Amazing Henan - Where China Began

Henan Profile

Name: Henan, ("Yu" for short )

Provincial Capital: Zhengzhou City

Territory: 167,000 square kilometers

Population: 99,365,519 (the 7th national census)

GDP (Gross Domestic Product): 588.741 billion yuan (2021)

Total Import and Export Volume: 820.81 billion yuan (2021)

Grain Output: 130.884 billion jin

Location: central-eastern China, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River

Introduction

Henan is the cradle of the Chinese nation and civilization and birthplace of the Yellow Emperor, common ancestor of all Han Chinese. It's the place where the ancient Silk Road began in the East and home for all Chinese. Throughout the 5000-year history of the Chinese civilization, Henan has been the country's political, economic and cultural center for over 3000 years. Of the top eight ancient capitals in China, four are located in Henan, and 73 of the 100 most common Chinese surnames originate in the province.

As the most populous province in China, Henan has a large population, abundant human resources and vast consumption market. Ideally located, the province serves as the country's transport hub, and center for human resources, logistics and information. It's the breadbasket and major food processor of China and takes the lead in agriculture as the country's primary producer of grain and agricultural products. It develops rapidly and represents a major provincial economy in China with flourishing emerging industries. The province is also a front-runner of opening up in inland China with a GDP ranking 5th in the country.

In recent years, many state-level initiatives have been launched in Henan, including the Rise of Central China and Ecological Conservation and High-Quality Development of the Yellow River Basin. Henan gains an increasingly important position in China's balanced development and opening up, presenting enormous opportunities to unlock its potential. Going forward, Henan will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continue to promote high quality development, and play an active role in Ecological Conservation and High-Quality Development of the Yellow River Basin and the Rise of Central China in an endeavor to to write a new chapter of a more splendid Henan in a new era.

Amazing Henan - Where China Began

In human history, many ancient and splendid civilizations were born and died. China is the only country with uninterrupted human civilization. Chinese civilization was born on the shores of the Yellow River in 2,800 BC. And the fertile land where Chinese civilization began is Henan Province.

The yellow river traverses central Henan. It is China’s main north-to-south and east-to-west artery. China’s most ancient tribal leaders the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor were born here. Even today, Chinese people all over the world still call each other the descendants of these two emperors.

Old Town of Xunxian county, Hebi city. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

The magnificent river holds an unshakable position in the heart of every Chinese, worshiped by every generation and called “the mother river”. With wit, dillegence and tenacity, Chinese descendants pursue co-existence and common prosperity on this land. The 5,000 km Yellow River breaks the last barrier and flows into the broad plain, forming the cradle of Chinese civilization.

With 2,000 years’ history, the Yellow River has nourished 13 dynasties’ capital Luoyang, 10 dynasties’ capital Kaifeng and the biggest economic center in its basin - Zhengzhou.

In the long history of China, there were 20 dynasties, over 200 emperors built or moved their capital here. This lasted for over 3,200 years. That left many valuable cultural relics in Henan. There of them are listed as world cultural heritage sites, including “the Center of Heaven and Earth”, the Longmen Grottoes and Yin Dynasty Ruin.

Simuwu Rectangle Ding, the largest bronze utensil discovered in Anyang. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

In ancient Chinese cosmology, China was regarded as the center of the heaven and earth, and the center of China was Dengfeng. Therefore, Dengfeng became the popular location for the capitals and cultural center of early dynasties.

The three mainstream cultures, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism set up base here to carry forward their culture. And the essence lies in the buildings of “the Center of Heaven and Earth”, which have the longest history, most building types and the richest cultural connotations.

Writing is one of the most important manifestations of civilization. The oracle bone inscriptions found in the Yin Dynasty Ruins in Anyang, top the ten greatest archaeological discoveries in 20th century. As some of the oldest characters in the world, their cultural significance is remarkable. Fortunately, we can still enjoy their everlasting charm in the Ruins of Yin Dynasty.

The "Silk Road in the Air" promotes Henan's opening-up. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

If characters are the manifestation of abstract civilization, stone inscription can be seen as the concrete representation of civilization. Longmen Grottoes, the magnificent stone carving complex in ancient China, with its over 100,000 statues stretching along one kilometer, was completed in pieces over 400 years from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty until the Northern Song Dynasty. It represents the highest achievement in the art of sculpture, which is a real the treasure in China in terms of religion, fine arts, architecture and calligraphy.

In the long history of Chinese civilization, we may feel that the unique Chinese characteristics are all around us and within us, which is to a large extent reflected in Kungfu. Kungfu or martial arts can only be mastered through hard work and practice, which contains rich yet profoundChinese philosophy, whether in curing diseases and improving health, or in subduing the enemy and preventing conflict, Kungfu can even have an effect on the daily lives of Kungfu fighters.

China Railway Express between Zhengzhou and Europe. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

“All styles or schools of martial art originate from Shaolin Temple”. Today, Shaolin Kungfu has become a window of Chinese culture to the world, which also turns Shaolin Temple into the most influential ‘holy land’of martial arts in the world.

Moreover, Tai Chi or Shadow Boxing, another school of Kungfu in Chinese martial art culture, was born here as well. It’s said that when a fighter surnamed Chen saw the symbol of Tai Chi in a place named Chenjiagou where two rivers flowed together, he then founded the world-famous school of martial art - Tai Chi. After realizing that the universe consisits of Yin and Yang, Tai Chi, because of its combination of Chinese Confucianism Taoism, Oriental Inclusive Concept, and unremitting effort to the unity of nature and man, can help attain the goals of self-cultivation and longevity.

Chinese civilization with it’s thousands of years of history is just like an old man, remaining stubborn, tenacious, intelligent and industrious. No matter what happens in the world, he is always standing there with a big smile and an inclusive attitude.

Henan, the cradle of Chinese civilization, is a treasure trove of cultural relics, defying the concepts of space and time and shining brightly over us.