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Guides for the Business Traveler
Zhengzhou (2007)
4 hours in Zhengzhou (2007)
2007 Business Traveler 4-Hour Guide Sponsored by Korean Air. Chris Taylor visits Zhengzhou, one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, and is intrigued by the city’s relics and ruins of the Shang Dynasty, considered the first true Chinese dynasty .
 | Erqi Pagoda In the heart of downtown Zhengzhou, at the intersection of Xi Dajie and Dehua Jie, the eye-catching seven-story Erqi Pagoda stands incongruously among billboards and modern downtown architecture. Mounted with a clock, the pagoda was built to memorialize a 1923 Communist-led strike of railway workers that was put down with brutal savagery by local warlord Wu Peifu. Many were killed and injured. Inside is a collection of "Lest we forget" photographs, which are interesting for their historical value, although they aren't provided with English captions. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., entry RMB4.5 |  | Renmin Park Less than half a mile directly north of Erqi Pagoda is the People's Park, or Renmin Gongyuan. While very similar to other People's Parks in countless other Chinese cities, it does provide an interesting glimpse of Zhengzhou at leisure: couples strolling, oldsters practicing aerobics and tai chi, and the occasional kung fu practitioner working out. Open daily, early to late, entry free |  | Henan Provincial Museum Henan Provincial Museum is a 10-minute taxi ride north of Renmin Park, on Nongye Lu. Housed in a postmodern concrete-and-glass pyramid, the museum is almost entirely dedicated to relics that have been excavated from Zhengzhou's Shang Dynasty (1766–1050 B.C.) ruins. The Shang is considered the first true Chinese dynasty, and the bustling, modern metropolis of Zhengzhou was once one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. The museum has more than 130,000 permanent exhibits that include bronze drums and other ancient instruments, porcelains and pottery, and the problem for the visitor with limited time is dragging yourself away from this unique repository of ancient relics. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., entry RMB19 |  | Shang Dynasty Ruins A 20-minute taxi ride (ask for the shangdai yizhi) from the museum, on the eastern outskirts of Zhengzhou, are the remains of ancient Shang city. While all that remains are long, high mounds of earth, they are still very evocative, as they represent one of the earliest extant examples of Chinese urban life. |  | Chenghuang Temple Very close to the ruins, on the north side of Shangcheng Lu, is this small Temple of the City God, which were traditionally to be found in every Chinese city or town. The temple is a mixture of styles, and the main temple has been marred by some modern murals, but the City God himself, protector of the people's interests, can still be seen, flanked by his two attendants. The roof carvings of the traditional Chinese bestiary of phoenixes and dragons is also worthy of attention. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., entry RMB7. |
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