Located in the central Henan Province (hé nán shěng 河南省), Pingdingshan (píng dǐng shān 平顶山) neighbors Luoyang (luò yáng 洛阳) in the northwest, and the capital city Zhengzhou (zhèng zhōu 郑州) is 135 kilometers (84 miles) of road mileage from the city.

Overview

The city of Pingdingshan is located in the mid-south of Henan Province. The city's name originated from its location at the foot of Pingding Mt. which is famous for its flat summit. Pingdingshan municipality comprises two cities of Ru and Wugang, four counties of Ye, Lushan, Baofeng and Jia County, and the four major districts of Xinhua, Weidong, Zhan River, and Shilong. It covers about 7882 square kilometers with the population of about 4,900,000. The main districts of Pingdingshan city cover an area of over 70 square kilometers with the population of 912,000. The whole population consists of 40 peoples; most of which are Han Nationality, Hui Nationality, Man Nationality, and Mongolia Nationality. The city draws worldwide attention for its natural geographical location, abundant natural resources, solid basis of industry, and its civilization with long history.

Pingdingshan city has spectacular natural landscape, which is situated in the warm temperate zone with a continental monsoon climate. The climate throughout the city is mild with plenty of raindrops and clear-cut division of the four seasons. There are numerous forests and mountains within the city, which forms lots of scenic spots such as the national AAAA level scenic spot of Stoneman Mountain, the national forest park of Shimantan, the White Turtle Mountain and Zhaoping Lake scenic spots. The lakes and the mountains add radiance and beauty to each other.


History

Pingdingshan has a long history of culture. In Spring and Autumn period, it was called the Country of Ying (yīng chéng 鹰城) which regarded eagle as its totem. Eagle shares the same meaning with Ying in ancient Chinese, so Ying could be replaced by eagle. So the city of Pingdingshang is also referred as the city of eagle. There are many well-known historic interests and scenic spots such as: the relics of the Great Wall of Chu (a country in the Warring States period) — the origin of today's the Great Wall, the relics of Ruguan kiln in North Song Dynasty, the thousand-year-old Fengxue Temple, Fragrant Mountain Temple, cemetery of Three Su (Sushi, Suxun and Suzhe are famous men of letters), the official buildings of Ming Dynasty in Ye county .The book fair holds annually at the Horse Street in Baofeng, which is a great miracle in the history of national culture for its unceasing development of more than 700 years. Therefore, Baofeng has been designated as "the country of the art of opera" and Pingdingshan as "the city of Chinese opera" by the Association of Chinese Opera.


Geographic and climate features

Pingdingshan lies along the Funiu Mountains (fú niú shān 伏牛山) in the west, and links the spacious and flat Huanghuai Plain (huáng huái píng yuán 黄淮平原) in the east. Therefore, the terrain of Pingdingshan generally declined from east to west.

The city enjoys a warm temperate continental monsoon climate, bearing superior natural environment. It has four distinct seasons and there are thirty-one rivers in total, constituting an interlacing water network. Its annual average temperature is about 15℃ (59℉).


Attractions

Stone Man Mountain Scenic Spot

The Stone Man Mountain Scenic Spot (shí rén shān fēng jǐng qū 石人山风景区) has been ranked as four-A level since the July of 2003.The total area of Stone Man Mountain is 268 square kilometers. Its main peak Yu Huang Peak (yù huáng fēng 玉皇峰) is 2153 meters high. The Stone Man Mountain was called Yao Mountain (yáo shān 尧山) in ancient times, for Liu lei who is the grandson of Yao (the first emperor in Chinese history) built temple in honor of Yao. And, Mozhai who was one of the greatest thinker and social activist in the Warring States period was born at the foot of Yao Mountain.

Numerous peaks in the Stone Man Mountain are the blend of loftiness, steepness, gracefulness, grotesqueness and serenity. And in the mountain the thousand- year-old pine trees are fantastic and picturesque, the wave-like clouds seem to be a fairyland; the waterfalls are beyond the mundane elegance; and the landscapes can intrigue sensational emotions.

The Stone Man Mountain enjoys fantastic and bizarre peaks, a great deal of waterfalls, thick woods, excellent hot spring, and splendid culture landscapes. It is evaluated by experts as precipitous as Hua Mountain, abrupt as Er Men Mountain, beautiful as Zhangjiajie, graceful as Huang Mountain. Therefore, it is a good place for sightseeing, summer — spending, convalescing from illness, researching and exploring. The landscape scenery in the Stone Man Mountain varies all the year round: In spring, birds singing among sweet flowers, rivers murmuring among green trees; In autumn, the mountain covered with a red coat; In winter, the coat of the mountain changing into white.

The Stone Man Mountain landscape spot has formed its tourism pattern: one mountain, one lake and three travel lines. One mountain is the Stone Man Mountain which is an area for sightseeing, summer — spending, or searching for one's root. One lake is Zhao Ping Lake, which is a place for aquatic amusement. Three travel lines: the first one, Hanxin, Xiaohe and Zhangliang aeronautic exhibition — the birthplace of Niugao — the military and culture tourism place, Mi Dong resort；the second one, Wei Shu Temple — Folk Custom Village — Six Goat Mountain; the last one, Upper Soup — Middle Soup — Low Soup hot spring bath by the side of lake. All kinds of service facilities are available in the scenic spot. There are cableways for sightseeing; the granite sideway is 2000 meters long which is entitled as "the world's number one sideway", and the granite road is 8 kilometers long which is "the best road of Chinese attractions".

Location: West of Lushan County, Pingdingshan City
Tel: 0375-5791123
Transportation: Bus No.11 goes directly to the destination. (20-minute walk from the train station)
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Admission Fee: CNY80
Tip: Some sites in this scenic area are free to open at sometime, you can check the schedule ahead of time.


Shimantan National Park

Shimantan National Park (shí màn tān guó jiā sēn lín gōng yuán 石漫滩国家森林公园) was built on the base of the General Scheme of Shimantan Forest and Botanatic Garden in 1987. And it is one of the forty-five national forest parks ratified by the State Forestry Administration of China. The park consists of the state forests in Shimantan, Iron Mt. and seven counties and three districts. It provides four traveling lines and seventy-six attractions in ten scenic areas. The Dragon Spring Lake serves as the axis with the Nine-headed Cliff and the Heaven Pool on the flanks and the four traveling lines surrounding as spokes. It becomes a sightseeing place and traveling resort including green mountains and clean water and grotesque caves and beautiful stones.

Nine-headed Cliff Scenic Spot

Nine-headed Cliff Scenic Spot (jiǔ tóu yá fēng jǐng qū 九头崖风景区) is one of the most important spots in the park, which was established in January, 1993. Its title, Nine-headed Cliff Scenic Spot of Shimantan National Forest Park, is inscribed by the former minister of the Defense Ministry, General Zhang Aiping. Nine-headed Cliff Scenic Spot with its fine geographic location, covering an area of more than fifty square kilometers, extends to the Shimantan Dam in the north, in the east separated from the Zhaya Mt.scenic spot by a hill.

Nine-headed Cliff Scenic Spot is picturesque with lofty and steep mountains, abundant woods, clean rivers and numerous caves. Every cave was a residence of a Shenxian who might have lived in the mountains. The overall natural scenery is picturesque. Nine-headed cliff is the main scenic spot, and the nine heads of the cliff stand side by side which are extremely magnificent. The seventeen waterfalls and Dishui Cliff Waterfall look either tender or thunderous. Butterfly spring and Bibo Lake are standing gracefully. The fairytales of Yaba Cave, Shenxian Cave, Duiyan Cave, and Songzi Cave are attracting and fascinating. The Double Dragon Cave, Green Dragon Cave and King Dragon Cave still slightly preserve their historical relics. The sculptures of a Making-up girl, a Monk on a Camel and Bao'er Pan Fu and Yuanyang Turtle are vividly and perfectly engraved.

Heaven Pool Mountain Scenic Spot

Heaven Pool Mountain Scenic Spot (tiān chí shān fēng jǐng qū 天池山风景区) is situated in the south mountain area of Wugang City. The scenic spot, with the grotesque and magnificent scenery, is divided into two parts. One is Heaven Pool scenic spot, which mainly lies in the Changlingtao Village; the other is Guanping Yard scenic spot which covers Zangping Village. The Heaven Pool in summer is as cool as in autumn; in Tianjin (a yard is surrounded by high buildings) the sky looks as narrow as a crack;the feeling of walking on the overbridge is the same as that in a fairyland. The charming scenery is so attractive that it makes one unwilling to leave, just as it is said that the most grotesque scenery in the world is in Heaven Pool.

Erlang Mountain Scenic Spot

Erlang Mountain Scenic Spot (èr láng shān fēng jǐng qū 二郎山风景区) boasts five international and national titles: the Base of International Dragon Boat Contest, National Forest Park, National Hydraulic Scenic Spot, the Training Base of National Inner Tuber Team, and the AAA-level scenic spot authorized by the central government. The Dragon Boat Contest, Water Lantern festival and Pagodatree Flower Festival are held every year which attract a lot of travelers from home and abroad. Erlang Mountain, named after the legend of "Erlang chasing the sun with the mountain on his shoulder", is the main scenic spot in Shimantan National Forest Park, which lays two kilometers off the southeast Wugang city known as the "Xiaonanguo of the North".

Erlang Mountain Scenic Spot is a natural oxygen bar and an ecological park covering more than 96 percent of forests and with negative ion 300 to 599 times as many as that of other ordinary cities. The spot is built along the range of the mountain and near a river. The landscape here is special and pleasant in all seasons. Birds are singing and dancing among the green mountains and limpid rivers, and flowers blossoming. It is a perfect place where the urban can adjust minds and bodies and relax away from the bustling urban life.

Location: West Longquan Road, Wugang City, Pingdingshan City
Tel: 0375-8160086/8122577
Transportation: Take a direct bus at Wugang bus station. (CNY6)
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Admission Fee: CNY20


The cemetery of Three Su

The clothes of Su Shi (sū shì 苏轼), Su Zhe (sū zhé 苏辙) and Su Xun (sū xún 苏洵), letters of men in South Song Dynasty have been buried here nine hundred years ago. The cemetery has been mourned by many men of letters who left many poems inscribed on steles to praise Three Su.

Su Shi, Su Xun and Su Zhe were members of "Eight Masters of Tang and Song Dynasty", especially Su Shi whose moral poems were unique, is called all-round master, and his many poems are still popular now. Since the clothing tomb of Su Xun was placed between the tombs of Su Shi and Su Xun in the twelfth year of Emperor Zhinzheng of Yuan Dynasty by Prefect Jia Yangyun, the spot is called "the Tombs of Three Sus (sān sū fén 三苏坟)" from then on.

The cemetery facing north consists of the mausoleum, Guangqing Temple and Three Su Temple covering an area of 14800 squares kilometer. The shadowy cypress tresses are on the sides of the main corridor to the mausoleum, and stone pillars, stone horses, stone sheep, stone tigers, stone dogs and stone men are arranged orderly on the sides of the corridor. Two stately stone lions are guarding the gate of the cemetery. Behind the hall is the altar, which is in front of the tombs: Su Xun's is in the middle, Su Shi's on the east and Su Zhe's on the west. To the southwest of the tombs six tombs are aligned, which are tombs of Su Zhe's sons.

Three Su Temple was built in the Zhizheng reign, Yuan Dynasty. In the hall, the painted sculpture of Su Xun stands in the middle with his two sons' on each side. Outside of the hall, there are steles of Jing, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the stele inscribed with the paint of "Jia Cheng Picture of the Mr. Sus" is particularly outstanding. Walking out of the east back door of Guangqing Temple, one can climb to the top of Xiao Ermei, where a 4.5-meter-high sculpture of Su Shi wearing a caftan with a book in his hand is standing. The cypress trees in the cemetery are luxuriant and magnificent. When the wind blows at night, leaves sound like raindrops falling on the ground. That is one of eight famous scenic spots in Jia County "the Night Rain of Su Cemetery".

Location: 27 kilometres west of Jia County, Pingdingshan City
Tel: 0375-2665922
Transportation: Take a direct bus at Jia County bus station.
Opening Hours: Full-day
Admission Fee: CNY30


Fengxue Temple

The Buddhism in Fengxue Temple (fēng xué sì 风穴寺) derives from Tiantai Buddhism and Chan Buddhism in Tang Dynasty. It is always the Linji Sect of Chan Buddhism since the Yanzhao Master in the second year of Emperor Changxin of Houtang Dynasty. The pagodas rank the third after Shaolin Pagodas (shào lín tǎ 少林塔) and Lingyan Pagodas (líng yán tǎ 灵岩塔).

The whole temple is characteristic of southern architecture surrounded by lofty and green mountains, clean and cool springs, towering pagodas, magnificent palaces and lots of steles. Fengxue Temple is one of the oldest temples in China, which was built in North Wei Dynasty, and it is named after the various wind caves in the mountains which lay on the east of the temple. And the mouth of Fengxue Mt. is narrowed by two mountains. Until you walk 3-li from the mountain mouth to the north, the temple can actually come into sight. It is really a temple hiding in the deep mountains.

The varied steles in the temple deserve special attentions, which were established from the third year of Emperor Qianyou of Houhan Dynasty in Five-Dynasty Period to Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Narratives or poems were inscribed on the steles, which were engraved with Cao Shu, Li Shu and Zhuan Shu, and among the steles are art of treasures. Besides there are eight marvelous scenic spots such as Pearl Curtain, Daci Spring, Moon-playing Platform, Shenxian Bridge, Cuifeng Pavilion, Yingpingfeng, Wugong Cave and Wangzhou Pavilion, as well as 72 tiny scenic spots.

Location: Fengxue Mountain, 9 kilometres northeast of Ruzhou, Pingdingshan City
Tel: 0135-69576850
Transportation: Bus No.7 from Ruzhou to Fengxue Temple goes directly to the destination.
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Admission Fee: CNY30


Speciality

Lushan silk

Lushan silk (lǔ shān chóu 鲁山绸), produced in Lushan County, is also named Lushan Zhachou, bright-colored and durable and exported to India, Pakistan, Syria, Switzerland and other countries.

Purple Pottery

Purple Pottery (zǐ shā hú 紫砂壶), produced in Baofeng County (bǎo fēng xiàn 宝丰县), can endure extreme coldness and heat without exploding or cracking. It can preserve fragrance while making tea. It can prevent the tea from souring after overnight in summer.

Ru chinaware

Ru chinaware (rǔ cí 汝瓷), produced in Ruzhou city, is of good quality and bright-looking with spots and hidden stripes and ice flowers. It is always regarded as a rarity all the time.

 

Transportation

Air

The shortest way from Pingdingshan city to Xinzheng International Airport in Zhengzhou is only 70 kilometers. It takes about 55 to 75 minutes from Pingdingshan to Xuedian by the route of Pingdingshan — Xuedian-Zhengzhou Highway. Xinzheng International Airport has flights to the major cities in mainland of China, and it also has regular charter flights to Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Southern Airline Corporation, ticket office in Pingdingshan: 0378-5955555

Southern Airline Corporation, ticket office in Zheng Zhou: 0371-65752030/65752031

Railway

Longhai Railway which is the main railway across the east and the west of China runs through the Pingdingshan Railway Station. You can get on the trains at Pingdingshan station to Shanghai, Beijing, Lian Yungang, Qindao, Xi'an, Xi'ning, Urumqi and so on without any change. It is 70 kilometers away from Pingdingshan to Zhengzhou and 150 kilometers to Shangqiu. You can reach wherever you want to (within China) by transferring the route of Beijing-Guangzhou or Beijing-Jiulong at Pingdingshan railway station.

Telephone number for consultation: 0375-3260009

Bus

There are three long-distance bus stations in Pingdingshan: the Center Station of Highway Passenger Transport, the long-distance bus station of Automobile Transportation Corporation, and the station of Highway Passenger Transport of Ying City which is near Weidong Trade Square. A bus leaves for Zhengzhou every 10 minutes.

Telephone number of the Center Station: 0375-4805439

Telephone number of the station in Weidong area: 0375-3288687

Taxi

There are over 300 taxies, mainly cars, with minibuses fewer and fewer. The price of taxi is CNY5 within 3 kilometers. Beyond 3 kilometers, more CNY1 is needed per kilometer.