Henan, located in the central part of China, is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center during its prime time in history.

Besides the Shaolin Temple, Yinxu Ruins and Longmen Grottoes, there are still lots of places in Henan for you to explore the culture of ancient China and the beauty of nature. Here, China.org.cn picks up the most famous 10 destinations to guide you to have a wonderful trip when travelling there.

1.    Longtan Valley (洛阳龙潭大峡谷)

Located in the north of Xin'an County, about 60 kilometers to Luoyang, Longtan Valley is dubbed the most beautiful valley in China. Stretching for 12 kilometers, the U-shaped valley was formed by a stripe of purplish red quartz sandstone under the impact of flowing water. It boasts lofty mountains, tranquil valleys, splashing waterfalls and rolling creeks, and always covered with wispy clouds.

2. Funiu Mountain Geopark (伏牛山地质公园)

Funiu Mountain Geopark lies in Xixia County, in southwest Henan Province. As a comprehensive geopark, the park consists of a world biosphere reserve, a national nature reserve, a reserve of fossilized dinosaur eggs and a national mine park. The main peak of Mt. Funiu scratches the sky at 2212 meters, and acts as the boundary between the subtropical and temparate climate zones in eastern China.
3.Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden (开封清明上河园)

Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, located on the western shore of the beautiful Longting Lake in Kaifeng City, is a grand historic cultural-themed park. It was modeled after the painting "Qingming Riverside Landscape" by Zhang Zeduan, a famous painter in Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) of ancient China. The garden was built in July 1992 and opened to the public in October 1998. The most famous scenic spots in the park include the Imperial Garden, Rainbow Bridge and Fuyun Pavilion.
4. e Horse Temple (洛阳白马寺)

White Horse Temple, also known as Baima Temple, is located 12 km outside Luoyang City. First built during the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD), the temple is believed to be the first Buddhist temple built by the government in ancient China. Since its establishment, Baima Temple has experienced vast changes throughout the centuries, and was rebuilt several times. Now, the temple covers 40,000 square meters, and mainly consists of Tianwang Hall, Great Buddha Hall, Daxiong Hall, Jieyin Hall, Qingliang Terrace and Pilu Pavilion.
5.   Songshan Geopark (嵩山地质公园)

Songshan Mountain stands at Dengfeng City in western Henan. It is one of the five most famous mountains in China, and also a bastion of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Songshan Geopark, covering an area of 464 square kilometers, is called the "textbook of geological history" since its rock formations consist of consecutive stratigraphic sequences of the Archean, Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The combination of steep peaks, dramatic valleys and abundant vegetation forms the park's spectacular vistas. On February 13th, 2004, Songshan Mountain was approved as a first-rate global geopark by UNESCO.