A Half-Day Adventure in Zhengzhou: Savoring Cuisine and Relaxation

How to Spend a Half-Day in Zhengzhou！？

—— A College Student's Random Tips

So, I just took the high-speed train to Zhengzhou East Station, had a 5-hour layover, and ended up rushing around and eating a ton. Almost missed my train, but it was totally worth it! I’ve noted down my route, the pitfalls, and the waiting times, so you can just copy my homework.

My Half-Day Rush Timeline

1️⃣ Mixue Ice City Headquarters: Easy to Check In Right Out of the Station

Exit the east square of Zhengzhou East Station, and look up to see the Snow King building diagonally across; it’s a 3-5 minute walk.

• Limited Items: Mint chocolate sundae (refreshing, not too sweet), grape sundae (got real fruit bits).
• Surrounding Area: Toys, building blocks, snacks, claw machines—grabbed a mini snow king keychain for just 10 bucks.
• Wait Time: On a weekday before noon, there were 8 people ahead; it took 10 minutes. I heard weekends can start from 30 minutes.
• Little Tip: After buying, ask the staff for dry ice bags; the sundae won’t melt for 20 minutes, so you can carry it to the next stop.

2️⃣ Financial Island: A Business Area with Lake Breezes

You can tell the taxi driver to head to “Financial Island, Zone 12.” The whole island is half-circle around a lake, and it takes about 10 minutes to walk around.

• Food:
  • A-Ping’s Tomato Beef Brisket: The tomato flavor is so rich, I wanted to mix it with three bowls of rice; the beef brisket is tender and doesn’t get stuck in your teeth.
  • Zheng Tan Fried Chicken: I packed some sweet and spicy chicken wings to munch on.
  • Fan Xing Noodle House: Too crowded to try this time, but next time for sure.
• Shopping:
  • Trend Shops: There are tons on the second floor of Zone 1; prices aren’t too friendly for students, but photos are free.
  • Cafés: NineT and Wild Dog Store are also on the second floor, so perfect to check them out together.

3️⃣ NineT Record Café: Window Seats Are Photo Spots

The café isn’t very big, but it’s stuffed with record walls, CD players, and turntables.

• Order: I got the “Secret That Cannot Be Told”—grapefruit + oolong + bubbles, sweet and sour.
• Photography: The window seats face the lake, and when the wind blows, my hair looks amazing.
• Cost: Around 35 yuan per person; you can stay until closing with no one rushing you.
• Note: There are only 2 window seats, so first come, first served; other seats are backlit and don’t take great photos.

4️⃣ Yonghui Supermarket: Shopping for Fat Dong Lai Alternatives

Tell the driver “Yonghui Supermarket (Zheng Hong City Store),” it’s about a 10-minute taxi ride from Financial Island.

• Fat Dong Lai Favorites: Tomato juice, red sausage, and cereal can be found on the bottom shelf of the import section, tagged “DL favorites.”
• Deli Section: Half a roasted chicken for 19.9 yuan, fresh cut and ready to eat; buy-one-get-one deals for bread after 3 PM.
• Checkout: Self-service checkout is fast, but the manual line can take 5 minutes or more.

5️⃣ Zhengzhou Botanical Garden “Arc de Triomphe”: Pretending I’m in Paris

When you enter the main gate of the botanical garden, walk right for 200 meters to see the white arch.

• Photos: The arch + lawn + blue sky; my phone doesn’t take a bad shot here.
• Timing: I got there at 2 PM—backlit but very few people, so I could pose freely.
• Note: I didn’t explore the garden since I heard it requires a 10 yuan ticket. If you’re in a hurry, just take photos at the entrance.

If I Had One More Hour, I Would Go…

• Shaolin Temple: A 1-hour taxi ride each way, a student ticket costs 40 yuan, and there’s a 30-minute kung fu show, but I wouldn’t make it back for my 3 PM train; I’ll definitely hit it up next time.
• Zhengzhou Botanical Garden: The entrance fee is 10 yuan; there's a tropical greenhouse inside, and I’ve heard it’s great for photos, very “Southeast Asia.”

Finally, A Little Whisper

People in Zhengzhou are really friendly; I was called “little girl” three times when I asked for directions—almost felt like a local. After this half-day tour, I spent 200 yuan and took 300 photos. I sprinted to the platform just 3 minutes before the train check, which was thrilling but super fun.