Tour of Three Central Plains Cities

In this hot August, I took my elderly parents on a long-awaited trip to Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Zhengzhou in Henan.

First, let me talk about my overall impression of these three cities. Transportation in all three cities is very convenient, accommodation is good, and there was no overcharging when taking taxis. Zhengzhou's subway network is particularly developed, with the thoughtful design of strong-cool and weak-cool carriages, catering to people's different temperature needs in summer — very considerate!

I didn't have the water banquet in Luoyang. I did have beef soup a few times. I drank Dongguan Xiaozhi beef soup and thought it was quite good. As for other foods, I didn't try much, so I have no recommendations. I went to Cross Street and Guangzhou Market Street, but wasn't very satisfied with the food there. Later, I went to Xingyi Fang and found the food to be excellent. Especially the peony roast duck. This is a roast duck that is both similar to and different from Beijing roast duck.

The duck skin is not roasted too dry, still contains fat, has an amber hue, and is dipped in refined sugar. It melts in the mouth and carries the fragrance of duck fat mixed with fresh flowers, giving a unique experience. Other dishes were also exquisite and delicious, so my parents liked it very much, and we ate there two days in a row.

Kaifeng's soup dumplings are famous. I went to Diyi Lou and found them just average. In particular, a taxi driver strongly recommended we go to a place called Yipin Lou. After eating there, I didn't think it was good. The Yellow River carp was also just average. Later, I heard from another driver that these drivers get kickbacks for recommending diners to those restaurants. So when in Kaifeng, be cautious about taxi drivers' recommendations. However, I do recommend buying the Great Song yellow chrysanthemum tea. I brewed it back home and found it quite nice. As for peanut cakes, they really can't compare to the various cakes we have back home. I really don't recommend buying them. It's fine if you just buy a little to taste there.

As for Zhengzhou's food, I thought it was quite good. One day, I went to Henan Food Hall, which doesn't have an especially nice facade, but the dishes I tried were excellent. Later, I also bought local roast duck and found it quite good.

In Luoyang, we mainly visited Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, Laojun Mountain,

Luoyang Museum, Lijing Gate, Luoyi Ancient City, etc.

The strongest impression was how well they handle free admission for the elderly. The classic attractions like Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, and Laojun Mountain

made us feel the trip was worthwhile. Walking on the streets of Luoyang, especially in the old city area, I often felt a sense of time travel. Because on the streets, you often see many women wearing Tang, Han, or other dynasty costumes walking past you. It is very common to take street photos in ancient costumes here. Especially when going to Luoyi Ancient City at night, it's a sea of ancient people.

Kaifeng's attractions are also excellent. Millennium City Park (Qingming Shanghe Yuan). Although the original ticket price is quite expensive, I think it offers good value. And the elderly get free admission — they handle this very well too. While inside Millennium City Park, the garden scenery is beautiful. Most importantly, the park has impromptu performances in different areas at different times, which is very interesting. Besides performances, there are also various animals in the park. Women who like wearing ancient costumes can find many beautiful spots for photos. The food street inside has reasonably priced items. Millennium City Park is an attraction that can keep you busy for a whole day.

Dragon Pavilion Park is also a very good attraction. It feels more historical in comparison, and it's quite serene, with fewer crowds than Millennium City Park, making it more comfortable to explore. You can also take a boat ride. The adjacent Tianbo Yang Mansion and others are all in the same area. You can easily spend half a day there.

Kaifeng Prefecture is an interesting attraction. It also has some performances at different times, but not as many as Millennium City Park. The overall feel inside is clearly that of an ancient government office. It's also quite interesting.

For Zhengzhou's attractions, since we couldn't get reservations for the Henan Museum, we went to the Botanical Garden instead.

We took the subway to the Botanical Garden and found it to be very large, with many sections. We only chose a few areas to explore. In summer, the lotus pond in the middle was in full bloom and very beautiful. Additionally, there is a tropical plant area inside the garden, which houses many tropical plants. For people from the south like us, they aren't particularly exotic. However, the design and construction of the tropical plant area are very thoughtful, with a three-dimensional, multi-layered landscape design.

I preferred the Botanical Garden. There are many paths lined with dense, leafy plane trees, and walking on such paths in summer is extremely pleasant.