The middle stretch of the Yellow River (Huanghe) is often regarded by the Chinese as the origin of China's civilization, and the section running through Henan province is no exception, giving birth to numerous legends and home to various historic figures.

 
Along with its cultural significance, the river is also one of the most beautiful sights in Henan; its wide, silted waters meander through this region, a party to one of the most serious soil erosion situations in the world. The river's slow winding ways are deceptive, as well, and the Chinese here are quick to recognize the river's alter ego, a serious flooding force that ruins households and destroys lives on a fairly regular basis.

 
Historically, the river has also had its fair share of turbulence and calm. In 1938 Chiang Kaishek, generalissimo of the ruling Nationalist Party (Guomindang), in desperate attempt to halt the progression of the Japanese into central China, blew the dikes that checked the gargantuan river. The resulting flood had little of the intended affect, preventing the Japanese advance for a few weeks, but killing over 1 million native Chinese, and rendering a further 10 million or more destitute. In 1947 the dike was repaired with American assistance, and remains to the present day, adorned with the Chairman Mao's famous words: "Control the Yellow River".

The Yellow River Park (Huanghe Youlan Qu) is located not far from Zhengzhou city, about 28km to the northwest, and is backed by the beautiful Yue Hill (Yue Shan). Today, this region has been set up as a leisure park, centered around the hill's Wulong Peak (Wulong Feng), dotted with pavilions and terraces. The peak itself is the best place to view the river, as it slows up in the last valley before running into the vast East China plains. The slowing down of the current here has led, over many thousands of years, to the deposition of silt and mud and the rising of the river bed, so that today the river flows at a level much higher that the area around, on built up (some artificially) banks. It is quite a view.

The park is also home to statues and memorials to the heroes and legends of the river region, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of the river as both a nurturer of Chinese civilization, and also its frequent destroyer. At the foot of the hill is a statue of a mother and son that is meant to represent the great mutual affection that the river and the people of China hold. The Yueshan Temple is probably the best of the sights here, within which there is a statue of the "Great Yu", the legendary king of ancient China. Most prominent of the statues, however, has to be the 100m tall statue of the emperor's Yan and Huang, who were both believed to be of Henan origin.