Anyang
Encyclopedia
Anyang is a prefecture-level city
in Henan
province, People's Republic of China
. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang
to the east, Hebi
and Xinxiang
to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi
and Hebei
to its west and north respectively.
It has 5,172,834 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 2,025,811 in the built up area made of 4 urban districts and Anyang
county largely agglomered with the city proper.
. Over 7,000 artifacts (including stone tools and animal bone fossils) have been unearthed here, representing what has been dubbed the Xiaonanhai culture.
Around 2000 BC, the legendary sage-kings Zhuanxu
and Emperor Ku
are said to have established their capitals in the area around Anyang from where they ruled their kingdom. Their mausoleums are today situated in Sanyang village south of Neihuang County.
At the beginning of the 14th century BC, King Pangeng of the Shang Dynasty
established his capital 2 km north of the modern city on the banks of the Huan River
. The city, known as Yin, was the first stable capital in Chinese history and from that point on the dynasty that founded it would also become known as the Yin Dynasty.
The capital served 12 kings in 8 generations including Wu Ding
, under whom the dynasty reached the zenith of its power, until it was wiped out along with the dynasty that founded it by King Wu
of the Zhou
in 1046 BC.
Anyang's Tangyin County was the seat of Yue Village, birthplace of the famous Song Dynasty
general, Yue Fei
. This was also the historic home of Zhou Tong, Yue's military arts tutor (though fictional sources place him in Shaanxi
).
during the Ming Dynasty.
was detached from Henan andalong with Puyang
and Xinxiang
consigned to the experimental province of Pingyuan. All three were returned to Henan in November 1953, with the dissolution of Pingyuan.
, and as such, it has a four-season, monsoon
-influenced climate, classified as semi-arid climate (Koppen
BSk), but barely so. Winters are cold, with a January average of −0.9 C, but dry, with little snow. Summers are hot and humid, with a July average of 27 °C (80.6 °F). A majority of the annual precipitation of 560 millimetres (22 in) falls in July and August alone, and the annual mean is 14.1 °C (57.4 °F).
of Anyang administers 4 districts, 1 county-level city
and 4 counties.
s, cooperative enterprises and wholly foreign-owned enterprises) have been established. Recently, Anyang has established an economic and technological development zone covering a total area of 22.8 square kilometers, and issued a series of preferential policies to attract many domestic Chinese and foreign businesses. A multichannel, all-round foreign relations and trade network has been set up to lay a foundation for developing Anyang's economy.
. It is one of the key birthplaces of Chinese ancient culture. Here are the primitive caves of 25,000 years ago, the overlapping strata
of the Yangshao Culture
, Longshan Culture
and Xiaotun Culture, the memorial mausoleums of ancient Emperor Zhuanxu
and Emperor Ku
over 4,000 years ago, the first library of inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells
, the Soul Spring Temple, known as the "First Ancient Buddhist Temple in Henan", and 10,000-Buddha Ravine, as well as unique Wenfeng Pagoda, Xiuding Temple Pagoda and Mingfu Temple Pagoda. Anyang also has beautiful natural scenery—the Taihang Linlu Hill Scenic Area on the 400-kilometer Taihang Mountains
and the grand 1,500-kilometer Red Flag Canal
.
, and has recently been restored by the Protection and Research Institute of Ancient Architecture of Anyang City, and opened to the public. The main structures within the temple compound include: the gate house, the three-room (8.4m x 14m) Hall of the Heavenly King with hanging-eaves over the gables rebuilt in 2002, the slightly larger (17.8m x 11.65m) Precious Hall of the Great Hero with single-eave gabled roof originally from the Qing dynasty
and rebuilt in 2001, and the Wenfeng Pagoda.
and is known, from inscriptions concerning the reconstruction of the temple, to have been in place by 952
. The current pagoda was constructed during the Ming Dynasty
and received its current name during the Qing Dynasty
due to its proximity to the Confucian temple. The five-story dark red brick octagonal tower is 38.65m high and is, unusually, larger at the top than the bottom and is topped with a 10m Lamaist stupa-style dagoba steeple. The pagoda stands on two-metre-high stone pedestal and is decorated with multi-eave pent roofs and carvings of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The unique pagoda is the symbol of Anyang.
capital known as Yin. This massive archaeological site was discovered in 1899, excavated in the decades that followed, and first opened to the public in the 1980s as the Garden Museum of Yinxu. The current museum was opened on 16 March 2005, and includes the famous Tomb of Fu Hao
. The site is inscribed on the UNESCO
list of World Heritage Sites.
with:
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
province, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang
Puyang
Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei in the east and north respectively....
to the east, Hebi
Hebi
Hebi is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Situated in mountainous terrain at the edge of the Shanxi plateau, Hebi is about 25 miles south of Anyang, 40 miles northeast of Xinxiang and 65 miles north of Kaifeng....
and Xinxiang
Xinxiang
Xinxiang is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to its southwest, Kaifeng to its southeast, Hebi and Anyang to its north, Jiaozuo to its west, and the provinces of Shanxi and Shandong to its northwest and...
to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
and Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
to its west and north respectively.
It has 5,172,834 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 2,025,811 in the built up area made of 4 urban districts and Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
county largely agglomered with the city proper.
History
Xiaonanhai, on the far western edge of the city, was home to prehistoric cavemen during the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. Over 7,000 artifacts (including stone tools and animal bone fossils) have been unearthed here, representing what has been dubbed the Xiaonanhai culture.
Around 2000 BC, the legendary sage-kings Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu , also known as Gaoyang is a mythological monarch of ancient China.A grandson of the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu led the Shi clan in an eastward migration to present-day Shandong, where intermarriages with the Dongyi clan enlarged and augmented their tribal influences...
and Emperor Ku
Emperor Ku
Kù , or Dì Kù , also known as Gāoxīn Shì , was a mythical Emperor of China during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period. He was the son of Jiăo Jí , the grandson of Shăohào and the great grandson of Huáng-dì , the Yellow Emperor. According to speculative dates he is supposed to have ruled...
are said to have established their capitals in the area around Anyang from where they ruled their kingdom. Their mausoleums are today situated in Sanyang village south of Neihuang County.
At the beginning of the 14th century BC, King Pangeng of the Shang Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
established his capital 2 km north of the modern city on the banks of the Huan River
Huan River
Huan River , or Anyang River , is a tributary of the Yellow River in China. Yinxu, the capital of the Yin Dynasty, was built on its banks at the beginning of the 14th century BCE, near present-day Anyang....
. The city, known as Yin, was the first stable capital in Chinese history and from that point on the dynasty that founded it would also become known as the Yin Dynasty.
The capital served 12 kings in 8 generations including Wu Ding
Wu Ding
Wu Ding was a Shang Dynasty King of China.His is the first historically verifiable name in the history of Chinese dynasties...
, under whom the dynasty reached the zenith of its power, until it was wiped out along with the dynasty that founded it by King Wu
King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhōu or King Wu of Chou was the first sovereign, or ruler of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1046-1043 BCE or 1049/45-1043. Various sources quoted that he died at the age of 93, 54 or 43. He was considered a just and able leader. Zhou Gong Dan was one of his...
of the Zhou
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
in 1046 BC.
Anyang's Tangyin County was the seat of Yue Village, birthplace of the famous Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
general, Yue Fei
Yue Fei
Yue Fei , style name Pengju, was a military general of the Southern Song Dynasty. His ancestral home was in Xiaoti, Yonghe Village, Tangyin, Xiangzhou, Henan...
. This was also the historic home of Zhou Tong, Yue's military arts tutor (though fictional sources place him in Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
).
Yuan and Ming
The contemporary city was reconstructed in 1368 CECommon Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
during the Ming Dynasty.
People's Republic of China
In August 1949, Anyang prefecturePrefecture (China)
The term Prefectures, or the more formal prefectural level divisions, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. Other than provincial level divisions, prefectural level divisions are not mentioned in the Chinese constitution...
was detached from Henan andalong with Puyang
Puyang
Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei in the east and north respectively....
and Xinxiang
Xinxiang
Xinxiang is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to its southwest, Kaifeng to its southeast, Hebi and Anyang to its north, Jiaozuo to its west, and the provinces of Shanxi and Shandong to its northwest and...
consigned to the experimental province of Pingyuan. All three were returned to Henan in November 1953, with the dissolution of Pingyuan.
Geography and climate
Anyang has a total administrative area of 7413 square kilometres (2,862.2 sq mi), with elevation in this area tending to increase from east to west. The city actually lies on the border between steppe and the North China PlainNorth China Plain
The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains edge of the Shanxi plateau. To the south, it merges into the Yangtze Plain...
, and as such, it has a four-season, monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced climate, classified as semi-arid climate (Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), but barely so. Winters are cold, with a January average of −0.9 C, but dry, with little snow. Summers are hot and humid, with a July average of 27 °C (80.6 °F). A majority of the annual precipitation of 560 millimetres (22 in) falls in July and August alone, and the annual mean is 14.1 °C (57.4 °F).
Administration
The prefecture-level cityPrefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
of Anyang administers 4 districts, 1 county-level city
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
and 4 counties.
- Beiguan DistrictBeiguan DistrictBeiguan District is a district of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(北关区) - Wenfeng DistrictWenfeng DistrictWenfeng District is a district of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(文峰区) - Yindu DistrictYindu DistrictYindu District is a district of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(殷都区) - Long'an DistrictLong'an DistrictLong'an District is a district of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(龙安区) - Linzhou CityLinzhou CityLinzhou , formerly Lin County , is a county level city in Anyang, Henan, China. Adjacent to Shanxi Province and Hebei Province, it is located in the north of Henan Province and at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains...
(林州市) - Anyang CountyAnyang CountyAnyang County is a county of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(安阳县) - Tangyin CountyTangyin CountyTangyin County is a county of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(汤阴县) - Hua CountyHua CountyHua Countymay refer to:* Hua County, Henan , county in Anyang, Henan, China* Hua County, Guangdong , now Huadu District, in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China* Hua County, Shaanxi, , county in Weinan, Shaanxi, China...
(滑县) - Neihuang CountyNeihuang CountyNeihuang County is a county of Henan, China. It is under the administration of Anyang city....
(内黄县)
Economy
Anyang's opening to the outside world has enabled its foreign economic relations and trade to progress rapidly. Sixteen foreign-funded enterprises (joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
s, cooperative enterprises and wholly foreign-owned enterprises) have been established. Recently, Anyang has established an economic and technological development zone covering a total area of 22.8 square kilometers, and issued a series of preferential policies to attract many domestic Chinese and foreign businesses. A multichannel, all-round foreign relations and trade network has been set up to lay a foundation for developing Anyang's economy.
Tourism
Anyang city is an ancient city with a history of over 3,000 years and is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of ChinaHistorical capitals of China
The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China traditionally refers to Beijing , Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an ....
. It is one of the key birthplaces of Chinese ancient culture. Here are the primitive caves of 25,000 years ago, the overlapping strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
of the Yangshao Culture
Yangshao culture
The Yangshao culture was a Neolithic culture that existed extensively along the central Yellow River in China. The Yangshao culture is dated from around 5000 BC to 3000 BC. The culture is named after Yangshao, the first excavated representative village of this culture, which was discovered in 1921...
, Longshan Culture
Longshan culture
The Longshan culture was a late Neolithic culture in China, centered on the central and lower Yellow River and dated from about 3000 BC to 2000 BC...
and Xiaotun Culture, the memorial mausoleums of ancient Emperor Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu , also known as Gaoyang is a mythological monarch of ancient China.A grandson of the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu led the Shi clan in an eastward migration to present-day Shandong, where intermarriages with the Dongyi clan enlarged and augmented their tribal influences...
and Emperor Ku
Ku
Ku, KU, Kū or ku may refer to:Science:* Ku band, a band of microwave radio frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum* Ku , a protein involved in DNA repair...
over 4,000 years ago, the first library of inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells
Oracle bone
Oracle bones are pieces of bone normally from ox scapula or turtle plastron which were used for divination chiefly during the late Shang Dynasty. The bones were first inscribed with divination in oracle bone script by using a bronze pin, and then heated until crack lines appeared in which the...
, the Soul Spring Temple, known as the "First Ancient Buddhist Temple in Henan", and 10,000-Buddha Ravine, as well as unique Wenfeng Pagoda, Xiuding Temple Pagoda and Mingfu Temple Pagoda. Anyang also has beautiful natural scenery—the Taihang Linlu Hill Scenic Area on the 400-kilometer Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
and the grand 1,500-kilometer Red Flag Canal
Red Flag Canal
The Red Flag Canal is an irrigation canal located 80 km northwest of Anyang in the northern extremity in Henan, China.-Geographic Location:...
.
Tianning Temple
Tianning Si (Mansion Temple) was established during the Zhou dynastyZhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
, and has recently been restored by the Protection and Research Institute of Ancient Architecture of Anyang City, and opened to the public. The main structures within the temple compound include: the gate house, the three-room (8.4m x 14m) Hall of the Heavenly King with hanging-eaves over the gables rebuilt in 2002, the slightly larger (17.8m x 11.65m) Precious Hall of the Great Hero with single-eave gabled roof originally from the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
and rebuilt in 2001, and the Wenfeng Pagoda.
Wenfeng Pagoda
Wenfeng Ta (Literature Peak Pagoda) on the grounds of the Tianning Temple is believed to have been constructed in 925925
Year 925 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Alfonso IV the Monk becomes king of Leon....
and is known, from inscriptions concerning the reconstruction of the temple, to have been in place by 952
952
Year 952 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar....
. The current pagoda was constructed during the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and received its current name during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
due to its proximity to the Confucian temple. The five-story dark red brick octagonal tower is 38.65m high and is, unusually, larger at the top than the bottom and is topped with a 10m Lamaist stupa-style dagoba steeple. The pagoda stands on two-metre-high stone pedestal and is decorated with multi-eave pent roofs and carvings of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The unique pagoda is the symbol of Anyang.
Yinxu Museum
Located about 2 km northwest of Anyang are the ruins of the Shang DynastyShang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
capital known as Yin. This massive archaeological site was discovered in 1899, excavated in the decades that followed, and first opened to the public in the 1980s as the Garden Museum of Yinxu. The current museum was opened on 16 March 2005, and includes the famous Tomb of Fu Hao
Tomb of Fu Hao
The Tomb of Lady Fu Hao is an archaeological site at the ruins of the ancient Shang Dynasty capital of Yin. It was discovered in 1976 and identified as the final resting place of the queen and military general Fu Hao, likely the Lady Hao inscribed on oracle bones by king Wu Ding and one of his...
. The site is inscribed on the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
list of World Heritage Sites.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Anyang is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
- LethbridgeLethbridgeLethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
See also
- Historical capitals of ChinaHistorical capitals of ChinaThe Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China traditionally refers to Beijing , Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an ....
- YinxuYinxuYinxu is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty. The capital served 255 years for 12 kings in 8 generations.Rediscovered in 1899, it is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
- History of the political divisions of ChinaHistory of the political divisions of ChinaThe history of the administrative divisions of China is quite complex. Across history, what is called 'China' has taken many shapes, and many political organizations...
External links
- Government website of Anyang (in Simplified Chinese)