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 Henan
The
province of Henan is located in the central-east part of China
and the lower - middle reaches of the Yellow River. Henan is one
of the birthplaces of Chinese civilizations and it has in its
history over twenty kingdoms and dynasties which had their respective
capitals in its territory, of which Luoyang and Kaifeng are two
of the six great ancient capitals of China. There are abundant
resources for the tourism of history, culture and religions such
as Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, Shaolin Monastery, Mt.
Songshan (one of the five sacred mountains in China), Tombs of
Song Dynasty, etc.
Located
in the central and eastern part of China, at the middle and lower
reaches of the Yellow River, Henan Province has an area of 167,000
square kilometers and a population of 88.61 million. It was the
birthplace of the Yellow River Culture. According to a large number
of popular legends and historic records, it was Henan that Fuxi,
Nuwa, Xuanyuan Huangdi, Diku, Zhuanxu, the ancestors of the Chinese
nation, who created the Chinese civilization. The provincial capital
is Zhengzhou.
The
Yellow River basin has been called the cradle of the Chinese nation
where mankind lived as early as 500,000 to 600,000 years ago.
In Henan Province several hundred cultural sites of the Neolithic
Age (4,000 to 10,000 years ago) have been found. The famous Peiligang
Culture, Yangshao Culture, Longshan Culture reflect the prosperity
in this area during the late period of the primitive society.
During the period of 21st century B. C., when the Xia Dynasty,
the first dynasty in China's history, was established, to the
Northern Song Dynasty, more than 20 dynasties with more than 200
emperors set or moved their capital cities here.
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| Recommended
Scenic Spots |
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| Shaolin
Temple in Dengfeng City |
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 Located
at the foot of Songshan Mountain, the Shaolin Monastery is well
known all over the world for its outstanding Shaolin Martial Arts.
Each year, many Martial Art organizations in Japan, Singapore, America
and Switzerland send their members to visit Shaolin Temple and learn
the Shaolin Martial Arts.
Built in 495AD,
Shaolin Temple is the famous home of Kung Fu (wushu). It is also
the home of the Chan (Zen) sect of Buddhism, which was introduced
in 527 by the Indian monk Boddhidharma, founder of the sect. At
Shaolin, Boddhidharma supposedly spent 9 years facing a wall in
the state of illumination and visitors can still go to the cave
where he meditated.
The draw of
Shaolin Temple for most is Kung Fu. Visitors can watch thousands
of young trainees dressed in the colors of their respective schools
practice this martial art. In September, the temple comes alive
with guests from all over the world, as it hosts the international
Wushu Festival.
The 30,000 sq
meter temple comprises 7 rows of buildings including the Hall of
Heavenly King, Dharma Pavilion, Thousand Buddha Hall, White-Robe
Bodhhisattva Hall and the Hall of Ksitigarbba (Guardian of the Earth).
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| Longmen
Caves in Luoyang |
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 In
494 AD the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Datong to
Luoyang At Datong the dynasty had built the impressive Yungang Caves.
Now in Luoyang, the dynasty commenced work on the Longmen Caves.
Over the next 200 years, more than 100,000 images and statues of
Buddha and his disciples were carved into the cliff walls on the
banks of the Yi River, 16km south of the city. It was an ideal site.
The hard texture of the rock, like that at Datong, made it eminently
suitable for carving. The caves of Luoyang, Dunhuang and Datong
represent the peak of Buddhist cave art. กก
Apart from natural
erosion, at Luoyang there has been much damage done to the sculptures
during the 19th and 20th centuries by western souvenir hunters who
beheaded just about every figure they could lay their saws on. These
heads now grace the museums and private paperweight collections
of Europe and North America. Among these were two murals which were
entirely removed and can now be seen at the Metropolitan Museum
of Art in New York and the Atkinson Museum in Kansas City. The Cultural
Revolution also took its toll when the Red Guards arrived with hammers.
The Ten Thousand Buddha Cave was particularly damaged during this
period. กก
The art of Buddhist
cave sculpture largely came to an end around the middle of the 9th
century as the Tang Dynasty declined. Persecution of foreign religions
in China began, with Buddhism as the prime target. Although Buddhist
art and sculpture continued in China, it never reached the heights
it had enjoyed previously.
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| Other
Scenic Spots |
Imperial Street Of Song Capital
Dragon Pavilion
Iron Pagoda
Shaolin Monastery
Tombs Of Guo State Amd Pits Of Chariots And Horses
Yellow River Tourist Area
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Astronomical Observatory
Forest Of Stupas
Longmen Grottoes
White Horse Temple
Guan Yu Forest
Zhongyue Temple
Sanmen Gorge Reservoir |
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