Henån
Archaeological sites in northern Henan reveal that prehistoric cultures such as the Yangshao Culture and Longshan Culture were active since the Neolithic Era. The Erlitou culture has been controversially identified with the Xia dynasty, which was established roughly in the 21st century BC. Virtually the entire kingdom existed within what is now north and central Henan. The Shang dynasty followed, lasting from the 16th to the 11th centuries BC. Its last capital of Yin sits in modern Anyang, where the first Chinese writing was created on oracle bones. In the 11th century BC, the Zhou dynasty arrived from Shaanxi and overthrew the Shang. During the Western Zhou period, the capital moved away from Henan for the first time. The Spring and Autumn period began in 721 BC, a time of warfare and rivalry. Prominent philosophers like Confucius emerged during this era. Laozi, the founder of Taoism, was born in northern Chu, part of modern-day Henan.
Ying Zheng crowned himself emperor in 220 BCE, establishing the Qin dynasty and unifying the core of the Han Chinese homeland. The empire collapsed after his death in 210 BCE and was replaced by the Han dynasty in 206 BC. The capital moved east to Luoyang in 25 AD, starting the Eastern Han dynasty that lasted until 220. Xuchang in central Henan became the power base of Cao Cao, who unified northern China under the Kingdom of Wei. Luoyang remained the capital after the unification of China by the Western Jin dynasty. It became one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the world despite repeated damage from warfare. The short-lived Sui dynasty reunified China again in 589 with its capital back in Chang'an. Kaifeng in eastern Henan became the capital of four dynasties during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The Song dynasty had its capital at Kaifeng when it reunified China in 982. In 1127, the Song dynasty succumbed to Jurchen invaders, and in 1142 ceded all of northern China including Henan.
Kaifeng has been buried by the Yellow River's silt seven times due to flooding. In 1938, the government led by Chiang Kai-shek bombed the Huayuankou dam in Zhengzhou to prevent Japanese forces from advancing further. This caused massive flooding resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths across Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu. A great famine hit Henan in 1942 resulting from a mix of drought, locusts, and destruction caused by war. In 1958, Yashan in Suiping County became the first people's commune of China, heralding the beginning of the Great Leap Forward. Millions died in the subsequent famines of the early 1960s attributed to this policy. A destructive flooding of the Huai River in summer 1950 prompted large-scale construction of dams on its tributaries. Sixty-two dams collapsed during Typhoon Nina in August 1975, killing at least 26,000 people according to official records. Unofficial estimates range as high as 230,000 lives lost. In July 2021, extreme rainfall caused flooding that killed 302 people and damaged property amounting to 82 billion yuan.
Henan is the fifth-largest provincial economy in China with a nominal GDP of US$926 billion in 2021. It surpasses the GDP of Turkey which was US$815 billion that same year. Agriculture has traditionally been a pillar of its economy, earning it the reputation as the breadbasket of China. The nation's highest wheat and sesame output comes from here along with second-highest rice output. Henan is also an important producer of beef, cotton, maize, pork, animal oil, and corn. Mining-related industries are a major part of the economy. Henan holds the second largest molybdenum reserves in the world. Coal, aluminum, alkaline metals, and tungsten are present in large amounts in western Henan. Recent developments have diversified the industry sector to metallurgy, petrol, cement, chemical industry, machinery, and electronics. High-tech industries and the service sector are concentrated around Zhengzhou and Luoyang. Despite overall wealth, per capita GDP remains low compared to other eastern and central provinces.
With a population of approximately 98.2 million, Henan is the third most populous Chinese province after Guangdong and Shandong. The hukou system shows Henan as the most populous province in China with over 103 million people when counting migrant laborers as residents. Only 85.14 million are considered permanent residents of their registered households. This highlights the amount of workers who migrate within and out of Henan. It is considered amongst the largest labor export provinces in China. The birth rate has decreased from 9.24 in 2020 to 7.06 recently while an aging population explains a slight uptick in the death rate. The overall population is experiencing a decreasing natural growth rate that ticked into negatives at -0.94% in 2023. As the current cohort of 60-64 year-olds enter retirement there will be relatively fewer young Henanese to replace them in the workforce. The life expectancy is 77.6 years matching nationwide numbers. Most households have between 2-4 people. Sixty-four point four seven percent of the population can be considered working age between 15 and 64.
Three of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China are located in Henan: Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Anyang. Yinxu in Anyang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty. Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang became a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Mount Song hosts the famous Shaolin Temple where Yu opera originated as a local form of Chinese opera. The White Horse Temple stands in Luoyang as one of the important centers of Chinese Buddhism. Baligou in Xinxiang offers another significant historical site. Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory in Dengfeng holds the title of oldest astronomical observatory in China. Junci porcelain from Yuzhou features unpredictable color patterns while jade carvings come from Zhenping. Luoyang's Tangsancai earthenware figurines are made in the traditional style of the Tang dynasty. Sixteen historical sites in Henan are protected at the national level with 267 more at the provincial level.
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Common questions
What ancient cultures were active in northern Henan during the Neolithic Era?
Archaeological sites reveal that prehistoric cultures such as the Yangshao Culture and Longshan Culture were active since the Neolithic Era. The Erlitou culture has been controversially identified with the Xia dynasty, which was established roughly in the 21st century BC.
When did the Shang dynasty establish its last capital of Yin in modern Anyang?
The Shang dynasty lasted from the 16th to the 11th centuries BC before its last capital of Yin sat in modern Anyang. This location is where the first Chinese writing was created on oracle bones.
How many times has Kaifken been buried by the Yellow River's silt due to flooding?
Kaifeng has been buried by the Yellow River's silt seven times due to flooding. In 1938, the government led by Chiang Kai-shek bombed the Huayuankou dam in Zhengzhou to prevent Japanese forces from advancing further.
What is the nominal GDP of Henan province in 2021 compared to Turkey?
Henan is the fifth-largest provincial economy in China with a nominal GDP of US$926 billion in 2021. It surpasses the GDP of Turkey which was US$815 billion that same year.
Why does Henan have the highest number of migrant laborers among Chinese provinces?
The hukou system shows Henan as the most populous province in China with over 103 million people when counting migrant laborers as residents. Only 85.14 million are considered permanent residents of their registered households.