Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou, China

Zhengzhou is the capital of central China's Henan province.

The locals have invented a dozen categories of Quyi, a generic term for traditional Chinese art forms like Pingshu (storytelling), Kuaiban (monologue with clappers) and Xiangsheng (cross talk). For centuries, Quyi has been an important part of the local life. Today, many Quyi enthusiasts can be seen going through their paces in parks. Quyi is so hard to learn that most have drifted out of the mainstream of modern Chinese showbiz and some even have become endangered species. But amazingly, there are foreign students who first came to China to study the Chinese language and now have become familiar Quyi faces on Chinese screens and stages.

When it comes to Chinese culture, few do not know Kung fu. Shaolin Temple close to Zhengzhou is allegedly one of the three birthplaces of Chinese Kung fu.

Getting around

• Shaolin Temple

  The temple is more famous as allegedly one of the three birthplaces of Chinese Kung fu than as a holy ground of Zen Buddhism. Its monks were not only interested in meditation, but also came up with a full spectrum of hand-to-hand fighting skills. Free your inner Kung fu panda.

• Du Fu's Hometown

  Du Fu, one of the three “poet saints” of the Tang dynasty (618-907), has left a deep imprint on Chinese ancient literature with his 1500 poems. His hometown, a small village of Nanyaowan, has been attracting a constant stream of his fans since ancient times.

• February 7 Strike Memorial Tower

  It was erected in commemoration of a workers' strike led by the Chinese Communist Party in 1927.

  
  
  
• Song Shan

  The mountain is the birthplace of Zen Buddhist in China. It's synonymous with Shaolin Temple and Chinese Kung fu.