Shangqiu: Brick City, City Lake and Cultural History

Shangqiu can be explored through its distinctive urban layout and layered cultural history. At its heart is the Shangqiu Ancient City: the brick city, city lake and outer city together form a complex whose outer shape is round and whose interior is square. Literary heritage sites and museums also offer their own highlights—from the history of fire to Shang culture.

The Shape of the Shangqiu Ancient City

The Shangqiu Ancient City was built in 1511, the sixth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming dynasty. The city wall, outer city and city lake are part of an overall design with a round outer outline and a square interior. This clear contrast makes the layout of the complex an engaging subject: you can understand the city not only through individual buildings, but also through the interplay of its three components. In 1986, the Ancient City was recognized as a national historical and cultural city. It is also a national AAAA-rated tourist attraction.

An account of a visit described in 2026 tells of people walking along the city wall and looking out over the city. If this view is important to your plans, check in advance whether access is available.

Literary and Cultural Traces

At the site of Yanbo Terrace, guides tell groups of visitors stories about Yanbo. These include his association with observing the stars and the development of the calendar. The site thus connects a specific story with themes from astronomy and timekeeping. For families traveling with children, these topics can also prompt a conversation about how people once observed the sky and developed calendars.

In the Shangqiu Ancient City, Zhuanghui Hall is associated with Hou Fangyu, a writer from the late Ming and early Qing periods. The hall attracts visitors and adds a literary connection to the city's architectural history. South of the city, on the Gusu River, is Ba Guan Zhai. There, an inscription in the hand of the Tang calligrapher Yan Zhenqing bears the text “Ba Guan Zhai Hui Bao De Ji.” The two sites offer different cultural focal points: one is linked to a writer, the other to calligraphy and a historic inscription.

Museums Exploring Fire and Shang Culture

The Shangqiu Museum is a local comprehensive museum founded in October 1983. Its architecture incorporates elements of the culture of the ancient city and Shang culture. These connections are reflected not only in the museum's subject matter, but also in the design of the building.

The Fire Culture Museum explores a different subject. Exhibited artifacts and reconstructed scenes of ancient production explain the history of human use of fire. The two museums therefore offer different approaches: the Shangqiu Museum brings together the culture of the ancient city and Shang culture, while the Fire Culture Museum focuses on the development of a fundamental cultural technique.

Study Programs and Trip Planning

In 2025, five themed study routes and more than twenty specialized courses were introduced for the Shangqiu Ancient City scenic area; the program selection may change. In a student program at Huoshen Terrace, students made pottery decorated with fire patterns. One student also rode in a reconstructed Wang Hai ox cart there. At the Suihuang Mausoleum, students practiced making fire by drilling into wood as part of a program. These examples offer a glimpse of the hands-on topics covered by the student programs; if you are interested in this kind of activity, ask in advance about a suitable date.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Shangqiu, your interests can be a good starting point: would you like to focus mainly on the city's layout and its literary connections, or are you more interested in the museum themes? If you are traveling with children, stars, calendars, fire and ceramics offer different ways to make sense of the experiences together.

Discover more destinations: Zhengzhou, Hebi, Zhoukou, Kaifeng, Puyang, Nanyang, Luoyang, Xinyang

For the main travel overview: Henan.