Before you go to the Central Plains

No, but a translation app helps outside major sites. Station signage is bilingual; small restaurants often have picture menus.

Mobile payment is dominant. International cards work at hotels and larger restaurants; carry some cash for village stalls.

For Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Kaifeng and one mountain, yes. Add the south or the far west and you need two weeks.

The first days of May and October are the busiest national holidays. Grottoes and mountain parks fill up; book ahead or shift dates.

Xinzheng airport is 35 km from central Zhengzhou. The airport express runs to Zhengzhou East in about 20 minutes (¥12–16); taxis take 40–50 minutes and cost around ¥120. Allow three hours between landing and a connecting high-speed train.

Yes for Longmen Grottoes, the Henan Museum and Shaolin on weekends and holidays. Most sites sell timed entry online; bring the passport you booked with. Weekday mornings are usually quiet enough to walk in.

Not by Sichuan standards. Henan cooking leans on wheat, lamb broth and vinegar; chilli oil is usually on the table rather than in the pot. Say 不要辣 (bù yào là) if you want none at all.

Yes, if you shorten the walking days. Longmen has a flat riverside path and golf-cart transfer; Shaolin and Yuntai involve stairs. Two nights in one city beats one night in three.

Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else. Temples and museums ask for covered shoulders; mountain tops are 6–8 °C cooler than the city. Bring a power bank — you will use your phone for payment, maps and translation.

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