Nanyang

Canal head of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Xichuan county, Nanyang city. [Photo/Information Office of Henan Provincial People's Government]

Located in southwestern Henan, bordering Hubei and Shaanxi, Nanyang covers an area of 26,509 square kilometers with a permanent resident population of 9,713,112 (the 7th national census) and administers 1 county-level city, 10 counties and 2 districts.

Nanyang is a famous historic and cultural city and was called “Wan” in ancient times. During the Warring States Period, Nanyang was one of the most well-known iron-smelting centers in China. In the Western Han Dynasty, it developed into one of the six metropolises in the country. It was in Nanyang that Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, rose to power, thus it was also called “Nandu (South Capital)” and “Dixiang (Emperor’s Hometown)”. Nanyang has bred a great number of historic celebrities, such as Zhang Heng who was called the sage of science, Zhang Zhongjing who was called the sage of traditional Chinese medicine, Zhuge Liang who was a famous master of strategy. Funiu Mountain, with majestic and multifarious scenery, was included on the list of Global Geoparks by the UNESCO in 2006. Xixia Dinosaur Egg Museum is the only one built on the original place where dinosaur egg fossils were found.

Competitive industries including new energy, photovoltaics, electric power, alkali, advanced manufacturing, super-hard materials and textile have taken shape in Nanyang. With centralized production of grain, cotton, edible oil and tobacco, Nanyang is praised as ”A Barn of Central China”. Nanyang’s yellow cattle are one of the five finest breeds in China. It is also one of the most densely-distributed areas of mineral products, with 84 kinds of minerals proven in 468 places. Among them, the reserves of trona and andalusite rank first in Asia and that of kyanite and rutile rank first in China. Jade produced here, called “Oriental Jadeite”, is one of the four major kinds in China owing to its gorgeous colors.

Jiaozuo-Zhicheng Railway and Nanjing-Xi’an Railway traverse Nanyang respectively from the north to the south and from the east to the west. Crisscrossed Lankao-Nanyang Expressway and Shanghai-Xi’an Expressway contribute greatly to the development of its towns and industries. Nangyang Airport is one of the three major civil airports in Henan and the city is confirmed as a National Highway Transportation Hub.

Nanyang has established the sister city relationship with Nanyo of Japan, Gath of Israel, Chuncheon of Korea and two other cities.