Henan Province in China

If you travel to the central part of the Peoples Republic of China, you will find the province of Henan. This fascinating and historical part of the country is generally regarded as being the cradle of the Chinese civilization. Three of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China are located in Henan, namely Luoyang, Kaifeng and Anyang. This means that many archaeological treasures have been unearthed and discovered in Henan Province and as a result, Henan has one of the largest collections of historical relics in the country.

The name ‘Henan’ literally means ‘south of the River’. In ancient times, it was in this valley located just south of the Yellow River that the majority of the Chinese people lived and progressed. Later it became an epicenter of culture for the land and trade in Henan flourished. Of course it has seen much change and development over the years, but today one thing has not changed – Henan is still home to a massive population of Chinese people. In fact, with almost 100 million people living in the province, Henan has the largest provincial population in China.

For those looking to invest in China, Henan is a relatively poor province which is enjoying steadily increasing prosperity. Since undergoing certain economic reforms over twenty years ago, economic development has been increasing by an average of 10% every year. The result was that in 2005, the province’s nominal GDP was US $ 131.68 billion. The fact that the province is land-locked has long been a contributing factor to its economic sluggishness. However these and other issues have been well addressed and the results are clear for all to see. The province is working hard to build an open economy with the result that foreign exchanges have been steadily increasing. Friendly provincial relations have now been established between Henan and 16 different states in the US, Japan, France, Germany, Russia and many others. The province is involved in several different industries and, in fact, is the leading producer of wheat and sesame in China. Other important crops are rice and maize. The industrial sector is involved in the mining and processing of nearly a hundred different products. Most commercial activity takes place in the provincial capital Zhengzhou.

When it come to travel and tourism in Henan, you will find that there is a never-ending abundance of historical attractions to visit. The Henan Museum is a good place to start, with some 120 000 historical relics on display – 40 000 of which are considered incredibly rare. Some items date back to over 8 000 years ago and the museum is a great place to rediscover the past. Other attractions include the Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory, Mount Jigong, Mount Song, the Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, The Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, and Yinxu in Anyang. Several of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. So visit Henan for business or pleasure, and discover a place with plenty of history and a bright future.

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