A relaxing discovery of Henan

Transit passengers from 54 countries, including Canada, the US and most of the EU countries, can spend up to 240 hours in Henan without a visa. This visa-free policy allows visitors with plane tickets to a third country to transit through Henan and enjoy a visa-free stay. The following is a suggested itinerary for visiting the top tourism attractions in the province.

A cradle of Chinese culture, Henan province boasts a long history, abundant heritage, and beautiful scenery, such as the Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes. Henan lies at the junction of the coastal areas in East China and China’s western and central areas. Setting off on a journey through Henan, you can explore the following captivating destinations during your 240-hour stay.

Attraction 1

Songshan Mountain and Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng

With a history spanning more than 1,500 years, Shaolin Temple, located at the foot of Songshan Mountain, Dengfeng, Central China's Henan province, appears often in movies and fiction and is the country's first professional institution for learning martial arts. Founded in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), Shaolin Temple covers an area of about 36,000 square meters and boasts a number of ancient building complexes. It is honored as a holy land integrating Zen ideas and martial arts. Zen, the doctrine which every monk learning the Shaolin martial art should observe, refers to a frame of mind which gets rid of greed, anger and confusion and helps oneself reach inner peace.

The temple opens daily from 7am to 5pm. Visitors are advised to observe Buddhist etiquette and limit offerings to three joss sticks and candles.