(yangyeoh.bokee.com)
Updated: 2008-04-29 10:10

 

Henan, an agricultural province in the middle-lower reaches of the Yellow River, is so named because a greater part of the province lies south of the Yellow River. One of the earliest developed regions in the country, it was a political and cultural center in ancient China. In the remote past, China was divided into nine geographical regions, and Henan was called the "Central Region" or "Central Plain" because it was situated in the middle of the nine regions. Henan has an area of 167,000 sq km and a population of 89.46 million. The provincial capital is Zhengzhou, a big industrial center straddling the intersection of the country's two major trunk railway lines -- the north-south Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and the east-west lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway that links Port Lianyungang to Lanzhou in Northwest China.

Climate: Henan has a continental climate of the north temperate zone, with hot, rainy summer, dry, inclement winter and windy spring. It has a mean annual temperature of 13°－15°C, increasing from north to south, an annual frost-free period of 6-8 months, and a mean annual precipitation of 600-900 mm, also increasing from north to south.

Topography: Henan's terrain slopes from west to east. It is bisected from north to south by the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, which is flanked on the west by hills and mountains and on the east by a vast plain. On its northwestern border is the Taihang range. The western mountain area includes the eastern extensions of the Qinling range -- the Yaoshan, Xiong'er, Waifang and Funiu mountains. Extending east from the Waifang Mountains is Songshan, one of the country's five sacred mountains, whose main peak towers 1, 440 meters above sea level. The low, flat Nanyang Basin in the southwest has always been a natural passage between north and south. On the southern border is the Tongbai range, which stretches east to adjoin the Dabei Mountains. The wide plain east of the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway is part of the North China Plain and the principal farming area of the province. Of the province's total area, mountains make up 26%, hills 18% and plains 56%.

The Yellow and Huaihe Rivers are Henan's main waterways. The Yellow River runs through the northern part of Henan from west to east for 700 kilometers. The Huaihe River flows through southern Henan from west to east for 300 kilometers.

Tourist Resources: As one of the major birthplaces of the Chinese civilization, Henan has several epoch-making archeological discoveries, including the Peiligang Culture Site dating back 7,000 years, Yanshao Culture Site of some 6,000 years ago, and Dahe Culture Site of more than 5,000 years ago. In ancient China, more than 20 dynasties established their capitals in Henan. Three of China's seven great ancient capitals are located in Henan: Anyang of the Shang Dynasty, Luoyang of nine dynasties and Kaifeng of seven dynasties. Three of ancient China's four great inventions, the compass, paper-making and gunpowder, were made in Henan. The province numbers first in the whole country in terms of underground cultural relics, and the second in existing cultural relics on the ground. The Yellow River, with numerous ancient relics and scenic attractions, also provides a rich tourist resource to Henan.