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Henan Province
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Introduction
Henan comes from two ancient Chinese words, “He” that means “south of the river” and “nan” translates to south in English. When combined together the Henan literally indicates its position south of the Huanghe River (Yellow River). It covers an area of over 160, 000 square kilometers (approximately 62,000 square miles). It is located in central China and its capital city is Zhengzhou. This province is the most thickly populated area in all of China.
Its very flat landscape stretches from the east and gradually changes into a hilly and mountainous terrain into the far west side of the province. It shares its boundaries with Shanxi, Shandong, Anhui, Hebei, Hubei, and Shaanxi.
This province occupies a prominent place in history as the capital of 200 empires. It is home to more than 1.3 million relics left behind by the passage of more than 20 dynasties. Its cultural cities, Anyang, Kaifeng, and Luoyang belong to China’s Seven Ancient Capitals. Many books describe Henan as the center of Chinese civilization.
A temperate country, Henan has 4 distinct seasons. Summer is often hot and rainy, while winters are severely cold and windy. It has a long frost-free period that lasts from 6-8 months of the year.
January can have -3ºC (26.6 ºF) temperatures while the heat sizzles during July when temperatures are between 24ºC to 29ºC (75.2 ºF and 84.2ºF). The southern and eastern parts of Henan experience a warmer climate compared to the western and northern parts of the province.
The best time to visit is in spring during the months of March and April. The crisp autumn breeze also makes September and October a great time to visit the province.
Henan provides a rich cultural experience to its visitors. There are many existing ancient Chinese spots that one can explore and learn more about the richness of Chinese history. Some will refer to the province as the birthplace of Chinese ancient civilization. A visitor to the province can have his fill of great natural and historical oriental culture.
Some of the beautiful places in Henan include:
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1. Songshan Mountain –many beautiful old trees that look like Bonsai trees dot its rugged peaks.
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2.Shaolin Temple – world-famous Buddhist temple located foot of Shaoshi Mountain. It is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu or Chinese martial arts. This temple was built in 495.
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3.Longmen Grottoes -- one of the three most famous grottoes in the country that stretch for one kilometer along the banks of the Yishui River. It was a work of art that started during the reign of Emperor Thihe and lasted for 400 years.
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4.Luoyang Peony Fair – is celebrated every April 15-25. People take time off to admire the variety of species and colors of peonies. There is also a painting and calligraphy exhibition. Many also flock to places of interest including Longmen Grottoes.
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5.White Horse Temple – was the first temple built after Buddhism was introduced to China. Its name is derived from the legendary white horse that was said to carry the sacred Buddhist scriptures. A bell tower was erected during the Ming Dynasty. The bell rings loud and clear during New Year’s Eve to welcome the coming of the New Year.
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6.Yellow River Cruise – visitors are treated to four ancient cultural cities as they drift along the river on a sheep-skin raft. This is a mode of transportation that people in ancient China used to traverse the wide and long Yellow River.
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7.Iron Pagoda in Kaifeng -- a 55.08 pagoda that was built in 1049 during the first year of the reign of Emperor Huangyou. It appears to be cast in iron because of the brown glazed bricks which was used.
The latest census shows the population of the province as nearing 100 million. The Han ethnic group comprises more than 99 percent of the population. Approximately one percent consists of the Hui, Mongolia and Manchu ethnic groups.
Henan cuisine, also called Yu cuisine, is best known as having the most traditional and oldest cooking styles in China. Meticulous preparation is infused in the making of their delicacies to maintain the taste and gastronomic appeal of centuries-old recipes.
The Yu cuisine is well-known for its peony and swallow vegetable, lightly fried bean curd, fried purple crisp pork, scallion stewed sea cucumber, egg cakes, steamed ravioli, and many more. Ingredients are mostly sourced throughout China however pork is more popular than mutton and lamb.
The light textiles, metallurgy, building materials, food, petrol, chemical industry, machinery and electronics industries, form the base of Henan’s economy. The products such as industrial cord fabrics, color glass cases, tires, gold, aluminum, chemical fibers, cement, glass, generated energy, coal, fridges and meat products are important part of the local market.
It is also an agricultural province that produces wheat, sesame, rice, maize, and cotton.
In 2008, the province’s nominal GDP was 1.84 trillion RMB (US$265 billion) and its per capita GDP was 19,593 RMB (US$2,820).
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