Located in the centre of Henan Province (hé nán shěng 河南省), 80 kilometers away from Zhengzhou (zhèng zhōu 郑州) to its north, Xuchang (xǔ chāng 许昌) City has an area of 4,996 km², with Yuzhou City, Yanling County, Xiangcheng County, and Weidu District under its administration. It has been awarded a variety of honors, as "China's Excellent Tourism City", "National Garden City", "China's Glamorous City with Unique Charms", to name only a few.

Overview

Xuchang is situated in the center of Henan Province, neighboring Zhoukou (zhōu kǒu 周口) in the east, Pingdingshan (píng dǐng shān 平顶山) in the west and Luohe (luò hé 漯河) in the south. The capital city of the province, Zhengzhou lies 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the city.

Xuchang City has a long history and locates in the central part of Henan Province. It is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese nation and an inspiring place producing outstanding people.

In ancient time, people of Xuyou Tribe lived and multiplied on this land, so it was named as "Xu". In the eighth century BC, Zhou Dynasty established State Xu on this land and appointed Wenshu as the governor. In the year AD 221, Emperor Wei Wen (Cao Pi) overthrew the Han dynasty and established Wei Empire in Xu County and renamed it as Xuchang City, which is still been used today.

The cultivation history of flowers and plants has extended for more than 1,000 years in Yanling, which has won honors and accolades as "the birthplace of Chinese flowers and plants" and "Winter sweet in Yanling tops the world". Presently the cultivation area has reached over 26,000 hectares. It has become a rare and valuable green SPA not only in Henan Province, but also nationwide. Particularly the water in this area contains numerous elements which are good for human health. With attractions completed as The National Exposition Garden of Flowers and Plants and Huadu Spring Holiday Area, Yanling has become a good option for holiday and traveling.


History

Xuchang boasts of a long history and a vast number of celebrities and talents born here, all of which lend enormous glory to her: one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilizations.

In the reign of Tang Yao, many tribes settled here, historically termed Xudi, literally the place of Xu. During the Shang Dynasty, a tribe called the Kunwu moved to this place. In the year of AD 221, Cao Pi, the emperor of Wen of Wei Kingdom established a new state to replace the previous Han Dynasty. Due to the fact that the Xudi was the base of the new state from which it developed and prospered, the little town's name was changed into Xuchang (a word meaning prosperity), a name that has been used till now.

Xuchang lies in what is geographically called "The Central Plains" and historically has been an important strategic point. In AD 196 (the first year of Jian'an of Eastern Han Dynasty), Cao Cao, the prime minister then, welcomed Emperor Xian to move the capital to Xu (the present Xuchang). This is a famous strategy to "Command the disobedient officials and accumulate military supplies by promoting cultivation", which finally led to Cao Cao's successful ascension to the throne. Hence, Xuchang had become the political, economic and cultural centre in the north of China. Over the past several thousand years, Xuchang has witnessed many great people on the historical stage. Numerous celebrities were born in this place, such as Lv Buwei (the prime minister of the Qin Dynasty), Chao Cuo (the prime minister of Western Han Dynasty), Xun Shu (a reputed intellectual in Eastern Han Dynasty), Zhong Yao (the father of styled Calligraphy), Guo Jia (a top adviser to Cao Cao) and Wu Daozi (the painter sage of Tang Dynasty).


Geographic and Climatic features

Located in the transition area from the offshoots of Funiu Mountain to Yudong (East Henan) Plain, the terrain of the city generally declines in order from the western mountainous and hilly area to central mound area and eastern alluvial plain with the plains occupying seventy percent of the entire city land. Xuchang enjoys a warm temperate continental monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of 15.2℃ (59.4℉). It has clear four seasons, rich sunlight and moderate rainfall.


Attractions

The Site of the Ancient Xuchang City

The ancient Xuchang City covers an area of about 50 mu. Its broken walls, and consolidate soil foundation can still be recognized. There are rich historic relics, numerous elegant broken bricks and tiles of Han Dynasty. There are pan roof tiles portrayed with the design of bird and rope, brick relief portrayed with the design of fish, cloud, flower, and leaf, the bricks and eave tiles portrayed with the characters "Qianqiu (a thousand year) or Wansui (eternal of life)", hollow pottery pillars with pictures of war chariots decorated by dragons and phoenixes, white marble balusters, bronze spears, the seals of grand marshal of Han Dynasty, swords, arrows, horse bits, coins, cooking pots for Cao Cao (cáo cāo 曹操; a famous strategist, statesman, and literator)'s army, stone mills, and other precious relics. For thousands of years, the ancient Xuchang City has been the symbol of a dynasty, the place where Cao Cao and achieved success, and one of the important cradles of Jian'an (jiàn ān 建安) culture, and has attracted numerous scholars, celebrities, and tourists on and on.

Location: Guchen Site, ZhangPan Country, Yuzhou City, Xuchang City
Tel: 0374-65523888
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 at train station and get off at  Zhangpan Road Stop, then transfer to Bus No.201 to get to the Guchen Site.
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Admission Fee: Free


Spring and Autumn Pavilion

Spring and Autumn Pavilion (chūn qiū lóu 春秋楼; also called Da Jie Pavilion dà jié tíng 大节亭) locates in the city center of Xuchang and in the Middle Duan of Wen Temple Qian Street. It became prosperous in Tang and Song Dynasties, and peaked in Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the year AD 200 (the fifth year of Jian'an, Han Dynasty) when Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao and took refuge with Yuan Shao, his two wives and sworn brother Guan Yu were captured by Cao Cao in Xiapi. Thanks to Cao Cao's condescension, Guanyu accepted a residence granted by him and was commissioned the Assistant General of Han Dynasty at first and Shou Ting Marquis later. Guan Yu divided his residence into two courtyards, let two sisters-in-law (Liu Bei's wives) live in the inner yard, and he lived in the outside yard. He gave his regards to them every morning and evening. He always stayed up late to read the Spring and Autumn Annuals under candlelight. In memory of Guan Yu, people established Emperor Guan Temple as well as Spring and Autumn Pavilion here.

As the main building of Emperor Guan, the Spring and Autumn Pavilion is characterized by precise structure, advanced pattern, and splendid out looking. It has a brick-and-wood structure, tiers of eaves, green glazed title roofs and a height over 30 meters. It is a two-storey building with a winding porch on each floor and covers a floor space of three ordinary rooms. There are 16 bluish stone porch pillars carved with pictures of flowers, birds, worms, fishes, and human characters.

Spring and Autumn Pavilion is the highest building of Emperor Guan Temple. It stands between Knife Pavilion and Seal Pavilion and has a vivid scripture of Guan Yu who was still reading Spring and Autumn Annuals at midnight. Its east courtyard is divided into front and back palaces, in which you can find gardens, Wen'an Pavilion (where Guanyu gave regards to his sisters-in-law) and the scriptures of his two royal sisters-in-law and others.

Location: North of Spring and Autumn Garden Plaza, middle Wenmiao Qian Street, Xuchang City
Tel: 0374-2188284/2188664
Transportation: Take Bus No.3 to get to the destination.
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Admission Fee: CNY25


Baling Bridge

Baling Bridge (bà líng qiáo 灞陵桥) flies over the river flowing from west to east. Baling Bridge is an arch bridge with one arch and two piers, on which you can enjoy the scene of waterfowls swimming happily in the water. It has a 3-meter high and 11-meter long bridge rail on each side. In the middle part of the east bridge rail, there is an 8-meter high bluish stone sculpture of Guan Yu on the horseback, who looked so bold and brave as to be able to scare away the enemies. The sculpture has integrated both modern and old features of sculpture techniques.

The bridge rail has two inscribed stone monuments standing at south and north end respectively. The south one was the picture of Guan Yu bidding farewell to Cao Cao inscribed in Ming Dynasty. Its upper part was inscribed with the characters "Ci Cao Shu (Farewell to Cao Cao)" by Teng Zhihu (a famous calligrapher and the Li Mu, administrative clerk, of Qing Dynasty). Its lower part was a relief carved with Tiao Pao Tu (the picture of Guan Yu accepting the warrior gown presented by Cao Cao with a long sword on horseback) with a similar style of Wu Daizi (a famous painter of Tang Dynasty). The North one was inscribed with strong characters "Han Emperor Guan Tiao Pao Tu" by Zuo Liangyu, the military governor of late Ming Dynasty.

It's said that after Guan Yu knew the trace of Liu Bei, he planned to thank Cao Cao for his help in person. However, Cao Cao said he was too busy to see him. Guan Yu had no choice but to leave the gold, silver and the official seal presented by Cao Cao in the residence and start the journey to look for Liu Bei in the direction of Guanxi together with his sisters-in-law. When he reached Baling Bridge, Cao Cao and other officials caught up to see him off and presented him a warrior gown. In order to keep his sisters-in-law safe, Guan Yu accepted the warrior gown with a long sword on horse back. After bidding farewell to Cao Cao, he went on to the west. It was extraordinary that Guan Yu served Liu Bei and Cao Cao in his life and treasured by both of them.

The original Baling Bridge (also called Eight Li Bridge) was made of bluish stone and grey brick. The whole bridge body was characterized by the building units of Yuan Dynasty, and the upper part was characterized by the building units of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was 17 m long, 2.88 m high and had three arches. At the ends of bridge, there were two stone tablets namely "Tiao Pao Tu" and "Ci Cao Shu" and one stone monument inscribed with "Han Emperor Guan Ci Cao Chu" by Zuo Liangyu. During governing periods of Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong of Qing Dynasty, another four monuments were set up to in praise of Guan Yu's holy spirits. It is a great pity that the bridge was damaged by the flood in 1953 and it was replaced by a concrete bridge. The current Baling Bridge is a sightseeing bridge rebuilt in 1993 by the local government in imitation of the bridge in relief picture found in Han relief stone tombs and kept in the Museum of Xinye County.

Location: Qingni River, 4 kilometres west of Xuchang City
Tel: 0374-3317318
Transportation: Take Bus No.5 at train station to get to the destination.
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Flexible in holidays)
Admission Fee: CNY30


National Floriculture Expo Park

Set up from March, 2002 and finished in September, 2002, the park covers an area of 1500 mu and is 600 m long from south to north and 1600 m long from east to west. It is designed by Professor Liang Yongji of Landscape Architecture Department of Beijing Forestry University. In accordance with the principle of giving priority to people and ecological environment as well as achieving multi-species and sustainable development, he divides the park into 13 areas (Expo Exhibition Area, Plum Blossom Exhibition Area, Famous Flowers and Trees Exhibition Area, Tropical Plants Exhibition Area, Bamboo Plants Exhibition Area, Holiday Resort, Children's Amusement Park, Popular Science and Ecology Exhibition Area, Coniferous Plants Exhibition Area, and others. The park has the functions of flowers and trees exhibition, trade marketing, ecological tour, popular science development, and so on. The Second and Third Floriculture Expos had been held successfully respectively in 2002 and 2003.

Yanling (yān líng 鄢陵) County has a long history of flower growing, which prospered from Tang and Song Dynasties and peaked in Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has the fame of "Yanling County's plum blossoms excel all under the heaven". With four distinctive seasons, it has abundant sunshine, fertile land and sweet water. With a superior geographical location, it's a natural foundation to cultivate the southern flowers in the north and northern flowers in the south.

Location: New district of Yanling County, 18 kilometres east of Xuchang City
Tel: 0086-400-666-0166
Transportation: The urban district has buses to the scenic spot every day.
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Admission Fee: CNY20


Purple Cloud Mountain Scenic Spot

According to a famous ancient geography book, the Purple Cloud Mountain (zǐ yún shān 紫云山) got its name since its peak was always covered by purple clouds.

If you come here in spring and summer, you will be fascinated with its clean water. If you come here in the autumn, you will be greeted with magical scenery. After the leaves of daimyo oak turn red in forest season, the mountain will look crimsoned through. There is an old saying that "the leaves of daimyo oak are redder than red flowers which bloom in February, so you needn't go to Fragrant Hill to enjoy the red maple leaves". If you reach the mountain top, the most exciting place Nanping Plain, a habitat of rare black butterfly, will be in front of you. It is very flat and covers an area of about 5 square kilometers. The mountain will be flourished with pink peony and redbud flowers in spring and summer and covered by golden chrysanthemum in the autumn.

The scenic has nine mountains (Purple Cloud, Lingwu, Tortoise, Mengliang, Jiaozan, Jian, Shou, Camel, and Shuyuan Mountains), five lakes (Purple Cloud, Immortal, Fairy, Dragon Spring, Six Kings Lakes), one river (Willow Lake) and numerous places of interests such as the royal Cloud Purple Shuyuan of Ming Dynasty, the place where Emperor Hua met the locus tree, Lao Zi (the founder and patriarch of Taoism who lived in Spring and Autumn Period) Cave, the birthplace of Jiangziya (a prime minister of Shang and Zhou Dynasty), Zhao Gongming (a god of wealth) Cave , the six tombs of Emperor Chu, the Memorial Temple for General Lingwu, the tomb of General Jiaozan of Song Dynasty, Mengliang Mountain Village, and Lotus Cave of Ming Dynasty.

Purple Cloud Mountain is famous for the magic, beautiful, quiet, and antique scenery. It is most magic in purple cloud, red daimyo oak leaves, and melting snow and most beautiful in bamboo forest, sweet spring, and green forest sea. The scenic spot is a natural oxygen bar, where you can also enjoy the singing of birds in deep forests and the surprise of finding rare species. The scenic spot has a long humanitory history and many places of interests. The most splendid sight is the daimyo oak forests, the leaves of which are redder than red flowers and seem to be able to burn a half sky, mountain peaks, lakes and rivers crimson. Nowadays, Purple Cloud Scenic Spot has become a hot tourist attraction in central area of China.

Location: Ziyun Town, Xiangcheng County, Xuchang City
Tel: 0374-3855070/3561273
Transportation: Both Xuchang and Xiangcheng Counties have tourist bus lines to the scenic zone.
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Admission Fee: CNY30
Tip: Best time to visit are springs and autumns.


Speciality

Xiao Long Bao (Juicy Steamed Bun)

Xiao Long Bao (xiǎo lóng bāo 小笼包) is a famous local food of Henan Province. It was developed from the well-known "Shan Dong Plum Blossom Bun (it looks like plum blossom)" of Song Dynasty. With a history of about one thousand years, Xiao Long Bao is favored by people for its small shape, thin wrappings and rich fillings, and delicious juice. It is soothing to the throat and tender to the tongue.


Baked Tobacco

Baked tobacco (kǎo yān 烤烟) of Xuchang has golden luster, fine texture, suitable thickness, rich oil, strong fragrance, and mellow taste. Xuchang is a production base of exported cigarettes and raw materials for our national first class cigarettes. With a long history of cigarette production, it is a world renowned production place of cigarette. As a world renowned production area and distributing center of baked Tobacco, Xuchang has a fame of "Tobacco City".


Jun Porcelain of Yuzhou City

The rich mineral soil, unique water of Yin River, and warm temperate monsoon climate of Shenhou (shén hòu 神垕) Town have made Yuzhou (yǔ zhōu 禹州) City a unique place to burn Jun Porcelain (jūn cí 钧瓷).

With five kinds of porcelain clay and ten kinds of enamel, the production of Jun porcelain is fine, delicate, and refined and looks colorful, glittering and translucent. A Chinese saying goes that the glaze of Jun porcelain is unique and the quality is highest in the world.


Transportation

Air

Located in the central part of Henan Province, Xuchang is 80 km away from Zhengzhou in the north. It's very convenient for you to take plane, since Xuchang is only 50 km away from Zhengzhou International Airport. Everyday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., it has a bus sent to Zhengzhou every ten minutes. Zhengzhou International Airport has 19 national airlines, and one international airline with scheduled flights from Zhengzhou to Hong Kong.

Tel: 0374-66667088

Railway

Nowadays, 60 railway lines pass by Xuchang. In urban district, you can take Bus No. 168 to the railway station. Besides, Bus No. 169 and Bus No. 103 can transfer you between the bus stations and the railway station.

Bus

Xuchang has six long-distance bus stations, namely South, West, East Center, and North Bus Stations of Xuchang City, and Luxury Bus Station. The Luxury Bus Station used to send buses from public squares, but it has improved facilities. North Bus Station of Xuchang is operated by Wan Li Transportation Group.

Center Bus Station of Xuchang City: It is the first choice of tourists since it has a good administrative system and offers both ordinary buses and luxury buses to other cities in the province.

South Bus Station of Xuchang: In urban district, you can take Bus No. 106, 109 and 7 to the station. Close to the railway station and with a relatively complete system of bus lines, it is an important place for tourists to reach and leave Xuchang.

The urban district has 22 bus lines. The buses run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter and spring, and from 6 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. in summer and fall. Xuchang has two public transport companies, Jietong Public Transport Company and Oriental Transport Company. The bus routes of the former are short but cover the whole urban district.

Complaint Telephone of Jietong Public Transport Company: 0374-4365053

Complaint Telephone of Oriental Public Transport Company: 0374-2953888-3