, the Qi River of old songs and a walled canal town
• Jiaozuo 焦作 City
  Tai chi's home village, red-rock gorges and an old coal town turned resort
• Jiyuan 济源 County-level City
  The Foolish Old Man's mountain and the source of a river that vanished
• Kaifeng 开封 City
  An iron-coloured pagoda, a painted scroll brought to life and soup dumplings
• Luohe 漯河 City
  Neolithic bone flutes, a Han dictionary-maker and the end of the Han dynasty
• Luoyang 洛阳 City
  Cliffs of carved Buddhas, a temple from Buddhism's arrival and spring peonies
• Nanyang 南阳 City
  Zhuge Liang's hillside, a Qing county yamen and dinosaur eggs in the hills
• Pingdingshan 平顶山 City
  A colossal Buddha below Mount Yao, pale blue Ru ware and a storytellers' fair
• Puyang 濮阳 City
  A dragon laid out in shells 6,400 years ago and a village of acrobats
• Sanmenxia 三门峡 City
  Swans wintering on a Yellow River reservoir and courtyards sunk in the loess
• Shangqiu 商丘 City
  A town set in a ring of water, Han royal tombs and the name of the Song
• Xinxiang 新乡 City
  A road chiselled through the Taihang cliffs and the field where the Shang fell
• Xinyang 信阳 City
  Maojian green tea, old missionary villas on Mount Jigong and a rice-eating south
• Xuchang 许昌 City
  Cao Cao's capital, tales of Guan Yu and the blue and purple glazes of Jun ware
• Zhengzhou 郑州 City
  Shaolin kung fu, Mount Song's temples and Shang walls amid the traffic
• Zhoukou 周口 City
  Fuxi's mausoleum, Laozi's birthplace and a breakfast soup thick with pepper
• Zhumadian 驻马店 City
  Strange rocks on Chaya Mountain and Ming stone bridges at old Runan

Before you go

• Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
• Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
• Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
• Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
• Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
• When to go When is the best time to visit China?

On the map

Open Henan on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)