Luohe: Culture and Nature in the Surrounding Area

When looking for a hotel in Luohe, your travel interests may help you decide: the wider region offers everything from the history of writing and culture to birdlife, river scenery and regional cuisine. First, consider which of these facets you would most like to shape your stay.

Cultural History and Xu Shen

Xu Shen Cultural Park was planned and built around Xu Shen’s tomb, which is designated a major national cultural relic. The park covers more than 150 mu and follows traditional Chinese building principles: the grounds are laid out symmetrically along a central axis. Along the central axis of the visitor route are the Chinese Dictionary Museum and the Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall dedicated to Shuowen Jiezi.

Other facilities also draw on Xu Shen’s work. The Shuzhong Pavilion, Shuowen Pavilion, exhibition hall and Chinese Dictionary Museum present material about Xu Shen. They also preserve numerous books about Xu Shen and the Confucian classics, dictionaries, artifacts related to writing, and works by well-known figures. The 80-metre-long Hanzi Avenue displays reproductions of famous inscriptions selected from ten stages in the development of Chinese writing. The Xu Shen Stele Forest features more than 1,000 stone inscriptions from Shuowen Jiezi, famous historical inscriptions, and calligraphy by contemporary figures and renowned calligraphers.

Another striking feature is the Pillar of the Six Principles of Writing: made from a single six-metre-high block of granite, it bears Xu Shen’s theory of the six principles of writing. Together, the avenue, inscriptions and pillar bring different aspects of Chinese writing culture into view.

Xu Shen Cultural Park hosts the Xu Shen Cultural Temple Fair every year. Activities commemorating the region’s sages and citywide recitations of classical texts are also held there annually at Qingming. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these dates, check the specific event dates in advance.

Birdlife and River Scenery

Shenzhou Bird Park is designated a national 4A-level tourist attraction and is themed around bird culture. It is considered suitable for family outings, nature education and leisure visits. A 2026 report mentions more than 160 bird species and more than 8,000 rare birds; population figures can change over time.

The Sha-Li River Scenic Area is designated a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a national sports park. It has an extensive network of riverside paths for walking and cycling. An open, ribbon-shaped public park has also been created along the banks of the Sha and Li rivers. The landscape thus offers different points of interest: the riverside path network and the birdlife at Shenzhou Bird Park.

City History and Regional Cuisine

The Luohe Museum traces more than 12,000 years of Luohe’s history through stone, clay, ceramic and bronze objects. He Shang Jie offers a different focus: this large cultural tourism district created by the city of Luohe is designed in a historical style and draws on the history of trade in central China and the history of Luohe. It is not a traditional century-old street.

Regional dishes can also be part of your travel plans. At the night market in Luohe’s Huanghe Square, you can find specialities such as Yancheng tofu fritters, crispy vegetable pancake rolls, grilled skewers and liangfen. The selection of stalls and dishes may change.

You can then tailor your search to the purpose of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Xinyang, Pingdingshan, Zhengzhou, Shangqiu, Xuchang, Puyang, Sanmenxia, Anyang

For the overview of the wider region: Henan.