Western Henan

Luoyang and Sanmenxia: ancient-capital grottoes, the peony festival, Laojun Mountain's sea of clouds and the Yellow River swan lake complement one another.

This region corresponds to "Western Henan" among Henan's five regions and includes the two cities of Luoyang and Sanmenxia. Under this scheme, Jiyuan, which adjoins Wangwu Mountain, is counted in Northern Henan and not in Western Henan. Luoyang is a famous ancient capital. The Longmen Grottoes are a World Heritage site, and White Horse Temple is regarded as the first state-sponsored temple after Buddhism arrived in China. The Sui–Tang Luoyang city sites, including Yingtian Gate and the Mingtang and Tiantang, and the night scenes of Luoyi Ancient City are very popular with young visitors, and the Peony Cultural Festival each April is the year's peak for visitor numbers. In Luanchuan County, south of Luoyang, Laojun Mountain has become popular for its golden-summit Daoist temple and its sea of clouds and snow scenes, and the same county has scenic areas such as Jiguan Cave and Zhongduguo Valley. Baiyun Mountain in Song County is densely forested and a summer retreat. Sanmenxia lies on the south bank of the Yellow River, where large flocks of white swans winter at the Swan Lake wetland, making it a prime birdwatching spot. The sunken courtyard dwellings of Shanzhou are unique "underground courtyard houses", Hangu Pass in Lingbao is tied to the legend of Laozi writing the Daodejing, and the Guo State Museum displays relics of the Western and Eastern Zhou vassal states. The classic route: two days in Luoyang's urban area (Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, night tour of the old city), 1–2 days at Laojun Mountain in Luanchuan, then a day in Sanmenxia to the west, for 4–5 days in all. For transport, Luoyang Beijiao Airport has domestic flights, the Zhengzhou–Xi'an high-speed line passes through Luoyang Longmen Station and Sanmenxia South Station, and it is roughly 30 minutes to an hour from Zhengzhou. During peony season and on holidays the crowds are huge, so book scenic-area tickets in advance. In winter the road up Laojun Mountain ices over, so watch your footing and dress warmly.

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