Things to do in Wen County

Speechless with beauty, these statues allow you to truly touch the stone marks from over a thousand years ago. The inscriptions bear the reign titles of the Eastern and Western Wei dynasties and Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi), making you realize you are witnessing the traces of lives from a distant past. Just looking isn't enough; listening to the explanation is best. I found a video online and listened while walking, noticing many details – kudos! It's a bit far from the city center, but there are buses; it takes about half an hour to get back to the train station. You can also take a ride-hailing service.

Very good. Worth seeing. The ticket price of 50 yuan is reasonable. The brick and wood carvings are exquisite, and the houses tell many stories, spanning the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. There are many makeshift parking spots along the roadside, used for soliciting passengers; hopefully, this will be addressed.

With boundless respect and anticipation, we brought our children to trace the footsteps of Du Fu, one of the greatest poets of the Tang Dynasty, a man deeply concerned about his country and its people. The entire former residence reflects Du Fu's life: simple, almost to the extreme, devoid of any extravagance or superfluity. Perhaps due to the relatively low number of visitors, there weren't enough funds for renovations. This aligns with Du Fu's character and destiny throughout his life.

The scenery was quite nice. However, it was a bit too crowded, probably because of the National Day holiday. The scenic area management was okay, with segmented pricing. The cable car ticket was a bit expensive, and traffic was congested in the parking lot after exiting.

It was very crowded when I went during the National Day holiday, and there were quite a few people taking the night tour as well. I would recommend the night tour, as the lights make it easier to see many of the large Buddha statues and it's not too sunny. Overall, it's not as large as the Mogao Grottoes.

I love Henan so much! It helped me understand and get to know Henan. The young lady who gave me the tour was very professional, and I really liked her. In short, this trip to Henan was definitely worth it!

It was a miracle we even got in; tickets were impossible to get during the holidays. We booked them since we were already there. Both halls inside were under maintenance, and the rest of the place was packed with people burning incense, billowing thick smoke. Remember to check out the nearby Han-Wei ruins, and plan your time carefully for each place.

With crowds everywhere during the National Day holiday, we opted for a park instead. It was a pleasant surprise – less crowded, less tiring, beautiful scenery, and even a museum! It was perfect for families with both parents and children, each with their own interests. I highly recommend taking the park shuttle bus; it's very convenient. The cable car round trip for 50 yuan is also a great deal.

Although Gongyi is now a county-level city, it still has many attractions, including the famous confluence of the Yellow River and the Luo River. The Yellow River flows turbulently, while the Luo River flows clear and gentle. At their confluence, the clear and turbid waters are distinctly separated, forming a natural Tai Chi pattern with a diameter of up to a kilometer. This spectacle of "different flows of clear and turbid waters" is truly breathtaking. The Northern Wei Dynasty scholar Li Daoyuan recorded this landscape in his *Commentary on the Waterways Classic*, describing it as "clear and turbid flows flowing in different directions, strikingly different." Legend has it that in ancient times, a dragon-horse leaped from the Yellow River carrying the "River Map," and a divine tortoise emerged from the Luo River carrying the "Luo River Writing." Inspired by this, Fuxi observed the swirling patterns at the confluence of the Yellow and Luo Rivers, drew the Eight Trigrams, and deduced the Tai Chi, thus ushering in a new era of Chinese civilization. According to historical records, many ancient kings, including the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun, built altars and cast jade discs here to worship Heaven, Earth, and the Yellow River and the Luo River. Beyond myths and legends, current archaeological discoveries reveal the Shuanghuaishu Site, hailed as the "embryo of early Chinese civilization," located not far south of the confluence of the Yellow River and the Luo River. Dating back approximately 5300 years, the site covers 1.17 million square meters and has yielded evidence of a barbican-style city wall structure and the earliest known palace remains in China, providing solid archaeological evidence for the brilliance of the Heluo civilization. The confluence of the Yellow River and the Luo River has now been developed into the Heluo Confluence Scenic Area, located in Shenbei Village, Heluo Town, Gongyi City. It is open to the public free of charge. The nearby hill offers views of the Yellow River and opportunities to explore the Shuanghuaishu Site. Public bus route Gongyi 66 goes to Shenbei Village, but the last bus departs early, so be mindful of return times. Driving is generally more convenient. Other: Bringing a drone for aerial photography would be more impressive. Fishing is also possible, although the fish in the Yellow River are probably not very good.

It was alright, not as good as I expected. The soup dumplings inside, made to order and steamed fresh, were quite delicious (4 for 13 yuan). However, they lured us in a little after 6 pm, and the waitress who took our order told us they closed at 6:20 pm… and about ten minutes later, they turned off some of the lights 😄😄