5 Days in Henan: Luoyang, Shaolin Temple & Kaifeng Song Dynasty Culture

Henan is the cradle of Chinese civilization — the Yellow River valley here was where China’s first dynasties rose and where most of the early capitals were located. Thirteen Chinese dynasties had their capitals in Henan. The province has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other Chinese province. And Shaolin Temple, where Chinese martial arts were born, is here.

Despite all this, Henan is often overlooked by international visitors in favor of more famous cities. That makes it better to visit.

Table of contents

Getting There & Around

Hub city: Zhengzhou (郑州) is Henan’s capital and transport hub — located on the intersection of north-south and east-west high-speed rail lines.

HSR connections to Zhengzhou:

• Beijing → Zhengzhou: 2 hours (¥175-220)
• Shanghai → Zhengzhou: 3 hours (¥235-280)
• Xi’an → Zhengzhou: 2 hours (¥175-220)

Within Henan:

• Zhengzhou → Luoyang: 45 minutes (¥45-60)
• Zhengzhou → Kaifeng: 20 minutes (¥15-25)

Shaolin Temple: 80km from Zhengzhou (1.5 hours by bus from Zhengzhou or 1 hour bus from Luoyang).

Days 1-2: Luoyang

Luoyang (洛阳) was the capital of China for over 1,000 years across 13 dynasties, most notably the Eastern Han, Northern Wei, and Tang. The city is now mid-sized by Chinese standards (~7 million people) but retains an extraordinary archaeological heritage.

Day 1: Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟, ¥100) is the UNESCO World Heritage Site that defines Luoyang — 2,300 caves and niches cut into the limestone cliffs above the Yi River, containing 110,000 stone Buddhist carvings spanning from the Northern Wei to Tang dynasties (5th-10th century).

The scale of the main northern caves is staggering. The Ancestor Worship Cave (奉先寺) has a 17m-tall seated Vairocana Buddha flanked by attendants — the face reportedly modeled on Empress Wu Zetian (China’s only female emperor), who funded the carving in 675 CE. The combination of historical and artistic significance is matched by few sites in the world.

Walk both riverbanks. The east bank (opposite the main carved cliff) provides the best full-length photographs of the main cliff face. The west bank caves are entered up close.

Allow 3-4 hours minimum. The site is 13km south of Luoyang city center.

Getting there: Bus 71 or 53 from Luoyang city center (¥2, 45 minutes), or taxi (¥30-40).

Day 1 Afternoon: Luoyang Old Town

Old Town of Luoyang (洛阳古城) is a partially reconstructed Tang Dynasty street grid around the site of the Tang period capital. The Luoyang Museum (洛阳博物馆, free) nearby has excellent Tang Dynasty artifacts — tri-color glazed pottery (唐三彩, the horse and camel figures) and Tang court objects.

Luoyang noodles: The local specialty is Luoyang Water Banquet (洛阳水席, ¥50-120 per table) — a 24-course meal of soups and dishes, where every course has liquid as its base. It’s a Tang Dynasty tradition. If you want to eat local at lunch, any noodle shop serving beef noodles (牛肉汤面, ¥10-18) or bean curd soup noodles (豆腐汤面, ¥8-12) is serving the real Luoyang morning food culture.

Day 2: Peony Gardens & Guanlin Temple

April-May Peony Festival: Luoyang is China’s peony capital. The city holds an annual Peony Festival (usually mid-April to early May) when the public parks and private gardens fill with thousands of varieties. Wangcheng Park (王城公园, ¥40 during peony season), the National Peony Garden (国家牡丹园, ¥40), and the Luoyang Peony Garden (洛阳牡丹园, ¥40) are the main sites. If your timing overlaps with the festival (check exact dates as they vary), add a few hours to walk the gardens.

Guanlin Temple (关林, ¥40) is the memorial complex built around the burial place of Guan Yu (关羽) — the deified general of the Three Kingdoms period who became the God of War, Commerce, and Righteousness. It’s one of the most active folk religious sites in central China.

White Horse Temple (白马寺, ¥35) is 12km east of Luoyang — traditionally considered the site where Buddhism first established itself in China (68 CE), brought by Indian monks on white horses. The complex includes international temples built by Buddhist communities from India, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, making it uniquely multicultural.

Day 3: Shaolin Temple & Songshan

Journey: Bus from Luoyang Bus Station to Dengfeng (登封), then minibus to Shaolin Temple. Total ~1.5 hours, ¥30-50. Or book a day tour from Luoyang (¥150-200 including transport).

Shaolin Temple (少林寺, ¥100 scenic area) is the most famous Buddhist monastery in China — founded in 495 CE and the birthplace of both Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Chinese martial arts. The Zen tradition (brought by Bodhidharma, who spent 9 years meditating in a cave here) and the martial arts tradition (developed by monks to maintain health during long meditation sessions) both trace to this mountain.

The Martial Arts Performances

Kung Fu performances run at the Shaolin Theater inside the scenic area (included in ticket, ~30 minutes, multiple daily shows). The monks demonstrating are genuine Shaolin-trained practitioners. The technique — particularly the spear-breaking against the throat and the iron palm demonstrations — is genuinely impressive regardless of what you think about the commercial context.

The Monks’ Training Grounds in the morning (before 9am) sometimes have students in practice. The older performance masters practice in the early morning — patient early visitors sometimes see informal demonstrations that are more interesting than the scheduled shows.

Pagoda Forest & Cave of Bodhidharma

Pagoda Forest (塔林, ¥20 extra) — 228 stone memorial pagodas of deceased Shaolin abbots, the largest pagoda forest in China. Every shape variation you see across Buddhist Asia is represented here in miniature.

Cave of Bodhidharma (达摩洞) — a 30-minute hike from the main temple complex to the cave where Bodhidharma is said to have meditated for 9 years. The cave wall has a stone with an impression said to be his shadow burned into the rock by the intensity of his meditation. The hike is worth it for the views and the quiet.

Songshan Geopark (嵩山世界地质公园) surrounds Shaolin — the mountain has both Taoist (Zhongyue Miao, ¥80) and Buddhist sacred sites in a landscape of dramatic ancient granite. The cable car to Song Yue Temple (嵩岳寺塔) accesses the 1,500-year-old pagoda that’s the oldest surviving brick pagoda in China.

Day 4: Kaifeng — Song Dynasty Capital

Journey: HSR Luoyang → Zhengzhou (45 min, ¥45) → Kaifeng (20 min, ¥25).

Kaifeng (开封) was the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) — one of China’s most prosperous historical periods, when Kaifeng was the largest city in the world with a population of over 1 million. The famous Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河图, Zhang Zeduan’s painting preserved in the Palace Museum) depicts Song-era Kaifeng. The city was later flooded by the Yellow River and lies 8-10 meters below its Song Dynasty predecessor.

Iron Pagoda

Iron Pagoda (铁塔, ¥40) — an 11th-century glazed tile pagoda that looks like iron. The dark-brown glazed tiles create a metallic appearance. The pagoda has survived 900+ years of Yellow River floods, earthquakes, and wars — its survival is remarkable.

Dragon Pavilion Park

Dragon Pavilion Park (龙亭公园, ¥40) surrounds the site of the Song Dynasty imperial palace (the actual palace is 10 meters underground). Two lakes flank the main path — the Yang Lake (杨家湖) and the Pan Lake (潘家湖), named after rival Song Dynasty clans. In April the surrounding area has a lotus blossom display. The pavilion itself is a Qing Dynasty reconstruction offering city views.

Judge Bao’s Memorial

Judge Bao Ancestral Temple (包公祠, ¥30) — the memorial to Bao Zheng (999-1062 CE), the Song Dynasty magistrate who became the symbol of judicial integrity in Chinese culture. Judge Bao (包公, or Bao Qingtian 包青天 — “Bao the Clear Sky”) is still among the most recognized historical figures in Chinese popular culture — every TV dynasty drama references him. The memorial includes the well he allegedly used to execute corrupt officials.

Kaifeng Night Market

Gulou Night Market (鼓楼夜市) and the surrounding area around the Drum Tower is Kaifeng’s most lively street food scene after dark. Try stewed sauce noodles (炒凉粉, ¥8), braised intestines (桶子鸡 — whole cooked chicken, ¥25-40 half), and peanut cake (花生糕). The Jewish community that settled in Kaifeng during the Song Dynasty has a small historical heritage site in the old city.

Day 5: Zhengzhou Day — Erligang Site Museum or Return

Journey: HSR Kaifeng → Zhengzhou, 20 minutes.

If leaving from Zhengzhou airport, the morning can be spent at:

Henan Museum (河南博物院, free) — arguably China’s best provincial museum for pre-Han materials: Shang Dynasty oracle bones, Bronze Age ritual vessels, and the oldest surviving Chinese musical instruments (the 2,400-year-old Zenghou Yi chime bells’ sisters — Henan has comparable sets). A comprehensive collection presented accessibly.

Shangcheng Heritage Site (郑州商城遗址, ¥30) — the excavated remnants of the 3,600-year-old Shang Dynasty capital beneath modern Zhengzhou. Walking the preserved walls between modern buildings is a strange and compelling experience of deep history embedded in a modern city.

Practical Information

Best time to visit: March-May (Peony Festival in Luoyang, good weather throughout). September-October (clear autumn weather, fewer crowds). Avoid July-August (extreme heat: 38-40°C regularly).

Zhengzhou as a hub: Henan’s geography means almost all journeys pass through Zhengzhou. It’s worth a 2-3 hour stop to visit the museum or the ancient city wall remnants even if you don’t plan to stay.

Kung Fu schools: Dengfeng (the county containing Shaolin Temple) has dozens of private martial arts schools that offer training programs from 1 week to several years. If martial arts training is your goal, research specific schools before arrival — quality varies significantly. The most reputable ones require advance registration.