Zhengzhou, located in the Central China
plain with the Yellow River to the north
and Mount Songshan to the west, is the
capital of Henan Province. At the
junction of the Beijing–Guangzhou and
Lanzhou–Lianyungang railways, it is also
the political, economic, cultural, and
transportation center of Henan.
Zhengzhou is one of the most important
textile centers in China, as well as
having a well-developed machinery
industry.
Zhengzhou has a long history. As early
as 3,500 years ago, it became the
capital of the Shang Dynasty
(Sixteenth–eleventh centuries B.C.),
which together with ancient Egypt,
India, and Babylon, was considered to be
one of the oldest civilizations of the
world. Today cultural relics and
historical sites abound in and around
the city, attracting more and more
tourists and archaeologists both from
China and abroad. At Anyang, a town to
the north of Zhengzhou, tourists can
visit ruins of the Shang Dynasty.
With its lush foliage, Zhengzhou is
China’s model for the planting of trees
in urban areas and is therefore called
the “green city.” |