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Henan is predominantly an agricultural province, in the middle-lower Yellow River valley, its name
derived from the greater part of the province's lying south of the Yellow River. One of the earliest developed regions
in the country; it was a political and cultural centre in ancient China.
In the distant past, China was divided into nine geographical regions, and Henan was called
the ‘Central Region’ or ‘Central Plain’ because it was situated in the centre of the nine regions. Henan
has an area of 167,000 square kilometres and a population of 89,460,000.
The provincial capital of Zhengzhou is a major industrial centre straddling the intersection of the
country's two major trunk lines - the north-south Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and the east-west Longhai Railway that links
Port Lianyungang to Lanzhou in north-west China.
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Sanmenxia Reservoir & generating station |
Climate: Henan has a north temperate zone continental climate, with hot, rainy summer, dry,
inclement winter and windy spring. It has a mean annual temperature of 13º15ºC, an annual frost-free period of 6-8
months, and a mean annual precipitation of 600-900 millimetres, with higher precipitation in the south.
Geography: Henan's terrain slopes from west to east. It is bisected
longitudinally 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 north-western border lies the Taihang range.
The western mountains 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 metres above sea level.
The low, flat Nanyang Basin in the southwest has always been a natural pass 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 comprise 26% of the land mass, 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 kilometres. The Huaihe River flows through southern Henan from west to
east for 300 kilometres.
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Longmen Caves with the Fengxian Si shrine |
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Tourism: As one of the major birthplaces of the Chinese civilization, Henan has several
epoch-making archaeological 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.
Chinese
cave temples, carved into the rock of a high riverbank south of Luoyang, in Henan province, are world reknowned.
Construction began late in the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 386–535) and continued sporadically
through the 6th century and the Tang dynasty. Delicately crafted to create ethereal effects in stone, the temples
contain images of the Buddha clothed as a Chinese scholar. Work at Longmen culminated in 672–675 with the construction
of a monumental shrine known as Fengxian Si, which includes a seated Buddha more than 35 feet/10.7 metres high.
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. Henan is the premier province with respect to underground
cultural relics, and only second in standing cultural relics.
The Yellow River, with numerous ancient relics and scenic attractions, also provides a rich tourist
resource to Henan.
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Copyright © 2001-2004 Javisa International Ltd and others - All rights
claimed and asserted - Javisa Travel ® © |
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