Anyang (Yinxu & Red Flag Canal)

Yinxu, the Shang dynasty capital where oracle bone script was discovered, has surged in popularity since the new Yinxu Museum opened in 2024; to the west, Linzhou has the Red Flag Canal and the Taihang Grand Canyon.

Anyang lies at the northern tip of Henan, where Henan, Shanxi and Hebei meet, with the Taihang Mountains to the west, and is one of China's Eight Great Ancient Capitals. About 3,300 years ago the Shang king Pan Geng moved his capital to Yin here; the oracle bone inscriptions unearthed at Yinxu are China's earliest mature writing, and Yinxu was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. The area also has Cao Cao's Gaoling Mausoleum, Youli City where King Wen of Zhou is said to have developed the I Ching while imprisoned, Tangyin – hometown of Yue Fei – and, in Linzhou to the west, the Red Flag Canal, hand-cut into the cliffs of the Taihang Mountains.

The climate is warm-temperate continental monsoon. The best times are April–May and September–October; autumn brings Taihang red leaves, ideal for a Linzhou trip. Summers are hot and winters dry and cold.

Areas to explore: ① Downtown Anyang – the Yinxu Palace and Ancestral Temple ruins, the Yinxu Museum (the new museum opened in 2024, packed with the finest bronzes and oracle bones), the National Museum of Chinese Writing and Yuan Shikai's Mausoleum; allow 1.5 days. The old town around Cangxiang Street and the Wenfeng Pagoda of Tianning Temple is good for an evening stroll, with local bites such as bianfen cai (flat noodle stew), blood cake and pizha. ② Tangyin to the south – Yue Fei Temple and Youli City; half a day. ③ Linzhou to the west – the Red Flag Canal (Youth Tunnel and memorial hall) and the Taihang Grand Canyon; allow 1–2 days, best by car in autumn.

Getting there: on the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway, Anyang East Station is about 40 minutes from Zhengzhou and about 2.5 hours from Beijing; the conventional Anyang Station is near the old town; Anyang Hongqiqu Airport is now open. Buses and taxis are convenient in the city. Linzhou is about 70 km away, served by intercity buses, trains and coaches; hire a car or drive between sights. Allow 3 days.

Tips: Popular venues such as the Yinxu Museum and the National Museum of Chinese Writing require advance real-name booking (ID or passport), and slots are scarce on public holidays; most museums close on Mondays. Check each site's latest notices for admission and free-entry policies.

Top sights

Yinxu Palace & Ancestral Temple Site – The core area of the Yinxu World Heritage Site, where the royal palaces and ancestral temples of the late Shang dynasty stood, and where th…
Yinxu Museum – A thematic museum on Shang civilization that opened in 2024, showcasing bronzes, jade and oracle bone highlights excavated at Yinxu.
National Museum of Chinese Writing – China's only national museum devoted to writing, tracing the story from oracle bone script to the evolution of Chinese characters and the s…
Red Flag Canal – A 'man-made heavenly river' carved by the people of Linxian in the 1960s into the cliffs of the Taihang Mountains, with the canal running b…
Taihang Grand Canyon (Linzhou) – A cluster of cliff-walled canyons on the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, where red rock walls, waterfalls and cliff-hugging roa…
Yue Fei Temple, Tangyin – A shrine to the national hero Yue Fei in his hometown. Its Ming-dynasty buildings and the “Loyal and Patriotic” stone inscriptions are the…
Yuan Lin (Yuan Shikai Mausoleum) – The tomb complex of Yuan Shikai, blending a traditional Chinese mausoleum layout with a Western-style grave mound. It is a distinctive exam…
Anyang Old Town & Wenfeng Pagoda – The restored old town of Anyang, with its distinctive Wenfeng Pagoda at Tianning Temple. The pagoda is wider at the top than at the base. C…
Yinxu Royal Tombs – The royal tomb area of the Shang dynasty on the north bank of the Huan River. Visitors can see huge cross-shaped tomb passages, chariot pit…
Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum – The tomb of Cao Cao, King Wu of Wei, confirmed in 2009. The site is now a museum, where visitors can look down into the burial chambers and…
Youli City – The place where King Wen of Zhou is said to have deduced the Book of Changes during seven years of imprisonment. It has a King Wen Temple…
Shibanyan Sketching Town – A cluster of stone villages at the base of the Taihang Grand Canyon, with slate houses built into the cliffs. It is a well-known sketching…
Xiuding Temple Pagoda – A single-story square brick pagoda from the Tang dynasty, its body covered with more than 3,000 carved brick panels. It is known as the “Fi…
Lingquan Temple Grottoes – A cluster of grottoes at the eastern foot of Baoshan, dating from the Eastern Wei to the Tang dynasty. Its Dazhu Shengku cave and the Wanfo…
Ma Family Manor – The residence of the family of Ma Piyao, a late Qing governor of Guangdong. Its three-section, six-courtyard compound is well preserved and…
Daokou Ancient Town – A thousand-year-old riverside port town on the Grand Canal's Wei River section. It is famous for Daokou braised chicken and has Shunhe Stre…
Mausoleum of Zhuanxu and Diku – The mausoleums of Zhuanxu and Diku, two of the legendary Five Ancient Emperors, in Neihuang County. The site features a stele forest and a…
Anyang Museum – Anyang's general museum, covering the city's history from prehistory to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its collection includes Shang bronzes…
Zhenzhu Spring – A spring park in Shuiye Town, west of Anyang, where bubbles rising from the springs look like strings of pearls. It is a popular place for…
Xiaonanhai Grottoes – Three grottoes carved into the cliffs by the Huan River during the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi dynasty. They are a national key cultural…
Linlushan International Paragliding Base – A paragliding takeoff site on a thousand-meter cliff on the eastern side of the Taihang Grand Canyon. Visitors can fly tandem with a traine…
Honggu Mountain – A secluded valley in the southwestern Taihang Mountains of Linzhou, home to Honggu Temple and the Thousand Buddha Cave. The Five Dynasties…

Itineraries

South Taihang Canyons & Guoliang Cliff Road Self-Drive – A self-drive loop from Zhengzhou, covering Mount Yuntai, the Guoliang Cliff Road, Taihang Grand Canyon, Red Flag Canal…
In-Depth Central Plains Civilization Chartered Tour – A panoramic route starting from Zhengzhou and passing through Yuntai Mountain, Anyang, Kaifeng, Gongyi, and Dengfeng to…