With the winter vacation coming up, many parents in Nanyang, Henan province, are planning to go on a trip with their children.

Actually, many tourist attractions in Nanyang itself are famous outside the city. Following are some good choices for children to spend a happy winter vacation.

Ye's Grand Courtyard

The Ye's Grand Courtyard [Photo / Nanyang Daily]

The Ye's Grand Courtyard is 1.5 kilometers away from Tongbo county. It covers a total area of 70 mu (4.67 hectares); 7,500 square meters are devoted to main buildings. The original owner of the courtyard, Ye Fengyu, a local cultured gentleman, expanded the house in the period of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (AD1636-1912). At present, it has 11 yards, 194 rooms and one garden.

China's first headwork

Panorama of China's first headwork in Taocha village, Xichuan county, Nanyang [Photo / Nanyang Daily]

Taocha village in Xichuan county used to have no claim to fame. But it is now widely known as the location of China's first headwork.

Taocha is at the origin of the South-to-North Diversion Project. The water diversion benefits hundreds of millions of people in 20 large and medium size cities and more than 100 counties. The main canal is 1,432 kilometers long and the average annual quantity of water diversion is 9.5 billion cubic meters.

The South-to-North Diversion Project is the largest-scale water conservancy project of mankind so far. It connects the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River and the Haihe River by three water transfer routes, creating a miracle in human water diversion history.

Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park

The time tunnel of the Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park [Photo / Nanyang Daily]

The Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park is a national 5A-level scenic spot with the title of "Henan characteristic cultural base". Integrating science popularization, sightseeing, recreation, relaxation and scientific research, the park includes a geological science popularization square, a dinosaur egg fossil museum, a dinosaur egg relic and a simulation dinosaur park. The oryctocoenosis of dinosaur eggs of the cretaceous period excavated here is called "The Ninth Wonder of the World".

The dinosaur egg fossil museum covers an area of 35 mu and the area of structure is 2,200 square meters. The museum not only has dinosaur eggs and bone fossils, but also has a 4D cinema, a time tunnel showing life evolution and a knowledge gallery.

Neixiang Local Magistrate's Office

Folklore performance at the Neixiang Local Magistrate's Office [Photo / Nanyang Daily]

The Neixiang Local Magistrate's Office can be dated back to the eighth Dade Year of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1304). It has 18 yards and 280 rooms in total. As a "Living fossil of the county-level government office of feudal China" and a "China couplets culture key educational base", the Neixiang Local Magistrate's Office is of great significance for education about social values of traditional Chinese culture.

By Feng Lu and edited by Peter Nordlinger