Zhengzhou Travel

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

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), Guangzhou (about 18 hours), Xi’an (about 5 hours) and Shanghai (about 14 hours). Trains arrive from other places less often.

Across from the train station, you will find a long-distance bus station. Buses leave regularly to almost anywhere you would want to go in Henan province. Buses are less comfortable than the trains, but are cheaper and you don’t have to push and shove your way in and out of the train. The long-distance buses generally have sleepers rather than seats.

The airport is about 30 km outside of town. A public bus runs from the airport to a centrally located hotel. It costs ¥25.
Where to go

1.The Erqi Memorial Tower is a museum inside a rather garish double pagoda that looms over February 7 Square. Inside there are exhibits explaining the city’s development.

2.Zhengzhou Zoo The Zhengzhou zoo is more depressing than it is impressive in any way. Some of their imported animals include turkeys and coyotes which might be interesting for a local but hardly for a foreigner. If you generally enjoy zoos, you may very well walk away sad at how the animals are cared for, or not in this case.

3.Museum Area, One thing worth knowing about is that the museum area is also the area of the 2 branches of government - federal and communist - so the area is much nicer. We are talking trees and some flowers along with a more neighborhood feel that might remind you of Shanghai. Don’t expect wild nightclubs, but it is a more pleasant place to be if you are looking for a walk. Er qi lou is fine, but a bit dirty, so see this other side of Zhengzhou if you get a chance. Also, some nice places to eat are in this area.

What to Buy

Large department stores and international brands tend to be concentrated around Erqi (February 7) Square. The two major department stores are Kingbird and Beijing Hualien , 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.

If you are a collector, 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.
What to 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’s big enough to have a scattering of cosmopolitian restaurants, and while there are a number of fake Korean, Japanese, and Western options about, you will do best to stick with Chinese food.

1.Some of the finest restaurants are located on Jingsan Road. To find these restaurants, ask a taxi driver to take you to a restaurant called Xiaonanguo , located at , and just look around. You’ll find a number of options about. Xiaonanguo itself is an excellent restaurant featuring regional dishes from all over China.

2.The night market in Erqi (Feburary 7) Square is a good place for a snack and scenery. There’s the usual assortment of dumpling shops and noodle joints on every street and back alley. There’s a good number of Sichuan restaurants, which make sense considering the proximity to the Province of Spice. Noodles, especially the mutton noodle and beef noodle are must-eat in Zhengzhou.There are three good yangrouhuimian restouants ,named “xiao ji “?“he ji ”?“ju feng yuan”,there are many locations,ask a taxi driver to take you the nearest one,you will tast the best delicilous huimian in zhengzhou.
Where to stay
As with most Chinese cities there are several a bit run down hotels to be found near train station. These might be your cheapest options. Most likely English is not spoken but you can get a room for as less as 50 RMB or even cheaper if there are two people splitting a bill for a double room. Bargain especially if you’re staying more than one night.

Guangzhou Hotel, located on Erqi Road near the corner of Jinshui Road, caters toward business travelers, but still is very reasonable. Doubles start at around ¥240 with a discount.