Henan Travel Guide

Henan Facts

Chinese Name: 河南 (hé nán)
Abbreviation: Yu
Population: 109,060,000
Area: 167,000 square kilometers (64,479 square miles)
Location: in the east-central of China
Administrative Division: 18 cities (Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Pindingshan, Anyang, Hebi, Xinxiang, Jiaozuo, Puyang, Xuchang, Luohe, Sanmenxia, Nanyang, Shangqiu, Xinyang, Zhoukou, Zhumadian, Jiyuan); 21 county-level cities; 83 counties; 53 directs
GDP (2019): CNY 5,425.92 billion (USD 786.48 billion)

Cradle of Chinese Civilization & China’s Most Populous Province

Henan is located in the east-central of China and borders with Anhui and Shandong to the east, Shanxi and Hebei to the north, Shaanxi to the west and Hubei to the south. At present, Henan is China’s most populous province with more than 100 million inhabitants. The name of the province Henan comes from its geographic location. Henan means 'the south of the river', indicating that the province lies in the south of China's Yellow River. Given the superior location, Henan is an important comprehensive transportation hub. It is also the cradle of Chinese Civilization since it had been the political, economic and cultural center of the country for more than 3,000 years. More than 20 dynasties set their capitals here and the four great inventions of ancient China all originated from Henan. A visit to Henan is like a talk with many historical sites. While traveling to Henan, you cannot miss the Zhengzhou's Shaolin Temple, Luoyang's Longmen Grottoes, Sanmenxia’s Hangu Pass, and Kaifeng City Wall.

Cities in Henan

When to Go

Martial Art Performance, Shaolin Temple

Henan has a humid warm-temperate climate. Dry and windy in winter and spring, the province is hot and rainy in summer and bakes in strong sunlight during the autumn months. Rainfall averages about 600-1,000 millimeters increasing from north to south, as does the annual temperature which increases from about 12.8

C in the north to 15.5

C in the south.

History

Henan province is considered the cradle of Chinese civilization due to its location on the Yellow River. This rich historic heritage has endowed it with numerous historic treasures, from primitive dwellings to earliest wheel thrown pottery. The remains of some of the earliest human settlements have been unearthed here, including the over 7,000-year-old Peiligang Culture Site, the 6000-year-old Yangshao Culture Remains and the 5000-year-old Dahe Culture Remains. All these cultural remains have profound significance in the history of Chinese civilization.

Luoyang City has been the capital of nine dynasties since the time of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC-221BC). There are many historical sites to be viewed in Luoyang as well as the opportunity to purchase replicas of the famed Tang three-glaze horses. Luoyang's Longmen Grottoes, famous for its grand treasure trove of Chinese Buddhist statues, are located 12km (7 miles) south of Luoyang. First sculpted and chiseled around 493 AD when the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) was moved from Datong City to Luoyang, the grottoes of Luoyang house an awe-inspiring collection of sculpted Buddha and other religious subjects.

Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang

Painted Figure Maid Servant, Luoyang Museum

Painted Figure Maids, Luoyang Museum

Kaifeng, one of the ancient capitals, also boasts the following buildings worthy of a visit: Iron Pagoda (Tie Ta) of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Dragon Pavilion (Long Ting) - site of imperial palace of the Song and Jin dynasties - and the 1400-year-old Xiangguo Temple which is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China. Also on view in Kaifeng are ruins of the Shang Dynasty, an important part of human cultural and historic heritage. The Shang Dynasty Ruins, also known as the 'Yin Ruins', are famous because of the unique style of the large palace and its grand mausoleums, in which emperors of the Shang Dynasty are buried. The bronze vessels of the Shang Dynasty, which were both finely decorated and popularly used by the citizens of the Shang Dynasty, are well-known at home and abroad.