[2025 Heze Attraction] Travel Guide for Old Town Caozhou (Updated May)

🌸 First time in Heze? This guide will help you explore like a local! 🌿 Spring in Heze is an ocean of flowers! Plum blossoms, apricot flowers, magnolias, peach blossoms, and rapeseed flowers bloom in competition, but the most unmissable are the "national beauty" peonies! In April, the entire city is filled with fragrance, waiting for you to encounter this spring feast~ 📅 5-Day 4-Night In-Depth Travel Guide 📍Day 1: Journey through the Water Margin world, stroll through the ancient city at night Morning: Arrive in Heze and head straight to Water Margin Heroes City to watch the exciting opening ceremony and experience the chivalrous spirit of the Liangshan heroes! Noon: Try Yuncheng Zhuang Mo (crispy outside, tender inside, full of savory meat) or Heze water-fried buns (golden and crispy, bursting with flavor). Afternoon: Visit Paifang Ancient City, wander through the bluestone streets, and touch the Ming and Qing Dynasty charm. Evening: Night tour of Caozhou Ancient City, enjoy a steaming bowl of mutton soup amid the twinkling lights, then explore the specialty food stalls. 📍Day 2: A collision of history and faith Morning: Enter Sun Bin Tourism City to hear the legendary story of the military sage, or visit Yicheng Temple to experience Zen tranquility. Noon: Try a bowl of Shan County mutton soup – white broth with tender meat that warms both stomach and heart! Afternoon: Visit the Ji-Lu-Yu Border Region Memorial Hall to revisit revolutionary history. Evening: Check out Heze Church – white doves and flowers in the sunset create maximum romance! 📍Day 3: Lakes and mountains, natural healing Morning: Boat on Fulong Lake, enjoy the rippling waters and dancing birds. Noon: Must-order dishes at lakeside farmhouses include steamed lake fish and braised small shrimp – absolutely delicious! Afternoon: Climb Juye Golden Mountain to enjoy the sunset glow and sea of clouds, like a fairyland. Evening: Return to the city for night markets, enjoy skewers and beer, experiencing Heze's nightlife. 📍Day 4: Hot springs relaxation, immersion in flower seas Morning: Soak in the Hot Spring Water World to wash away fatigue. Noon: Enjoy nearby farm cuisine, recommended dish is the earthen pot chicken with rich sauce! Afternoon: Wander through Tianxiang Park where apricot, plum, and peach blossoms intertwine into a dreamlike sea of flowers – every casual photo is Instagram-worthy! Evening: Pick up some souvenirs – peony seed oil and Lu brocade are Heze specialties. 📍Day 5: Yellow River scenery, perfect finale Morning: Stroll through Dongming Yellow River Forest Park, watch the Mother River flow endlessly, and feel the magnificence of nature. Noon: Try Yellow River carp (tender meat, fresh and sweet without fishiness) and farm fresh eggs, authentic flavors! Afternoon: Satisfied, begin your journey home~ 🍜 Heze Food TOP List Yuncheng Zhuang Mo | Crispy and crumbly with hearty meat filling, super satisfying with just one bite! Shan County Mutton Soup | Creamy white broth, tender mutton, perfect with kiln-baked flatbread! Cao County Braised Beef | Savory and flavorful, firm texture, perfect with alcohol! Water-fried Buns | Crispy bottom with soft skin, pork and chive filling is the classic choice~ Dongming Tripe | Chewy with great texture, even better with garlic paste! Dingtao Sesame Candy | Sweet but not greasy, rich sesame flavor, loved by both old and young! 💡Tips April is peony season – check the flowering schedule in advance so you don't miss peak bloom! Heze attractions are quite spread out, so self-driving or hiring a car is more convenient~ ✨Heze is more than just peonies! This guide helps you explore history, nature, and cuisine – come start your personalized journey!

In my busy schedule, I specially reserved a day for Heze. This city known as the "Peony Capital" gave me the following travel experience. I hope my route can provide a reference for everyone. [CarFront] [Highlights of the trip] - Heze Museum: Located on Huaying Road, the museum has four exhibition halls on two floors, allowing me to deeply appreciate the historical and cultural heritage of Heze. ↓Take the bus, only 4 minutes - Tianxiang Park: The environment is pleasant and there are few people during the non-flowering season. It is a good place for local elders to relax. I took a break by the lake and enjoyed some peaceful time. ↓11 minutes walk - Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Revolutionary Memorial Hall: It not only has four large exhibition halls, but also the largest indoor ceramic mural in the country. The Panorama Gallery recreates the shocking scene of the People's Liberation Army's strategic counterattack in 1947. ↓Take the bus, about 13 minutes - Jiahe City: This is the food paradise of Heze. I tasted all kinds of delicious food here and took a walk around. ↓Take the bus, only 5 minutes - Dongfanghong Pedestrian Street: Like other commercial streets, the small stalls on the streets and alleys exude a strong sense of fireworks. I experienced it on the way to the ancient city. ↓5 minutes walk - Old Town Caozhou Scenic Area: Although it is small in size, it has charming night views and wonderful iron flower performances that are not to be missed. [Taro]【Food Recommendation】 - Mutton soup: delicious and fresh, definitely worth a try! - Zhuangmo: Crispy crust and excellent taste. - Guiyi Milk Crystal: A specialty drink of Heze with unique flavor. - Sugar cakes, sesame cakes, noodle soup + spicy soup: these are all authentic Heze snacks, especially the golden and crispy noodle soup, which makes people linger in the aftertaste. [Pushpin]【Travel Tips】 - Please bring your Mainland China ID card and other necessary documents. Tickets are required for entry to museums and memorial halls, and there is a lunch break, so please plan ahead. - Heze has a wide variety of delicious food and affordable prices, which makes me feel like home. Next time I come, I will definitely enjoy a feast. - Next year when the peonies bloom, I will set foot on this land again, looking forward to the spectacular sight of a riot of colour. Heze, see you next time! May your journey be filled with laughter and wonderful memories!

| Honestly, it really feels like traveling back in time. ✅ Caozhou Ancient City is located in the old town of Heze, Shandong Province. It was the Chengshi Ancient City from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty for over 600 years, and the Caozhou Ancient City from the Jin Dynasty to the Republic of China for over 800 years. The ancient city is a typical "inner square and outer circle" shape, with the square representing the ancient city and the circle representing the moat. The old city is themed "Water City in the Middle of the World, Heze Cultural Source," with water defining the city, open waterfronts, cultural heritage, and commercial activities bringing the ancient city to life. ✅ As night falls and the lights come on, the ancient city of Caozhou is illuminated by thousands of colorful lights, and the beautiful Yong'an Tower stands like a pearl on the shore of Qingnian Lake. On the lake, the musical fountain constantly changes its shape and scene, complementing the ancient and exquisite architecture. With the accompaniment of beautiful music, the lights, river, and scenery along the shore blend into one. 👉🏻 Parking: The scenic area has both ground and underground parking lots. The ground parking is limited, so the underground parking is recommended. You can search for it on the map. The parking fee is about CNY 2 per hour. We parked for 2 hours and paid CNY 4 in total. 👉🏻 Visiting: You can think of it as a park with planned roads inside. It's quite comfortable to walk along the roads. 👉🏻 Shows: There are iron flower and fire pot performances in the scenic area during holidays.

✈️ Heze, the ancient city of Caozhou, has built a new Caozhou Old City. It is actually a combination of several streets. 1️⃣ On Qixi Festival, I strolled around looking for food. It seems that every city has an old street, and Heze's old street is called "Caozhou Ancient City." 2️⃣ Caozhou Ancient City is located in the old city of Heze, Shandong Province. From the Northern Wei to the Jin Dynasty, the ancient city of Chengshi existed for more than 600 years, and from the Jin Dynasty to the Republic of China, Caozhou Ancient City existed for more than 800 years. Caozhou was established in the first year of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (578 AD). Due to the impact of the Yellow River floods, the location of the state city has changed several times. In the 11th year of the Ming Dynasty (1446 AD), Fan Xizheng, the governor of Caozhou, planned the city, divided the residential areas, established government offices, and built Confucian schools. Streets were initially formed, laying the foundation for the old city of Heze. 3️⃣ It is said that the historical old city of Heze was square, with a side length of 3 li and a circumference of 12 li. There were 7 vertical and 7 horizontal streets in the city, intersecting like a chessboard. The intersections were called corners, and the streets were divided into sections, collectively called alleys. In the Qing Dynasty, there were 32 east-west alleys and 26 north-south alleys, totaling 58. In the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933 AD), the streets were unified and named, with 36 east-west streets and 36 north-south streets, totaling 72. 4️⃣ I asked a local colleague, who said that this ancient city was also rebuilt later, with complete buildings and towers, various internet-famous snacks, and photo spots. Many newly built ancient cities have become snack and travel photo markets. It is more interesting to have a little historical and cultural mix. Otherwise, you can only search online and learn later. Let's see if this ancient city is a real ancient city.

✅Caizhou Ancient City, located in the old town of Heze City, Shandong Province. From the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, it was the ancient city of Chengshi for more than 600 years. From the Jin Dynasty to the Republic of China, it was the ancient city of Caizhou for more than 800 years. The ancient city is typically "square inside, round outside", the square is the ancient city, and the round is the moat. The old city takes "Water City in the Middle of the World, Heze Culture Source" as its theme, defines the city by water, opens up the waterfront, casts the city by culture, reproduces the heritage, operates the city by commerce, and revitalizes the ancient with the modern. ✅As a网红打卡地(internet celebrity check-in place) in the urban area, Caizhou Ancient City has always been bustling. At night, citizens flock to the city, taking advantage of the朦胧的夜色(dim night) and the清凉的夜风(cool night breeze), strolling along the stone paths of the ancient city, and feeling the faint气息(breath) of fireworks through the various scenic streets. 🌎Introduction to tour information Venue address: North of Youth Lake Park, Caizhou Road, Mudan District, Heze City, about 120 meters Venue information: Open Opening hours: All day Ticket information: 0 Tour duration: 45 minutes Traffic information: 🚙Taxi & Self-driving

Heze citywalk A 2-day and 2-night weekend stroll guide for out-of-towners This summer, you should definitely make a trip to Shandong. Not to the crowded barbecues of Zibo, nor the romantic Qingdao, but to Heze, the closest to Henan, to spend the weekend. Relaxing and comfortable, it's also a city with good friends From one's own tiresome city to another's tiresome city, no matter what, it's joyful. A weekend full of rainy days is also a citywalk for strolling with friends. Let's count the places we've visited on our fingers. - 【Travel】Take the train to Heze Station, high-speed rail to Heze South Station. Friends from afar can fly to Peony Airport. - 【Aimless Strolling】Fun & Delicious Because I'm with good friends, although we're not very familiar, it's very joyful. - The way to treat guests is to go for snacks right after getting off the train on Friday night After a bath at home, at 1 a.m., we go to eat snacks right outside our house. Delicious powdered french fries, and the interesting skewers from the boss. Don't ask where! The ones under your own building are the best. - 'Wangyun Yifenli Homestyle Dishes' Saw others posting about how delicious it is 🤤 The restaurant is secluded and the environment is run-down, with a handwritten menu. The ingredients are neatly arranged, all stir-fried dishes. Generous portions! And very tasty. - 'Xiao Gao Xing' Because of the nice environment, my friend insisted on taking me to this shop. A very pretty bakery and dessert shop! The shop is quite large, with many elements, so it's great for taking photos. Surprisingly , there's also a small fountain, and at that time, the theme was roses. The desserts are big and not bad (forgot to take a picture) - 'What and Three' This shop is also very pretty, but not very noticeable on the roadside. The theme of the storefront at that time was roses and strawberry bears. - 'Heze Jiahe City' The supermarket on the basement floor of Jiahe City is really More in line with Shandong babies' Pange Lai, really similar. Found a treasure calligraphy stall in the trunk market 'Yi Shu Wen Ji' Various kinds of fans/keychains/bookmarks/small works, etc. are all so pretty You can even ask the boss to write content on the spot. Don't know where they will set up the trunk market next! - 'Heze Cathedral' Not religious but respectful, photography is allowed, just don't cause a disturbance. No need to make a special trip, but you can take a look if you pass by. - 'Caozhou Ancient City' You can't feel any atmosphere during a rainy day. It should look very nice at night! The nearby 'Zebra Grocery Store' has long been closed, But the graffiti in front of the door is still there, you can take photos~ - 'China Academy of Art Heze University Science and Technology Park' Came for this name, but it's really just a gimmick. The exhibition hall is not very complete, with only a few calligraphy works. - Overall, the city of Heze is still developing, But any place with good friends is fun!