Henan is China's most populous province and one of its most historically significant. Situated in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, it was the cradle of Chinese civilisation for several thousand years. Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, was one of the earliest Chinese cities; Luoyang served as the imperial capital for nine different dynasties.
The province's most visited attractions are the Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang — one of China's great Buddhist cave complexes — and the Shaolin Monastery on Mount Songshan, birthplace of Chan Buddhism and Shaolin martial arts. Kaifeng, east of Zhengzhou, was the Song Dynasty capital and retains a significant number of historical buildings.
