Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou (郑州 Zhèngzhōu) is a city on the south bank of Yellow River (Huang He) in China. It is the capital of Henan Province. Zhengzhou is a convenient starting point to explore a series of Chinese cultural sites, like Kaifeng, Luoyang and Shaolin Temple.

Understand
The name Zhengzhou comes from a city in the Sui Dynasty, but its actual location was in modern day Chenggao. During the Tang Dynasty, the name switched here. The area remained an unimportant backwater until it was selected for development by the Chinese Government after 1949. Zhengzhou is now a major transportation hub in the center of the country, and a rapidly growing city.

Zhengzhou City is located in the north-central part of Henan Province, where the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River divide.

By the end of 2022, the resident population of Zhengzhou City was 12.8 million.

History
According to the division of "Shangshu - Yugong", Zhengzhou belonged to the "domain of Yuzhou" among the nine states in the ancient times.

China's second slave dynasty, the Shang Dynasty, established its capital in Zhengzhou more than 3,600 years ago as the founding capital, Bo Du.

During the Ming Dynasty, a reform of the nation's local establishment was carried out, with the introduction of a three-tier system of provinces, prefectures (directly subordinate prefectures) and counties, and the Guancheng County was transferred to Zhengzhou. At that time, Zhengzhou still had four counties, Xingyang, Xingze, Heyin, and Sishui, but they were subordinate prefectures (county-level). Together with Zhongmou, Xinzheng and Mi counties, it was subordinate to Kaifeng Prefecture.

In October 1948, after the liberation of Zhengzhou by the Central Plains Field Army, Zhengzhou City was established in the urban area of Zhengxian County, directly under the leadership of Henan Province.

In 1954, Zhengzhou City became the capital of Henan Province.

Get in
Zhengzhou City is a national transport hub for railway, aviation and mail. As of September 2023, Zhengzhou has 2 terminals, 2 runways, 162 air routes, 6 railway stations, 2 main railway lines, 6 high-speed railway lines, 9 metro lines, 11 motorways, and 37 BRT lines.

By plane


An airport shuttle bus leaves from Zhengzhou Hotel, centrally located and costs ¥15.

A public bus runs from the airport to the Aviation Hotel (民航酒店 Mínháng Jiǔdiàn) on Jinshui Road (金水路 Jīnshuǐ Lù). It costs ¥25.

Taxis to the airport will cost around ¥120-140. While the distance implies it should only be ¥60, you're charged for the round trip driving. Bargaining seldom helps as locals pay this price as well.

The airport is now served by the Zhengzhou Metro Line 2's Chengjiao (Suburban) extension. The first and last trains depart at 06:30 and 20:00 respectively. Additionally, mainline rail service connects the airport to Zhengzhou and Kaifeng (mostly to Zhengzhou East Station), at intervals fluctuating between approximately 30–60 minutes.

By train
Zhengzhou is China's biggest train hub; you can get here from nearly every major metropolitian area in China. There are several arrivals each day from Beijing (about 11 hours, or 5½ hours by high-speed rail), Guangzhou (about 18 hours), Xi'an (about 5 hours, or 2 hours by high-speed rail) and Shanghai (about 14 hours, or 6 hours by high speed rail). Trains arrive from other places less often. The Hanoi to Beijing train also stops here.

Be sure to clarify which of the two stations your train will arrive at or depart from:

By bus
Across from the train station, you will find a long-distance bus station. Buses arrive regularly from almost anywhere in Henan province. Buses may be less comfortable than the trains, but are cheaper and you do not have to push and shove your way in and out of the train. You are guaranteed a seat but sometimes buses wait to fill up, rather than leaving at a set time, and be aware that long-distance buses may be sleepers rather than seated if the trip is very long.

Get around
The city's focal point is Erqi (February 7) Square (二七广场). This large public square comes alive at night, when an entire market fills the space with vendors and locals hanging out. From the square, several main streets fan out to different areas of the city.

Since Zhengzhou was handpicked to serve as a transportation hub - and does not have a very long history as a large city - the urban planning is more noticeable here than in other places of China. This means there is plenty of green space, tree-lined streets and logical arrangement to the city.

Zhengzhou is relatively spread out, but most sites are accessible by public bus, which costs ¥1 or ¥2 per ride - depending on whether or not there is air-conditioning, those with A/C being more expensive but usually less crowded.

By taxi
Taxi fares begin at ¥8 in the day, and ¥10 late at night (after 22:00), with each kilometer after the second costing ¥1.5. All taxis are metered but sometimes the drivers will try to cheat foreigners.

Local taxis and private car owners often ask '走不走'(Pinyin: zōu bǔ zōu, 'Going or not?') to solicit passengers.

By metro
The Metro system has seven lines in operation:
 * Line 1 runs east-west that connects Zhengzhou Station, Zhengzhou East Station and a few other points of interest.
 * Line 2 is a north-south route, and runs to Nansihuan (with through services to Zhengzhou International Airport on the Chengjiao line). You can transfer to Line 1 at Zijingshan (紫荊山) station.
 * Line 3 is an L-shaped line connecting the northwest with the southeast. It runs south from the Henan Sports Center in the southern part of Huiji District and then turns east after reaching Erqi Square before eventually reaching Henan Orthopaedics Hospital in Guancheng District.
 * Line 4 is another L-shaped line running from northwest to southeast. It begins at Laoyachen in Huiji District, intersects with Line 3 at the Henan Sports Center, then continues east until it reaches Dragon Lake, whereupon it turns south and heads toward Langzhuang in central Guancheng.
 * Line 5 functions as a loop line around the city center.
 * Line 14 serves the CBD area to the west of the city, though as of January 2021, only 3 stations have opened.
 * Chengjiao line is a suburban metro line, starting from Nansihuan in Guancheng and ending in Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport. There are through services through Line 2. The southern extension of Chengjiao line to Zhengzhou South Railway Station is expected to open in 2023.

On most lines, the first train leaves each terminus at 06:00 and the last at about 23:00. However, on the Chengjiao line, trains stop running at 22:00, and on Line 14, the trains only operate from 08:00 to 20:00.

Fares are calculated by distance traveled, ranging from ¥2 (within 6 km) to ¥9. A journey shorter than 6 km costs ¥2; ¥1 is charged for every 7 km after 6 km, every 8 km after 13 km, and every 9 km after 21 km. Children under 130 cm may ride for free when accompanied by an adult. Single journey tickets can be bought from ticket vending machines at every station. Tap it on the sensor on the ticket gate when entering and insert it into a slot at the exit gate where the ticket is reclaimed.

Lv Cheng Tong (绿城通, literally: "Green City Pass") is a rechargeable contactless smart card which can be used on the metro and buses in Zhengzhou with discounts. A 5% discount is available for taking Zhengzhou Metro using Lv Cheng Tong compared to using single journey tickets.

Climate
Cold and warm air masses alternate frequently, and the four seasons are distinct in spring, summer, autumn and winter. The winter is long and dry and cold, with little rain and snow; the spring is dry and less rainy, with more spring drought, changing temperatures and winds.

Do
There's relatively few things to do in Zhengzhou but a possible evening might involve eating at a Sichuan or Henanese restaurant, buying yourself a bottle of decent Dynasty wine, parleying with the local clientele, getting lazy, and rounding off the evening at a KTV bar.



Buy
Large department stores and international brands tend to be concentrated around Erqi (February 7) Square. The two major department stores are Kingbird (金博大) and Beijing Hualien (北京华联), which are next to each other. Both stores have supermarkets in their basements.

Some of the most interesting gifts can be purchased at the city's antique market. Most of the shop owners will have a calculator handy so you can bargain by typing in prices. Consider that you got a good deal if you pay half of what they originally quoted. The people are friendly but many of the shops sell fake antiques made to look old. Nevertheless there are interesting items that will decorate your walls or look great on a stand back at home. You can even impress your friends by telling them you bought them an antique from China.

Some of the small shops sell real antiquities. You'll know when you're buying one because the prices will rise dramatically from about ¥100 or less for fake goods to well over ¥5,000 for the real deal.

China will not let foreigners take antiques out of the country that are over 200 years old or possibly even more recent items depending on their cultural value.

Make sure you know where your wallet is at all times. There are some unsavory characters in the markets. This is, in fact, true of Zhengzhou in general, which has a reputation for pickpockets. Buses are especially risky. Keep your wallet in your front pocket.

Eat
Zhengzhou has a diverse array of fine Chinese cuisine. Its location at China's center means you can find almost any type of Chinese food here. The city is big enough to have a scattering of cosmopolitan restaurants, and while there are a number of imitation Korean, Japanese, Indian, and Western options about, you will do best to stick with Chinese food.

One of the most representative delicacies in Zhengzhou, braised noodles.

Zhengzhou braised noodles are made from high-quality fresh lamb and lamb bones. After soaking, the bones and meat are boiled together over high heat to form a white soup, and then flour is mixed to form a soft noodle. After repeated kneading, the noodles are manually pulled into strips of varying widths and thicknesses and placed in the pot. The lamb is then paired with yellow cauliflower, black fungus, and vermicelli. When dining, small dishes such as coriander, chili oil, and sugar garlic are added to make the taste more fresh.

Budget
There is the usual assortment of dumpling shops and noodle joints on every street and back alley.

There is a good number of Sichuan restaurants, which makes sense considering the proximity to the Province of Spice.

You should not miss a special breakfast in Zhengzhou (hulatang), it is a special soup, a little spicy. You better go to Shunhelu where you will find the best hulatang in town.

Noodles, especially the mutton noodle (羊肉烩面 yangrouhuimian) and beef noodle (牛肉拉面 niuroulamian) are must-eat in Zhengzhou. There are three good yangrouhuimian restaurants with many locations, ask a taxi driver to take you the nearest one, and you will taste the best delicilous huimian in Zhengzhou:

Other cheap eating places include:

Chinese
Some of the finest Chinese restaurants are located on Jingsan Road (经三路). To find these restaurants, ask a taxi driver to take you to Xiaonanguo Restaurant and just look around. You will find a number of options about:

Other Asian
Korean:

Muslim halal food is available all throughout Zhengzhou, with the banner on the entrance board saying Mata'am al muslimeen (Restaurant of the muslims) in Arabic. The food tastes delicious. Once you go and eat at these restaurants you just feel like coming back again, especially those yangrou chuars (lamb kababs) taste yummy:

Drink
There are bars around the city, but the best area for drinking is around the tree-lined Weiyi Road:

Other areas:

Budget
Zhengzhou is not a major backpacker stop, so there are few cheap lodgings in the city. That said, there are some hotels that offer real value for money if you are more than two people. As with most Chinese cities, there are several a bit run down hotels to be found near the train station. These might be your cheapest options. Most likely English is not spoken but you can get a room for ¥50 or even cheaper if there are two people splitting a bill for a double room. Bargain, especially if you are staying more than one night.



Stay healthy

 * Henan Provincial People's Hospital (河南省人民医院). No. 7 Weifu Road, Jinshui District. This 117-year-old hospital is a government-run medical instituti.

Go next
Henan awaits:


 * Kaifeng is a laid-back town about 90 minutes to the east of Zhengzhou. Enjoy ancient temples and an escape from Chinese skyscrapers. Sizeable night market comes to life in the evenings too. Kaifeng was the capital of several dynasties before it slid into irrelevance the last 200 years. Buses leave every half hour from Zhengzhou central bus station (90 min). Alternatively, there are quite a few trains in the morning and evening to Kaifeng station (45 min) from Zhengzhou station. High speed trains depart half hourly to Songchenglu station from Zhengzhou East.
 * Another great city nearby by is the ancient capital of Luoyang, home to the Longmen Grottoes. The city is worth a look, with an interesting old section and easy walking downtown. It's about three hours by bus, which leave Zhengzhou every hour or so. An express - the "elephant bus" or kuai che - costs ¥40. One train in the morning departs from Zhengzhou station straight to Luoyang Longmen station (45 min) very close to the grottoes.
 * Yuzhou is a small and relatively undeveloped city, off the main rail network, but well worth a visit to see the Jun Royal Kiln Museum and to get an insight into life in Henan off the tourist trail. One and a half hours by bus, and very walkable once you get there.