Situated in central-east China and the middle and lower reaches of the yellow River, Henan is another cradle of Chinese civilization. A total of 20 dynasties, from the Xia (c. 21st century-c.16th century BC) to the Jin (1115-1234), had their capitals in Henan. Anyang, Luoyang and Kaifeng are famous ancient capitals. A thriving ancient economy and splendid culture have pockmarked the land with a wealth of cultural relics. So far more than 28,000 sites of archaeological value have been found, yielding more than 1.3 million precious cultural artifacts. The Eight Trigrams in the Book of Changes was invented in Henan, which was the burial place for Fu Xi, a legendary ruler of great antiquity, and his wife, and the birthplace for the Yellow Emperor. Of the 8,000 and more family names in China, 1,500 originated in Henan. Root-searching pilgrimages to the Chinese ancestors' mausoleums have become foremost tourist attractions of Henan.
Yellow River Tour
A cruise on the Yellow River, which flows from west to east across Henan Province for 700 km, brings the visitor to four ancient cultural cities with a new look - Sanmenxia, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Kaifeng and Shangqiu - and the Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Project. The visitor may also sail down the river aboard old goatskin rafts or hovercrafts in Zhengzhou, join local residents in harnessing the river and planting trees, observe local habits and customs, or go visiting Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Hub under large-scale construction.