Zhengzhou 5-Day Tour: Luoyang Peonies, Red Flag Canal and Yin Ruins from Zhengzhou

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.

Longmen Grottoes are carved into cliffs along the Yi River, with over 2,000 niches and 100,000+ statues; the Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple is breathtaking. Along with Dunhuang and Yungang, it is a pinnacle of Northern Wei to Tang stone carving.

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.