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China Information » Places in China » Henan Province
Places in China: Henan Province
It has been called the 'cradle of Chinese civilization' since it has been the venue for three of the ancient imperial sites of China with their capitals having been in Henan Province. Several ancient cities played major roles in Chinese history with Kaifeng having been the capital of seven dynasties.
Modern Henan Province is the second most populous province now. Only Sichuan is more populous. Farming and mineral reserves, including coal, are causes of the economic expansion in the province. The population density of Henan is 582 persons per square kilometre. The actual population is more than ninety-seven million. They occupy 167,000 square kilometres of land area.
The name of the province, Henan, has the literal meaning of "river south'. The provincial capital city of Zhengzhou is on a wide portion of the Yellow River (Huang He). The location of the province is near the centre of China. Shandong, Sha'anxi, Hebei, Shanxi and Anhui provinces border Henan. The Yellow River and the Huai He River provide ample water to irrigate the farming in the province. A dam was constructed on the Huai He River in the 1960s which helps to provide some of the water.
The dam on the Huai He, along with coal from the area, provides much of the energy for the region.
Cities in Henan Province which have been capitals of the country at times include Anyang (then known as Yin), Luoyang and Kaifeng (then known as Daling). Several famous Buddhist monks have been involved in the history of Henan as well. Many of the monasteries still exist as tourist attractions in the province.
Although surrounded by doubts, the Xia Dynasty had its base in Henan Province. Xia may have been China's first dynasty.
Being in the temperate zone, the climate in Henan is moderate with freezing occurring in the winter and summer temperatures reaching into the 80s.
About ninety-nine percent of the population in Henan are Han Chinese. Mongol and Manchu groups are also present in much smaller numbers.
Tourists enjoy visiting Henan, especially to see monks being trained at the Shaolin Temple as they learn wushi (Kung Fu). One of the oldest Buddhist temples in China is at Luoyan's White Horse Temple. There is so much to learn about ancient China's history from up to 3500 years in the past.
Pagodas, temples and museum await the tourist coming to absorb ancient China's past. Henan Province is one of the best places for this type of activity.
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