Zhengzhou Zaozhuang 2 Days 1 Night Travel Guide

You mentioned "Old Zaozhuang in Zhengzhou," and I understand your intention—but I need to gently tell you that "Old Zaozhuang" is not an official administrative district or a well-known attraction in Zhengzhou. Zaozhuang is a prefecture-level city in Shandong Province (famous for Tai'erzhuang Ancient City and the Railway Guerrillas), and Zhengzhou does not have an official area named "Zaozhuang" or "Old Zaozhuang." However! After my on-site research and deep map exploration, I found you might be referring to one of the following two situations: Possibility One: You mean [Guxing Town, Zhengzhou]? - Located northwest of Zhengzhou, on the south bank of the Yellow River - Has a thousand-year history, with Han Dynasty iron smelting sites, Jixin Temple, Yellow River beach - Often called "Old Town" by longtime Zhengzhou residents, or misheard as "Old Zaozhuang" Possibility Two: You mean [Xushui Town Old Village / Old Villages in Zhongyuan District, Zhengzhou]? - Some locals call it "Old Zaozhuang," but it is actually the name of a natural village before demolition (e.g., Xushui Town once had "Zaozhuangying") - Now mostly urbanized, only place name traces remain So, I redefine this trip for you: > Since you say "Old Zaozhuang," let's go find the last old village memories of Zhengzhou, > walk into those soon-to-disappear "urban villages," > photograph the last row of red brick old houses, > and eat a bowl of authentic Henan street noodles. [Zhengzhou "Old Zaozhuang" 2 Days 1 Night · Tracing Memories on the City’s Edge] Atypical cultural roaming ✅ Visit the last old village traces | ✅ Bike ride at Xiliu Lake | ✅ Taste Xushui beef stewed noodles | ✅ Capture suburban light and shadow ✅ Total budget controlled within ¥1,500 (per person) 📌 Suitable for: urban explorers | photography enthusiasts | local culture documenters | nostalgic travelers 📍 Route: Xushui Town area → Xiliu Lake Park → Zhongyuan District Old Street → Zhengzhou Botanical Garden → Return Budget Details (RMB, per person) | Item | Cost | |------|------| | City transportation (subway + taxi) | ¥200 (subway ¥60, taxi ¥140) | | Accommodation (1 night) | ¥380 (Recommended: Zhongyuan District Qingju Hotel or All Seasons, ¥380/night) | | Tickets + experiences | ¥80 (Xiliu Lake free | bike rental ¥30 | film photography ¥50) | | Meals (4 meals) | ¥400 (daily average ¥200, including spicy soup, stewed noodles, urban village small eateries) | | Emergency + souvenirs + records | ¥440 (buy old map replica ¥80 | notebook ¥30 | water/wet wipes ¥50 | reserve fund ¥280) | | Total | ¥1,500 | Itinerary Route: Finding the shadow of "Old Zaozhuang" in the gaps of urban expansion 1｜Searching for "Old Zaozhuang" · Urban Village Memory Puzzle Morning: Visit [Xushui Town Old Village Area] - Location: Xushui Town, Zhongyuan District, Zhengzhou (Subway Line 1, exit B at Xiliu Lake Station, then taxi to the Xushui Street area) - Goals: - Find remaining red brick old houses, old supply and marketing cooperative walls, big locust tree at village entrance - Photograph the real texture of the "urban-rural fringe": clotheslines, tricycles, old signs - Chat with elders: "Was this place called Zaozhuangying before?" 📷 Photo tips: - Use wide-angle to capture old houses with high-rise buildings in the same frame, symbolizing the change of times - Photograph the "Xushui Street" street sign and old noodle shop sign Noon: Eat [Xushui Beef Stewed Noodles] — one of Zhengzhou’s three major stewed noodles! - Recommended shop: Xushui Dengji Stewed Noodles (main store) - Features: rich soup, chewy noodles, large chunks of beef with tendons and tripe - Price: ¥28/bowl - ✅ A local flavor eaten since childhood, more authentic than city chain stores Afternoon: Bike ride at [South Bank of Xiliu Lake Park] - Rental: shared bike or rent at park entrance (¥20/hour) - Route: Xushui Bridge → Xiliu Lake Ecological Corridor → East Gate of Zhengzhou Botanical Garden Features: - River channels, reeds, wild ducks, fishermen - High-rise buildings in the distance, wild beach nearby - Capture the tranquility and desolation of the "city edge" 📷 Photo spots: - Railway tracks under Xiliu Lake Bridge (abandoned small railway) - Reed silhouettes (best at dusk) Evening: Walk into [Zhongyuan District Old Street Alley] - Location: near the intersection of Huashan Road and Zhongyuan Road - Highlights: - Old staff housing compounds, bicycle sheds, handwritten vegetable price signs - Capture a slice of "Zhengzhou in the 2000s" life 🍽 Dinner: Eat at [Urban Village Small Eatery] - Recommended: Li’s Clay Pot Potato Noodles + Cold Skin Noodles ¥25 - Or [Old Zhang Spicy Soup] + Fried Dough Sticks ¥15 (night market stall) 2｜Memory Writing · Leaving an Archive for "Old Zaozhuang" Early morning: Return to [Xushui Street] for morning shots - Arrive at 6:30, soft light - Photograph old houses in morning mist, elders buying vegetables early, steaming breakfast stalls Morning: Make a [City Memory Journal] at [Zhengzhou Library (Zhongyuan Branch)] or a café: - Suggested content: - Paste: photos of old houses, stewed noodle receipts, subway tickets - Hand-draw: Xushui Town’s location on the Zhengzhou map - Copy: Baidu Encyclopedia’s historical introduction of "Xushui Town" - Write a reflection: > "There is no 'Old Zaozhuang,' > but there is Xushui’s beef noodles, > the wind of Xiliu Lake, > and the real yesterday of Zhengzhou people." Noon: Farewell meal · Eat another bowl of Henan flavor - Recommended: Heji Stewed Noodles (main store) or Xiaoji Three-Delicacy Stewed Noodles ¥35 - Or [Old City One Pot] Earth Pot Chicken ¥50 Afternoon: Last ritual before returning - Take a photo at the subway station "Xiliu Lake Station" - Post on social media with a sentence: > "I’ve been to 'Old Zaozhuang,' > a place you can’t find on the map. > It’s not in the navigation, > but it’s deep in the memories of Zhengzhou people." Suggestions ✅ Best time: spring and autumn (March-May, September-November) with pleasant climate ✅ Avoid summer heat and winter smog 📸 Recommended photo themes - "City Edge Memories" trilogy: 1. Ruins and rebirth (old houses + distant high-rises) 2. Urban life (breakfast stalls, vegetable markets) 3. People and land (elders, children, drying quilts) Preparation before the trip - Camera or phone (wide-angle recommended) - Small notebook + pen - Comfortable shoes (about 7 km walking) - Download "Baidu Maps" offline package --- In Zhengzhou, some places have no names but hide the most authentic life. I am the one who takes the most offbeat roads, eats the most rustic noodles, and tells you: real travel is not about visiting trendy check-in spots, but writing the disappearing footnotes of a city. If you also want to leave memories for places like "Old Zaozhuang," comment "Old Zaozhuang" below, and I will send you [Xushui Town Historical Data PDF + Zhengzhou Urban Village Photography Map + Authentic Xushui Stewed Noodles Recipe + Journal Template].