- Wade-Giles romanization:
- Cheng-chou
- Formerly (1913–49):
- Zhengxian
Zhengzhou
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What is Zhengzhou?
Zhengzhou is the capital city of Henan province in north-central China. It sits south of the Huang He (Yellow River) at the eastern edge of the Xiong’er Mountains. Since 1954, it has been the provincial capital.
Zhengzhou is a major transportation hub, serving as a crossing point for north-south and east-west routes. The Beijing-Hankou railway arrived in 1903, and the Longhai Railway connected it to other cities. Today, Zhengzhou is a major rail junction and regional center for agricultural products like cotton and grain.
The city has a rich history, with Neolithic settlements and the Shang Bronze Age culture. It was the capital of the Shang dynasty around 1500 BCE and later gained importance under the Sui, Tang, and early Song dynasties. Today, tourism is of great economic importance in the province.
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Where is Zhengzhou located in China?
Zhengzhou is the capital city of Henan province in China, located in the north-central part of the province, south of the Huang He (Yellow River). It lies where the river valley broadens into the great plain and at the eastern end of the Xiong’er Mountains. Zhengzhou is at the crossing of the north-south route skirting the Taihang Mountains and the mountains of western Henan, and the east-west route along the southern bank of the Huang He.
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Why is Zhengzhou considered an important city in China?
Zhengzhou is an important city in China because of its location and history. It stands at the intersection of a north-south route skirting the Taihang Mountains and an east-west route along the Huang He's southern bank.
As the capital of Henan province since 1954, Zhengzhou has been a significant administrative center. Archaeological discoveries reveal Neolithic settlements and the Shang Bronze Age culture. Under the Sui, Tang, and early Song dynasties, it achieved great importance as the terminus of the New Bian Canal. The arrival of the Beijing-Hankou railway in 1903 and the Longhai Railway in 1909 made it a major rail junction and regional center for agricultural produce. Today, Zhengzhou is also Henan’s cultural center, with many colleges, universities, and research institutes.
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What is the climate like in Zhengzhou?
Zhengzhou has a transitional climate, with cold winters and hot, humid summers. The average January temperature in the north of Henan is 28 °F (-2 °C), and in the south, 36 °F (2 °C). The average July temperature over the lowlands is 82 °F (28 °C), but in the western mountains, it is a degree or two lower.
The city gets an average rainfall of 23 inches (580 mm), most of which falls in the spring and summer. Hailstorms and dust storms can be highly destructive, and drought is common.
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What are some famous historical sites or landmarks in Zhengzhou?
Zhengzhou, noted by the national government for its historical and cultural significance, is near several famous sites.
The Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist monastery founded in 495 CE, lies on Mount Song's slopes near Zhengzhou. It is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese martial arts. Close to the temple, the Pagoda Forest contains 246 burial sites marked by diverse pagodas.
To the east of Zhengzhou are the remains found at Erligang, massive rammed-earth fortifications dating back to approximately 1600 BCE.
Downstream from Zhengzhou is the Yellow River, which broadens as it flows through the North China Plain in Henan province. The levees near Zhengzhou were purposely broken in 1938 to delay the advance of Japanese troops.
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How has Zhengzhou developed economically and culturally in recent years?
Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province since 1954, has experienced significant economic and cultural development in recent years. As the heart of a cotton-growing district, it has grown into a major industrial city, particularly in textiles, food processing, and machinery. Emphasis has shifted to consumer goods like electronics and textiles.
Culturally, Henan province is known as the cradle of the Chinese nation and Zhengzhou is one of several cities noted for its historical and cultural importance. The city is also the cultural center of the province, hosting many colleges, universities, and research institutes.
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Zhengzhou, city and capital of Henan sheng (province), China. Located in the north-central part of the province, it is situated to the south of the Huang He (Yellow River), where its valley broadens into the great plain and at the eastern extremity of the Xiong’er Mountains. The city is at the crossing point of the north-south route skirting the Taihang Mountains and the mountains of western Henan and the east-west route along the southern bank of the Huang He. Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan since 1954, forms a prefecture-level shi (municipality).
Since 1950, archaeological finds have shown that there were Neolithic settlements in the area and that the Shang Bronze Age culture, which flourished there from about 1500 bce, was centered on a walled city. Outside this city, in addition to remains of large public buildings, a complex of small settlements has been discovered. The site is generally identified with the Shang capital of Ao. The Shang, who continually moved their capital, left Ao, perhaps in the 13th century bce. The site, nevertheless, remained occupied; Zhou (post-1050 bce) tombs have also been discovered. Traditionally, it is held that in the Western Zhou period (1111–771 bce) it became the fief of a family named Guan. From this derives the name borne by the county since the late 6th century bce—Guancheng (“City of the Guan”). The city first became the seat of a prefectural administration in 587 ce, when it was named Guanzhou. In 605 it was first called Zhengzhou—a name by which it has been known virtually ever since. It achieved its greatest importance under the Sui (581–618 ce), Tang (618–907), and early Song (960–1127) dynasties, when it was the terminus of the New Bian Canal, which joined the Huang He to the northwest. There, at a place called Heyin, a vast granary complex was established to supply the capitals at Luoyang and Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) to the west and the frontier armies to the north. In the Song period, however, the transfer of the capital eastward to Kaifeng robbed Zhengzhou of much of its importance.
In 1903 the Beijing-Hankou railway arrived at Zhengzhou, and in 1909 the first stage of the Longhai Railway gave it an east-west link to Kaifeng and Luoyang; it was later extended eastward to the coast at Lianyungang, in Jiangsu province, and westward to Xi’an, in Shaanxi province as well as to western Shaanxi. Zhengzhou thus became a major rail junction and a regional center for cotton, grain, peanuts (groundnuts), and other agricultural produce. Early in 1923 a workers’ strike began in Zhengzhou and spread along the rail line before it was suppressed; a 17-story double tower in the center of the city commemorates the strike. In 1938, during the war with Japan, the retreating Chinese Nationalist Army blew up the dikes retaining the Huang He about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the city, flooding a vast area. About the same time, in their drive to relocate industry in the interior far from the invading Japanese, the Chinese transferred all the local industrial plants to the west.
When the People’s Republic was established in 1949, Zhengzhou was a commercial and administrative center, but it had virtually no industry. Because it was the center of a densely peopled cotton-growing district, it was developed into an industrial city, with industry concentrated on the west side so that the prevailing northeast winds would blow fumes away from the city. There are cotton-textile plants, spinning mills, textile-machinery works, flour mills, tobacco and cigarette factories, and various food-processing plants; coal is mined nearby. Zhengzhou also has a locomotive and rolling-stock repair plant, a tractor-assembly plant, and a thermal power-generating station. The city’s industrial growth has resulted in a large increase in population, primarily of industrial workers from the north. Trees have been planted throughout the city’s metropolitan area, holding down the sand that formerly blew in thick gusts through the city. A water-diversion project and pumping station, built in 1972, provide irrigation for the surrounding countryside. Zhengzhou is Henan’s cultural center, with many colleges, universities, and research institutes located there. Pop. (2002 est.) city, 1,170,828; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 2,636,000.