Southern Henan

Nanyang, Xinyang and Zhumadian: cool mountain forests on the southern slopes of the Dabie and Funiu ranges, tea country and Han-dynasty sites.

This region corresponds to "Southern Henan" among Henan's five regions and includes Nanyang, Xinyang and Zhumadian. It lies in the transition zone between the Central Plains and the Jianghuai region, with a more humid climate than northern Henan and outstanding mountain, water and tea-garden scenery. Xinyang is the home of Xinyang Maojian tea. On its outskirts, Jigong Mountain is a traditional summer resort, with villas in many national styles from the modern era preserved on the mountain. Nanwan Lake has wide open waters, and Haotang Village in Pingqiao is known for its rural revitalization. Xin County, Guangshan and other places have rich red heritage sites from the Dabie Mountains. Huangbai Mountain National Forest Park in Shangcheng County is thickly forested, ideal for summer hiking and autumn color. Nanyang was an important city in the Eastern Han. The Wuhou Temple at Wolong Ridge is tied to the legend of Zhuge Liang farming in Nanyang, the Neixiang County Yamen is a relatively well-preserved ancient county-level government office, Xixia has dinosaur-egg fossil sites and mountain scenery such as Laojieling, and Xichuan is the head of the canal for the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Zhumadian's Chaya Mountain is known for its strange rock formations and has been a filming location for many movies and TV shows. The classic route: two days at Jigong Mountain and the tea country in Xinyang, one day at Huangbai Mountain in Shangcheng, and 2–3 days for the Wuhou Temple in Nanyang, the Neixiang County Yamen and the Xixia mountains, for 5–6 days overall. For transport, the Beijing–Hong Kong high-speed line passes through Zhumadian West and Xinyang East, the Zhengzhou–Chongqing high-speed line has a Nanyang East station, and Xinyang Minggang Airport and Nanyang Jiangying Airport have domestic flights. In the spring tea season you can try picking and processing tea. Summers are rainy in the mountains, so watch for slippery trails and insects when hiking.

Destinations

Itineraries