General Idea

 
Zhengzhou formerly called Zheng County is a prefecture-level city, and the capital of Henan province, People's Republic of China. It also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as being a major transportation hub for Central China. It lies on the southern plain of the Yellow River. With its lush foliage, Zhengzhou is China’s model for the planting of trees in urban areas, earning it the title of the “green city”. It is home to the national grain wholesale market, a new high-tech science park, and is one of the most important textile centers in all of China.

Geography and Climate

Geography: Located just north of the province's center and south of the Yellow River, Zhengzhou borders Luoyang to the west, Jiaozuo to the northwest, Xinxiang to the northeast, Kaifeng to the east, Xuchang to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest. It is geographically the center city of China.
Zhengzhou is situated to the south of the Yellow River where its valley broadens into the great plain and at the eastern extremity of the Xionger Mountains. Zhengzhou is at the crossing point of the north–south route skirting the Taihang Mountains and the mountains of western Henan and the east–west route along the southern bank of the Yellow River.
 

Population: 7,356,000

 
Administrative Division: The prefecture-level city of Zhengzhou administers 12 county-level divisions, including 6 districts, 5 county-level cities and 1 county.

Climate: Zhengzhou experiences a humid subtropical climate. Zhengzhou has four clearly-defined seasons, with cool and dry winters, hot and humid summers, warm and early springs, and mild autumns. The area's climate is also monsoon-influenced, meaning that precipitation is heavily concentrated in the months of May to September. The city also has wetter and drier seasons, with the "wet season" falling between April and October and the drier season covering the remaining months. Zhengzhou has an annual average temperature of at 14.7°C, but its highest average monthly temperature is 27.3°C in July and it's coldest monthly average temperature is 0.7°C in January. The annual precipitation is about 630 mm, with on average 220 frost-free days and about 2200 hours of sunshine per year.

History

 The city is a national historical and cultural city and also the first destination for any Henan Tour. The ancient city was the capital of Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) 3,500 years ago when porcelain and the Chinese technique of bronze smelting were comparatively more developed. A green ceramic glaze pot unearthed in Zhengzhou has been shown to be the most ancient porcelain in China. A long history has left the city with many cultural and historic sites. Shaolin Temple situated at the foot of Mt. Song is the cradle of Shaolin Kong Fu. If you are interested in Chinese Kong Fu, the temple and the performances must be seen. One of the four Academies of Classical Learning in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), Songyang Shuyuan, gives a complete depiction of Chinese ancient education.

In addition, many ancient tombs, temple buildings and battle sites all show the dense culture of the city.

Places of Interest

Yellow River

Shang City Site Park

Yellow River Scenic Area