Zhengzhou

Buy

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

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.

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 is big enough to have a scattering of cosmopolitan restaurants, and while there are a number of imitation Korean, Japanese, Indian, and Western options about, you will do best to stick with Chinese food.

One of the most representative delicacies in Zhengzhou, braised noodles.

Zhengzhou braised noodles are made from high-quality fresh lamb and lamb bones. After soaking, the bones and meat are boiled together over high heat to form a white soup, and then flour is mixed to form a soft noodle. After repeated kneading, the noodles are manually pulled into strips of varying widths and thicknesses and placed in the pot. The lamb is then paired with yellow cauliflower, black fungus, and vermicelli. When dining, small dishes such as coriander, chili oil, and sugar garlic are added to make the taste more fresh.

Drink

There are bars around the city, but the best area for drinking is around the tree-lined Weiyi Road: Other areas:

Stay healthy

Henan Provincial People's Hospital (河南省人民医院). No. 7 Weifu Road, Jinshui District. This 117-year-old hospital is a government-run medical instituti.

Go next

Henan awaits:

Kaifeng is a laid-back town about 90 minutes to the east of Zhengzhou. Enjoy ancient temples and an escape from Chinese skyscrapers. Sizeable night market comes to life in the evenings too. Kaifeng was the capital of several dynasties before it slid into irrelevance the last 200 years. Buses leave every half hour from Zhengzhou central bus station (90 min). Alternatively, there are quite a few trains in the morning and evening to Kaifeng station (45 min) from Zhengzhou station. High speed trains depart half hourly to Songchenglu station from Zhengzhou East. Another great city nearby by is the ancient capital of Luoyang, home to the Longmen Grottoes. The city is worth a look, with an interesting old section and easy walking downtown. It's about three hours by bus, which leave Zhengzhou every hour or so. An express - the "elephant bus" or kuai che - costs ¥40. One train in the morning departs from Zhengzhou station straight to Luoyang Longmen station (45 min) very close to the grottoes. Yuzhou is a small and relatively undeveloped city, off the main rail network, but well worth a visit to see the Jun Royal Kiln Museum and to get an insight into life in Henan off the tourist trail. One and a half hours by bus, and very walkable once you get there.