Xu Shen Cultural Park

Xu Shen Cultural Park is a national AAAA scenic area of about 150 mu on Longjiang East Road in Zhaoling District, Luohe, in Henan province, China. It is built around the national-level tomb of Xu Shen, the Han dynasty scholar who compiled the Shuowen Jiezi, the earliest systematic Chinese character dictionary. Luohe claims him as a native son, and the park is the city's principal monument to the written word. Visitors walk a processional layout in which the tomb is the centrepiece and the surrounding grounds explain how Chinese characters were classified. The Six Scripts stone pillars illustrate the traditional categories of character formation, Chinese Characters Avenue lines the approach with carved examples, and a character archway marks the entrance sequence. A Shuowen Jiezi dictionary museum covers the book's compilation, later editions and Xu Shen's place in philology, while a Word Saint Temple honours him as the patron of the script. The park suits readers and calligraphy enthusiasts more than casual sightseers, because most of the interest lies in the inscriptions and the story behind them rather than in dramatic scenery. A full visit takes two to three hours at a relaxed pace. Mornings in spring and autumn are the most comfortable, with softer light for photographing the stone pillars and the archway and cooler temperatures for walking the grounds. Summer afternoons can be hot with limited shade on the open plazas. The park is not a mass-tourism venue, so crowds are typically light on weekdays and somewhat heavier on public holidays and school group days. It lies about 8 km from the city centre, and a taxi or DiDi from Luohe station costs roughly ¥20-35. Listed admission starts from ¥30, although some sources report ¥60, so confirming the price at the gate is sensible. One guide reports winter Monday closures, so checking before travelling avoids a wasted trip.