China Tour Guide: Ten Thousand Whys. Henan

Author: Zhang Jianzhou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Henan Province is located to the east of Shanghai, to the south of Wuhan, to the north of Beijing and Tianjin, and to the west of Xi'an, situated at the heart of the country. Its superior transportation conditions play a crucial role in connecting the east, west, south, and north economically. Henan's highway network is extensive, with a total highway length of 71,500 kilometers. A diamond-shaped expressway network centered around Zhengzhou is currently being formed. The construction of four Yellow River highway bridges in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Sanmenxia has connected transportation across the north and south of the Yellow River. Four international container transportation routes pass through Zhengzhou. The Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Fuzhou, Jiaozuo-Liuyang, and Longhai, Tangpo, Xinhe, and Luoquan railways intersect within the province, forming a three-north and four-east railway network. Zhengzhou North Station is the largest marshalling station in Asia, and Zhengzhou East Station is the largest less-than-truckload transfer station in the country. The highways are well-connected, with five north-south and four east-west national trunk highways, and all villages are now accessible by road. Among the national's two north-south and two east-west expressways, the Beijing-Shenzhen and Lianhao (one north-south and one east-west) pass through Henan.
What historical and cultural figures are from Henan? Henan is a land of wisdom and talent, producing generations of renowned figures. Since ancient times, the land of Henan has nurtured countless outstanding individuals. Among them are ancient philosophers and thinkers like Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, Han Feizi, Cheng Yi, and Cheng Hao; political and military figures such as Jiang Ziya, Shang Yang, Su Qin, Li Si, Liu Xiu, Zhang Liang, Sima Yi, and Yue Fei; scientists and medical experts like Zhang Heng, Zhang Zhongjing, and Xuan Xing; literary and artistic figures such as Du Fu, Han Yu, Bai Juyi, Li He, Li Shangyin, Sima Guang, Chu Suiliang, and Wu Daoyi; and Buddhist scholars like Xuanzang. In modern history, there are also heroes of the Anti-Japanese War like Ji Hongchang, Wu Huaxian, and Yang Jingyu, revolutionary pioneers like Deng Yingchao and Peng Xuefeng, the "model county party secretary" Jiao Yulu, and the leader who helped farmers get rich Shi Laihui. All of them have made indelible contributions to the development and progress of Chinese civilization, representing the outstanding achievements of the Chinese nation and the pride of the people of Henan.
Why is Henan considered the main cradle of the Chinese nation? Sixty to seventy thousand years ago, the "Nanzhao Ape Man" began to live, work, and reproduce on the land of Henan. They were among the earliest humans of the Paleolithic Age in China. Additionally, Paleolithic sites have been discovered in Sanmenxia, Luoyang, Anyang, and Xuchang, indicating that primitive communities lived in Henan during the long Paleolithic Age. The Paleolithic Period sites of the 7,000 to 8,000-year-old Peiligang culture and the 6,000 to 4,000-year-old Yangshao and Longshan culture villages are frequently found in Henan. Moreover, the pre-Xia culture is a cultural stage that has been deduced based on a combination of mythological legends and archaeological evidence. Regarding the Three Emperors and Five Kings, there are two commonly accepted theories: one holds that the Three Emperors are Fuxi, Nüwa, and Shennong, and the Five Kings are Emperor Yan, Emperor Huang, Taikang, Shaohao, and Zhuanxu; the other suggests that the Three Emperors are Fuxi, Emperor Yan, and Emperor Huang, and the Five Kings are Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Emperor Kui, Yao, and Shun. However, a fundamental fact is that their activity areas were all in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and were concentrated in Henan. Whether viewed from archaeological discoveries, classic culture, historical legends, or any other perspective, Henan can be considered the main cradle of the Chinese nation.
Why is Henan considered a strategically vital region in Chinese history? The ancient saying goes, "He who controls the Central Plains controls the world,"