Tongbai Red Tea is a specialty of Tongbai County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. With its bright crimson liquor, pure honey-like aroma, and mellow, sweet taste, Tongbai Red Tea rivals well-known black teas both domestically and internationally in appearance and flavor, making it a rising star among China’s black teas. “Tongbai Red” is an organic black tea brand developed in Tongbai County, the source of the Huai River. Currently, it is mainly...
Tongbai Bean Tendon is a specialty of Tongbai County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. Known for its “golden color and wing-like thinness,” Tongbai Bean Tendon is rich in nutrients, easy to store, and convenient to eat. It has a fresh, smooth taste and a tender, delicate texture. Its nutritional value is considered as precious as gold, earning it the nickname “soft gold.” Bean tendon is a traditional soy product from the Tongbai Mountains...
Spicy soup also has an elegant name—Eight-Treasure Soup. Calling it “eight treasures” is certainly an exaggeration, but it does reflect the fact that spicy soup contains a wide variety of ingredients. The most common ones include gluten, shredded kelp, cellophane noodles, shredded tofu skin, peanuts, cilantro, minced ginger, pickled mustard tuber, and ground pepper. Depending on the season and region, you might also find beef (or mutton), soybeans…
Tofu pudding, also known as old tofu, is made by coloring it with sugar syrup, boiling it, then adding wet starch slurry. Soaked fried vermicelli is added, along with an appropriate amount of tofu pudding, and seasoned with scallions, salt, and pepper. It has a golden-red, translucent color and a slightly thick texture. After scooping it into a bowl, it's further topped with dried shrimp, shredded kelp, golden needles (daylily buds), chopped chives, and pepper, then drizzled with a bit of sesame oil—creating an incredibly rich aroma...
Zhanglin Sesame Oil is a specialty of Zhanglin Town, Zhenping County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. The oil has a clear, golden-yellow to slightly red hue, is transparent, has a mellow and refreshing taste, a long-lasting aroma, strong penetration, and retains its flavor over time. It is made from the uniquely shaped "crooked-mouth" sesame seeds produced in Zhanglin Town, Zhenping County—hence the name Zhanglin Sesame Oil—to distinguish it from other sesame oils produced elsewhere...
The cultivation of Eucommia in Zhennan County has a history of several hundred years. Historical records indicate that during the Tang Dynasty, when the Bodhi Temple was built and landscaped about 25 li northeast of the county town, Eucommia trees were already planted. Originally a wild plant, once people recognized its medicinal value and growth habits, they began transplanting it from mountainous and wild areas to courtyards and field edges...
When choosing one dish among Nanyang’s delicacies such as Meixi Pork Knuckle, Meatball Bowl, and Baitugang Spicy Chicken, the locals of Nanyang had to make a painful sacrifice—but they still picked Dao Kou Roast Chicken. Have you ever had roast chicken where the meat falls off the bone with just a shake? The secret recipe for this chicken comes from an imperial chef of the Qing Dynasty’s imperial kitchen, and has earned a reputation that spans three hundred years. …
Produced in Zhenping, Henan. Zhenping County has a subtropical climate, with superior natural environment and geological conditions. The soil and water are rich in various minerals. As a result, the sesame seeds are plump and have a high oil content. The oil has an orange-yellow to slightly red hue, a sweet and mellow taste, a fragrant and smooth mouthfeel, and a long-lasting aftertaste. It is used for cooking, frying...
During the Dragon Boat Festival, eating zongzi is another traditional custom of the Chinese people. Zongzi, also known as "jiao shu" or "tong zong," has a long history and comes in a wide variety of styles. According to records, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, glutinous millet was wrapped in reed leaves (water bamboo leaves) into the shape of an ox horn and called "jiao shu"; rice was packed into bamboo tubes, sealed, and roasted, and this was called "tong zong." In the Eastern Han Dynasty…
In the northern mountainous region of Zhenping County, nestled among rolling hills and rugged ridges stretching for hundreds of miles, grows a type of naturally forested jujube. Prized for its high value, it is widely loved both at home and abroad. This is the Zhenping Guangyang Jujube, historically renowned both in China and internationally and honored as one of China’s Four Famous Fruits. The Guangyang Jujube is round in shape, with thick flesh and a small pit,…
Zhenping County is located in the southwest of Henan Province, on the northwest side of the Nanyang Basin and at the southern foot of the Funiu Mountains. It governs 12 towns and 11 townships, with a total population of 930,000 and a total area of 1,500 square kilometers. It is one of the “Provincial Comprehensive Reform Pilot Counties” and “National Model Counties for Rural and Village Civilization Construction,” and has been officially named by the state as the “Hometown of Chinese Carpets.” Zhenping…
Located just 8 kilometers north of downtown Nanyang, Dushan Mountain is rich in high-quality jade, ranking first among China’s four famous types of jade in terms of production volume. The production of Nanyang Dushan Jade has a long history. In 1959, jade shovels and chisels made from Dushan Jade during the Shang and Warring States periods were unearthed near Dushan, proving that as early as 4,000 years ago, the ancestors of Nanyang people had already...
Due to its abundant production of silk, Nanyang has seen a growing number of carpet makers. The carpets produced here fall into two categories: handmade and machine-woven. Handmade carpets are further divided into Turkish knot (also known as the “horseshoe” knot) and Persian knot (also called the “8-shaped” knot). Most carpets in Nanyang are handmade and are classified by material into silk carpets (also referred to as wall or hanging carpets), silk-wool blended carpets...
【Nanyang Delicacy】Steamed Dishes of Nanyang: Nanyang steamed dishes come in a wide variety, are easy to prepare, and boast excellent color, aroma, taste, and presentation. They are tender, delicious, and highly nutritious, making them truly unique within Henan Province. Many domestic and international visitors who travel a long way to Nanyang consider their trip incomplete without trying these steamed dishes—the hallmark of local Nanyang cuisine. N…
Nanyang City is home to 10 alcohol production enterprises, which have an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons, demonstrating scale advantages and serving as one of the city’s key industrial pillar products. Leading companies such as Henan Tianguan Alcohol & Chemical Co., Ltd., Henan Shekou Group Co., Ltd., and Henan Xinye Hanhua Group Co., Ltd. have maintained a strong momentum of development amid fierce competition...
Nanyang pyrography is a traditional folk craft of Nanyang, characterized by its unique national style and strong local color. Since its emergence in the Qing Dynasty, it has enjoyed a long-standing reputation both domestically and internationally, often hailed as a unique gem—earning Nanyang the title "Hometown of Pyrography." Pyrography involves using special tools to burn various images onto wood, paper, or silk. The high temperature of the pyrography pen causes...
Jiezhong Rice Vinegar is produced in Jiezhang Street, Wadian Town, Wancheng District. The vinegar has a deep brown color, with a richly aromatic sourness that opens up when cooking and remains unspoiled even after long storage. It is not only an excellent seasoning but also offers health benefits such as aiding digestion, sterilizing, lowering blood pressure, and reducing swelling and toxins. Spraying a suitable amount of rice vinegar solution on crops and vegetable leaves can also enhance yields to some extent. Jiezhong Rice Vinegar...
Bowang Guokui is a distinctive food made from wheat flour and baked. It resembles both a pot and a helmet in shape, entirely white as if sun-dried dough, with a diameter of over one chi (approximately 33 cm), a thickness of two cun (approximately 6.6 cm), and each piece weighing up to four jin (approximately 2 kg). It has a crispy, fragrant, and refreshing taste, is chewy and filling, and can be stored for a long time without spoiling. Legend has it that Bowang Guokui was first created during the Three Kingdoms period. After Liu Bei set fire to Bowang, …
Nanyang’s Xuanyuan Temple is a Taoist monastery built in the fourth year of the Hongwu era during the Ming Dynasty (1371 AD). It flourished during the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era, and was ranked among the four great Taoist centers in China alongside Beijing’s White Cloud Temple, Shanxi’s Changqing Temple, and Xi’an’s Eight Immortals Temple.
Jinxizhou Divine Jelly is a specialty snack from Jinxizhou Town, Xichuan County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. This divine jelly has a sweet yet slightly bitter taste, helps clear heat and toxins, and has antibacterial and anti-cancer properties. The jelly is sliced into small pieces with a blade, then topped with chili oil, vinegar, and garlic water, resulting in a refreshing flavor that makes it an excellent summer dish for cooling down. Divine jelly is made from the leaves of a wild shrub on the Monkey Mountain within the region...