Things to do in Zhumadian

Cai Ming Garden is a theme park located in Shangcai County, Henan Province, named in memory of Li Si. The scenery is rather ordinary during the day, but at night, under the light, the unique charm of the thousand-year-old county is more prominent. The New Year is approaching, and people returning home can bring a rich atmosphere to it.

The scenic area is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. From the top, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Yangtze River Bridge and the Yellow Crane Tower. At the very top, watching the ships on the Yangtze and the cars and trains on the bridge, with the breeze blowing, is very pleasant, and it's not too crowded. The scenic area isn't large; a leisurely hour is about right to appreciate the scenery. Qingchuan Pavilion and Guishan Scenic Area are directly connected by the Iron Gate Pass, which leads to the West Gate of Guishan. Climbing the mountain and enjoying the breeze and osmanthus fragrance is a wonderful experience.

The water surface is wide, the water is clear, there are green mountains and trees, and the natural scenery is beautiful.

The tour guide was incredibly professional, and the few hours flew by. She even piqued my mom's interest, as she doesn't usually enjoy museums, and listened attentively the whole time.

Wudang Mountain is a place of great beauty. The 80-kilometer winding mountain road from the visitor center to the scenic area is served by shuttle buses – a service that deserves praise, as the drivers are highly skilled. This Taoist holy site boasts a rich cultural heritage and is well worth a visit.

There was a slight unpleasantness with the merchant's customer service when making the reservation, as I had booked a guided tour of the Longmen Grottoes, but the merchant's page description was incorrect and I requested a refund, which they refused. I only got a refund after contacting the platform's customer service. Because of this unpleasant experience, I didn't have high expectations for the tour. However, once inside the museum, Mr. Pei's explanation was truly dedicated, and he was a very kind person; it was clear he genuinely loved the experience. Special praise! 👍 He made up for the merchant's shortcomings! 👍

Tongshan Lake Forest Park is rich in animal and plant resources, which are extremely rare in Henan Province. It is known as the "plant specimen bank" of Henan Province. The forest park integrates mountains, rocks, forests, water and cultural landscapes, and is characterized by "majestic, strange, beautiful, luxuriant and secluded", combining northern style with Jiangnan flavor.

Overall, it's alright, especially at night when the lights are dazzling. There are parades and performances. There are many things to do and interact with. There are also some interactive projects where you can exchange "jiaozi" (paper money). Currently, there's a chrysanthemum exhibition, and various tea and snack shops. There is parking, but the nearby roads are completely congested at night, making it difficult to get into the parking lot.

The world famous Shoalin temple is within the Songshan scenic area. The almost theme park like entrance area is filled with food and souvenir shops, following the foot paths you should hit the performance centre depending on your timing you can catch a short indoor kung fu show. After that took a leisurely 20 min walk to the actual Shoalin temple grounds. You can rent electric buggy’s if you do t like to walk. It’s pretty much free and easy after this you could do hikes if you wanted. We took the two person Songyang cableway to the phoenix terraces to view the famous ‘book pages’ cliffs which is a short walk from the top station followed by a long flight of stairs, was pretty misty when we were there but a nice view anyway. Nice experience.

Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area, a 5A-level scenic area, is located in Xiuwu County, Jiaozuo City. It is one of the world's first Global Geoparks, encompassing areas such as Hongshixia (Red Stone Gorge), Tanpuxia (Panpu Gorge), and Zhuyu Peak. It is a science-based ecological tourism area characterized by the Taihang Mountains' waterscapes and rich geological features. We chose to visit the Hongshixia area, representing the core essence of the Yuntai Mountain Global Geopark (Figure 1). The main geological feature of the scenic area is purplish-red quartz sandstone dating back 1.2-1.4 billion years (Figure 2), formed by iron oxide staining and water erosion. The gorge is approximately 70 meters deep and 2000 meters long (Figure 3). The tour follows a one-way loop, avoiding backtracking, and walks along the cliffside plank road, taking approximately 2 hours. Along the way, cascading waterfalls, deep pools, and potholes abound, offering scenic views at every turn (Figure 4). Bailong Waterfall cascades down from a height of tens of meters, its water curtain forming a rainbow in the sunlight (Figure 5), attracting tourists to stop and take photos. There are many canyon scenic areas in China. Some have rugged rocks and sharp lines, but they are "dry," meaning they have no water or only a few streams—they are "dry canyons." However, the Red Stone Canyon we visited today, and the nearby Baquan Canyon in Shanxi, are "lush," with springs every three steps, waterfalls every five steps, and pools every ten steps. The majestic canyons paired with clear water are even more beautiful and pleasing to the eye (Figures 6-7). Zhuyu Peak, the highest point in the scenic area, is about 1297 meters above sea level. Its majestic appearance can be seen everywhere in the canyon (Figure 8). Wang Wei's famous poem "Remembering My Brothers in Shandong on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Lunar Month" was inspired by this place. The waterfalls, pools, and springs in the canyon have abundant water, unlike the dry season. Reaching the upper reaches near the exit and seeing Zifang Lake (Figure 9), we understand that this is the "constant and strong support" for the valley floor.