Henan
For the county in Qinghai, see Henan Mongol Autonomous County.Henan (), is a
province of the
People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-
character abbreviation is 豫 (
pinyin: yù), named after
Yuzhou Province (豫州 Yù Zhōu), a
Han Dynasty province (
zhou) that included parts of Henan. The name
Henan means "south of the
(Yellow) River" (Huang He).
With nearly 100 million people, Henan is the most populous province of China. It borders
Hebei to the north,
Shandong to the northeast,
Anhui to the southeast,
Hubei to the south,
Shaanxi to the west, and
Shanxi to the northwest.
Henan is often called
Zhongyuan (中原 zhōngyuán) or
Zhongzhou (中州 zhōngzhōu), literally "central plains" or "midland"; this name is also broadly applied to the entire
North China Plain. Henan is traditionally regarded as the source of
Chinese civilization.
Northern Henan, along the
Yellow River, was the core area of ancient China for at least the first half of Chinese history. The two cities of
Luoyang and
Kaifeng each served as the capital city of a long list of dynasties.
Archaeological sites reveal that prehistoric cultures such as the
Yangshao Culture and
Longshan Culture were active in what is now northern Henan. The
Erlitou culture, which has been controversially identified with the
Xia Dynasty, the first Chinese dynasty as described in Chinese records, was also centered in Henan.
The first literate dynasty of China, the
Shang Dynasty (
16th century BC -
11th century BC), was centered in Henan. Their last capital, Yin, was located at the modern city of
Anyang, Henan.
In the
11th century BC the
Zhou Dynasty arrived from the west and destroyed the Shang Dynasty. Their capital was located initially in Hao (near present day
Xi'an in
Shaanxi province). In
722 BC it was moved to
Luoyang, Henan. This began the
Eastern Zhou Dynasty, a period of warfare and rivalry. What is now Henan was divided into a variety of small states, including
Chen,
Cai,
Cao,
Zheng,
Wei (衛), and powerful
Jin from
Shanxi to the north. Later on these were replaced with
Han and
Wei (魏). Throughout this period the
state of Chu also held much of what is now southern Henan.
In
221 BC the
state of Qin from what is now
Shaanxi completed the unification of China, establishing the first unified Chinese state, the
Qin Dynasty. They were followed by the
Han Dynasty in
206 BC, which initially put its capital in
Chang'an (now
Xi'an,
Shaanxi). The second half of this dynasty (the
Eastern Han Dynasty) moved its capital to
Luoyang (now Luoyang, Henan).
The late
Eastern Han Dynasty saw war and rivalry between regional warlords. Henan was the power base of
Cao Cao, who was based in
Xuchang and eventually succeeded in unifying all of northern China under the
Kingdom of Wei. Wei then put its capital in
Luoyang. The Western
Jin Dynasty that followed also put its capital at
Luoyang.
In the
4th century nomadic peoples from the north invaded northern China. Henan then came under the rule of many successive regimes, including the
Later Zhao, the
Former Yan, the
Former Qin, the
Later Yan, and the
Later Qin. The
Northern Wei Dynasty, which unified North China in
439, moved its capital to
Luoyang in
493.
Northern Wei splintered in
534 and would not be restored until
589, when the
Sui Dynasty reunified China.
Sui Emperor Yang's costly attempt to relocate the capital from
Chang'an to
Luoyang contributed to the downfall of Sui.The
Tang Dynasty that followed kept its capital in
Chang'an (modern
Xi'an,
Shaanxi). The Tang lasted for three centuries, but eventually succumbed to internal strife.
In the
Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms that followed,
Kaifeng was the capital of four dynasties:
Later Liang Dynasty,
Later Jin Dynasty,
Later Han Dynasty, and
Later Zhou Dynasty. The
Song Dynasty that reunified China in
982 also had its capital at
Kaifeng. Under Song rule, China entered a golden age of culture and prosperity, and Kaifeng was the largest city in the world [
1]. In
1127, however, the Song Dynasty succumbed to
Jurchen (
Jin Dynasty) invaders from the north, and in
1142 had to cede away all of northern China, including Henan. By this point, cultural and economic development in the
Yangtze River delta region (modern southern
Jiangsu, northern
Zhejiang, and
Shanghai) had made that area into the new economic and cultural center of China, instead of Henan. Henan would forever lose this pre-eminent position.
The Jurchens kept their capital further north, at least until
1214, when they were forced to move the imperial court southwards to
Kaifeng in order to flee the
Mongol onslaught. In
1234 they succumbed to combined
Mongol and
Song Dynasty forces. Mongols took control, and in
1279 they conquered all of China.
Mongol rule over China ended in
1368. The
Ming Dynasty that followed set up the equivalent of modern Henan province, with borders extremely similar to modern ones. The capital was, however, at
Kaifeng instead of modern
Zhengzhou. The
Qing Dynasty (
1644-
1911) did not make any significant changes to this arrangement; nor did the
Republic of China in their rule over
Mainland China (
1911-
1949).
The completion of the
Pinghan Railway (Beiping (
Beijing) -
Hankou) made
Zhengzhou, a previously unnoted county town, into a major transportation hub. In
1954 the new
People's Republic of China government moved the capital of Henan from
Kaifeng to Zhengzhou. The PRC also established a short-lived
Pingyuan Province consisting of what is now northern Henan and western
Shandong, with capital
Xinxiang. This province was abolished in
1952.
In
1958, Yashan in
Suiping County, Henan became the first
people's commune of China, heralding the beginning of the
Great Leap Forward. In the subsequent famines of the early
1960s popularly attributed to the Great Leap Forward, Henan suffered terribly, with up to several million dead. [
2]
The collapse of the
Banqiao Dam and other dams in
1975 in southern Henan, following extraordinarily high levels of rainfall caused by a
typhoon, is estimated to have killed 230,000 people across several counties. This was the most deadly dam-related catastrophe in human history.
In recent years the prevalence of "blood selling" (blood donation with pay) among poor villagers has put Henan in the spotlight of the nation, after it was exposed that
AIDS villages, where most of the population is
HIV positive, have resulted because of poor sterilization techniques. The initial coverup of the crisis by local officials, followed by national exposure, has put Henan in a somewhat negative light.
Henan is flat in the east and mountainous in the west and extreme south. The eastern and central parts of Henan form part of the
North China Plain. To the northwest the
Taihang Mountains intrude partially into Henan's borders; to the west the
Qinling Mountains enter Henan from the west and end about halfway across Henan, with branches (such as the
Funiu Mountains) extending northwards and southwards. To the far south, the
Dabie Mountains separate Henan from neighbouring
Hubei province.
The
Yellow River passes through northern Henan. It enters from the northwest, via the
Sanmenxia Reservoir. After it passes
Luoyang, the Yellow River is raised upwards via natural
sedimentation and artificial construction onto a
levee, higher than the surrounding land. From here onwards, the Yellow River divides the
Hai He watershed to the north and the
Huai He watershed to the south. The
Huai He itself finds its origin in southern Henan. The southwestern corner of Henan, around
Nanyang, is part of the drainage basin of the
Han Shui River across the border in
Hubei.
There are many reservoirs in Henan. Major ones include the
Danjiangkou Reservoir on the border with
Hubei, the
Sanmenxia Reservoir, the
Suyahu Reservoir, the
Baiguishan Reservoir, the
Nanwan Reservoir, and the
Banqiao Reservoir.
Henan has a
temperate continental climate, with most rainfall in summer. Temperatures average about 0
°C in January, and 27 - 28
°C in July.
Major cities:
*
Zhengzhou*
Kaifeng*
Luoyang*
Xinxiang*
Anyang*
Luohe*
XuchangSee List of administrative divisions of Henan for a complete list of county-level divisionsHenan is divided into 17
prefecture-level divisions, all of them
prefecture-level cities, as well as 1 directly administered
county-level city.
The prefecture-level cities:
*
Zhengzhou (
Simplified Chinese: 郑州市;
Hanyu pinyin: Zhèngzhōu Shì)
*
Sanmenxia (三门峡市 Sānménxiá Shì)
*
Luoyang (洛阳市 Luòyáng Shì)
*
Jiaozuo (焦作市 Jiāozuò Shì)
*
Xinxiang (新乡市 Xīnxiāng Shì)
*
Hebi (鹤壁市 Hèbì Shì)
*
Anyang (安阳市 Ānyáng Shì)
*
Puyang (濮阳市 Púyáng Shì)
*
Kaifeng (开封市 Kāif"ng Shì)
*
Shangqiu (商丘市 Shāngqiū Shì)
*
Xuchang (许昌市 X"chāng Shì)
*
Luohe (漯河市 Luòhé Shì)
*
Pingdingshan (平顶山市 Píngdǐngshān Shì)
*
Nanyang (南阳市 Nányáng Shì)
*
Xinyang (信阳市 Xìnyáng Shì)
*
Zhoukou (周口市 Zhōuk'u Shì)
*
Zhumadian (驻马店市 Zhùmǎdiàn Shì)
The directly administered county-level city is more accurately described as a
sub-prefecture-level city:
*
Jiyuan (济源市 Jǐyuán Shì)
The 17
prefecture-level divisions and 1 directly administered
county-level city of Henan are subdivided into 159
county-level divisions (50
districts, 21
county-level cities, and 88
counties; Jiyuan is counted as a county-level city here). Those are in turn divided into 2440
township-level divisions (866
towns, 1234
townships, 12
ethnic townships, and 328
subdistricts).
Henan is the most populous province of China. If it were a nation in itself, it would be the 12th most populous country, just behind Mexico. Just under 99% of Henan's population is
Han Chinese, while
Hui take up about 1%.
Henan is a relatively poor province, though the speed of economic development has increased by an average of about 10% each year for the past twenty years -- since its reform and opening to the outside. In 2005, Henan's nominal GDP was 1.05 trillion RMB (US$131.68 billion), a year-on-year rise of 14.1%. Henan's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries are worth 184.3 billion RMB (US$23 billion), 553.93 billion RMB, and 315.28 billion RMB, respectively. Its per capita GDP topped 10,000 RMB (US$1,250) [
3]. An industrial system with light textile, food, metallurgy, petrol, building materials, chemical industry, machinery and electronics as the main body has been formed. Nearly 100 products, such as coal, industrial cord fabrics, fridges, aluminium, color glass cases, gold, meat products, tyres, chemical fibres, glass, cement, generated energy, and others take are an important part of the national market. Industrial sales reached 1 trillion RMB in 2005, 3.1 times the figure for 2000. [
4]
Henan is actively trying to build an open economy. In 2002, the total trade volume (import and export) was US$3.2 billion, including US$2.1 billion for export. 7,111 foreign enterprises have been approved, and foreign funds (
FDI) of US$10.64 billion have been used in contracts with a realized FDI of US$5.3 billion. Foreign exchanges are increasing continuously. Friendly provincial relationships have been established with 16 states (districts) in the United States, Japan, Russia, France, Germany, and others. Some cities of Henan have established friendly relationships (
sister city) with thirty-two foreign cities.
Henan is an agricultural province, leading the provinces of China in
wheat and
sesame production, and is third place overall in terms of total grain output.
Cotton,
rice, and
maize are also important crops in Henan.
There are several important centers of coal production in Henan, including
Pingdingshan, Yima, and
Jiaozuo.
Luanchuan County in western Henan is an important center of
molybdenum extraction.
Electricity generation is another important industry of Henan.
Most of Henan speaks dialects of
Mandarin. Linguists put these dialects into the category of "
Zhongyuan Mandarin". The northwestern corner of Henan is an exception, where people speak
Jin dialects instead. The dialects of Henan are collectively called "the
Henan dialect" in popular usage, with easily identifiable stereotypical features.
Henan opera is the local form of
Chinese opera; it is also famous and popular across the rest of China.
Henan Quju and
Henan Yuediao are also important local opera forms.
Henan cuisine is the local cuisine, with traditions such as the
Luoyang Shuixi (
Luoyang "Water Table", consisting entirely of various soups, etc.);
Xinyang Duncai (
Xinyang brewed vegetables), and the traditional
cuisine of Kaifeng.
Important traditional art and craft products include:
Junci, a type of porcelain originating in
Yuzhou noted for its unpredictable colour patterns; the
jade carvings of
Zhenping; and
Luoyang's
Tangsancai ("Tang Three Colours"), which are earthenware figurines made in the traditional style of the
Tang Dynasty.
Famous people from Henan include:
*
Hui Shi (380 BC - ?), philosopher.
*
Xu Shen (ca. 58-ca. 147), editor of the
Shuowen Jiezi.
*
Yuan Ji (210-263), poet.
*
Du Fu (712-770), considered one of the greatest of Chinese poets.
*
Han Yu (768-824), one of China's most famous prose writers and poets.
*
Li Shangyin (813-858), poet.
*
Cheng Hao (1032-1085) and brother
Cheng Yi (1033-1107),
Neo-Confucian philosophers.
*
Li Tang (c.1080-c.1130), painter.
*
Feng Youlan (1895-1990), philosopher.
Two important railway arteries, the
Jingguang Railway (
Beijing -
Guangzhou) and the
Longhai Railway (
Lianyungang -
Lanzhou), pass through Henan and cross at
Zhengzhou, the provincial capital. The
Jingjiu Railway (
Beijing -
Kowloon) also passes through Henan.
With the recent completion of the
Zhengzhou -
Xinxiang expressway, a continuous expressway now crosses Henan from north to south, as part of a longer line linking
Beijing with
Shenzhen. Another expressway crosses Henan from east to west, and more are being built.
Important airports include:
Xinzheng Airport, of Xinzheng.
Henan is located in the Yellow River valley and in a place where people of ancient times grew and developed. Earlier in the New Stone Age, the light of civilization had appeared and the delicate potteries in the Peiligang Culture and Yangshao Culture, and the character signs and musical instruments 8,000 years ago have filled the present world and the ancient times with wonders. There are
seven big ancient capitals in China, three of which are located in Henan:
Luoyang,
Kaifeng and
Anyang. Henan is one of the provinces which have the most historical relics in the country. There are 16 key national units of protecting historical relics and 267 provincial units of protecting historical relics. The over-ground historical relics are the second in China. Historical relics in museums takes up one eighth of those in China. And the underground historical relics are the first in China. In Henan Museum there are 120,000 historical relics, including over 40,000 rare ones. Henan is a perfect place for tourists to yearn for the past.
* Annual Peony Show in
Luoyang*
Mount Jigong, on the southern border
*
Mount Song, near
Dengfeng, one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China
*
Shaolin martial arts temple, on Mount Song
* The
Longmen Grottoes, near Luoyang, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000
*
White Horse Temple in Luoyang
Professional sports teams in Henan include:
*
Chinese Basketball Association**
Henan Dragons*
Chinese Football Association Jia League**
Henan JianyeMajor sites:
Shaolin TempleColleges and universities
Public (a partial list)
*
Zhengzhou University (郑州大学)[
5]
*
Henan University (河南大学)[
6]
*
Henan Agricultural University (河南农业大学) (founded 1913)
*
Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine(河南中医学院)
*
Henan University of Science and Technology*
Huanghe Science and Technology University (黄河科技学院)
*
North China Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Power (华北水利水"学院)
*
Shangqiu Normal Teacher's College(商丘师范学院)
*
Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management (郑州航空工业管理学院)
*
Zhengzhou University of Light Industry (郑州轻工业学院)
*
Zhongyuan Institute of Technology (中原工学院)
*
The Provincial Government of Henan*
Chinese Persecution of Religion*
Large map of Henan*
China Internet Information Center*
大河网News Center*
河南旅游网Henan Province Tourism Service Network*
河南文化网Nenan Culture Websites*[
7] The communist city of Nanjiecun - webpresence, engl.
