Xihe Scenic Area

Xihe Scenic Area

Xihe Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Xihe Scenic Area is located in Shangcheng County, Xinyang City, Henan Province, 30 kilometers from the exit of the Shanghai–Xi’an Expressway. Covering a total area of 32 square kilometers, it features Pingdingpu, the highest peak in the area at an altitude of 1,584 meters, known as the “Highest Peak in Southern Henan.”

The scenic area is composed of four sections: Huatuo Valley, Secluded Tea Valley, Xihe Aerial Walk Adventure Park, and Jingangtai Canyon Rafting. It boasts abundant flora and fauna, where rare species such as the “Shangcheng Giant Salamander” (giant salamander), leopard, pheasant, and wild boar can occasionally be spotted, along with well-distributed medicinal herbs like Paris polyphylla, gastrodia elata, and ganoderma lucidum. Other highlights include the 400-year-old Huatuo Temple, Yanmingguan Waterfall, high-altitude tea plantations, cascading waterfalls, glass walkways, waterside plank roads, and vast fields of azaleas that create a picturesque scene.

As a national AAAA-level scenic spot, a national nature reserve, a national geopark, one of China’s 130 premium red tourism routes, and the origin of Xinyang Maojian high-mountain green tea, Xihe is also acclaimed as the premier rafting destination in Southern Henan’s high mountain gorges. This leisure tourism area combines roaring waterfalls, historical revolutionary sites, high-altitude tea gardens, science education, and vacation retreats.

Covering a total area of 32 square kilometers, Xihe Scenic Area is dominated by Jingangtai Peak, which rises 1,584 meters above sea level. The peak gets its name from its majestic and imposing appearance, resembling a giant vajra (diamond warrior). Just 20 kilometers southeast of the county town, the site is easily accessible by bus—every half hour—with direct routes to the scenic area. The region is rich in culture, where emerald mountains blend seamlessly with clear waters, and uniquely shaped pines accompany fascinating rocks, forming a poetic landscape. In spring, blooming mountain flowers, buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies, murmuring streams, and widespread azaleas paint the hills in vibrant colors. Summer brings lush greenery, flowing springs, thundering waterfalls, exciting rafting, and an outpouring of enthusiasm. Autumn showcases bountiful fruit, mountainsides ablaze with red foliage, and forests painted in layers of color. In winter, snow blankets the land, glistening ice formations hang from trees, and radiant light dances across the scenery. The area offers a stunning combination of towering mountains, bubbling streams, dense forest oxygen bars, and terraced tea plantations, embodying the extraordinary, the unique, the thrilling, and the elegant. It captures the perilous beauty of Mount Hua, the scenic charm of Mount Huang, and the refined allure of Mount Lu. During spring and holidays, the scenic area teems with visitors—sometimes exceeding 5,000 people daily—pushing its environmental capacity to the limit. During rafting season, tickets have even become hard to come by, with reception facilities frequently overwhelmed. Once a hidden gem in the deep mountains, Xihe has transformed into a highly sought-after destination, much like a beautiful daughter no longer worried about finding a good match. Major attractions include the Secluded Tea Valley, Huatuo Valley, Geological Museum, the 300-year-old Qing Dynasty-era Huatuo Temple, and the canyon rafting experience, which was hailed by CCTV as the “Premier High-Mountain Canyon Rafting in Southern Henan.”