Xinxiang 6-Day Tour: Scenic Area & Red Flag Canal

Laojun Mountain in Luanchuan, Luoyang, is a sacred Taoist peak of the Funiu range. The golden summit temples rise above the sea of clouds; the Ten-Mile Painting Screen trail offers ever-changing views. Take the cable car up and, on clear days, catch the sunrise over the clouds.

Shaolin Temple sits at the foot of Songshan's Shaoshi Peak in Dengfeng — the cradle of Chan Buddhism and Shaolin Kung Fu. The main monastery, Forest of Pagodas and martial-arts shows are highlights; nearby Songyang Academy rounds out a day of heritage.

White Horse Temple in eastern Luoyang, founded in the Eastern Han, is revered as China's first Buddhist monastery. Its pagoda and Burmese/Indian-style halls make it a serene, multicultural heritage site with two millennia of history.

Qingming Riverside Garden in Kaifeng recreates the Northern Song capital from Zhang Zeduan's painting, with the Rainbow Bridge and Song-style streets. Live shows and the evening 'Tokyo Dream' spectacle let you step into the Song dynasty.

Yin Xu was the late-Shang capital, birthplace of oracle-bone script and the Houmuwu ding. The palace ruins, royal tombs and new museum introduce the documented beginnings of Chinese civilization.

The Red Flag Canal is the 'Artificial Tianhe' carved by Linzhou people in the 1960s — 1,500+ km of cliffside channel, a monument to self-reliance. Youth Cave and the diversion garden tell its story.