Puyang (濮阳)

1. Introduction

Puyang City, abbreviated as Pu, historically known as Puzhou, Chanzhou, Kaizhou, etc., is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Henan Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the northeastern part of Henan Province. The city borders Anyang City to the west, Xinxiang City to the southwest, and faces Heze, Jining, and Tai'an cities of Shandong Province across the Yellow River to the southeast. To the northeast, it connects with Liaocheng City of Shandong Province, and to the north, it borders Handan City of Hebei Province. Situated at the junction of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, Puyang lies on the alluvial plain north of the Yellow River, featuring flat terrain with rivers such as the Jindi River, Majia River, and Wei River flowing through its territory. The city covers a total area of 4,271 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 3.75 million. Puyang is a nationally important petrochemical base, a major oil and natural gas resource area in the Central Plains region, a petroleum machinery and equipment manufacturing base, and a significant national commodity grain production base. The headquarters of the Zhongyuan Oilfield, located at the border of Shandong and Henan, is stationed in Puyang City. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 158 Renmin Road, Hualong District.

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2. History

Known anciently as Diqiu, it is said that Zhuanxu, one of the Five Emperors, once established his capital here, hence its reputation as an imperial capital. During the Spring and Autumn period, the Puyang area belonged to the State of Wei. In the first year of Duke Cheng of Wei (629 BC), to avoid invasions by the Di people, Wei moved its capital to Diqiu. The name Puyang originated during the Warring States period, derived from its location north of the Pu River (a tributary of the Yellow River and the Ji River, later silted up due to Yellow River floods) — in ancient times, the north side of a river was called "yang." It is one of the important cradles of ancient Chinese civilization. Situated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the city was commercially prosperous and agriculturally advanced. It also served as a vital north-south thoroughfare and a barrier for the Central Plains, making it a strategic location contested by military strategists. Famous battles such as the Battle of Chengpu and the Battle of Tieqiu took place in the Puyang area.

During the Qin Dynasty, Puyang County was established under Dong Commandery, with its old administrative seat located in present-day Yanxian Village, southwest of Puyang County. In the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, Puyang County served as the seat of Dong Commandery. During the Western Jin Dynasty, the Puyang Kingdom was established, later changed to Puyang Commandery, governing Puyang County. The Northern Wei Dynasty moved the administrative seat to Juancheng. In the sixth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (596 AD), it was renamed Chanyuan County under Pu Prefecture. In the early Wude period of the Tang Dynasty, to avoid the taboo of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan's name, Chanyuan County was renamed Chanshui County. In the fourth year of Wude (621 AD), Chan Prefecture was established from Chanshui County of Li Prefecture and counties like Dunqiu and Guancheng from Wei Prefecture, with its seat at Dunqiu County (southwest of present-day Qingfeng County). In the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era (643 AD), Chanshui County was abolished. In the third year of Tianfu during the Later Jin of the Five Dynasties (938 AD), the administrative seat was moved to Desheng North City (present-day Puyang urban area), and Puyang County was incorporated into the prefectural seat. The following year, the seat was moved to Desheng South City (south of present-day Puyang County town). In the eighth year of Qianhe during the Later Han (950 AD), Guo Wei was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers here, establishing the Later Zhou, historically known as the "Chanzhou Military Mutiny."

During the Northern Song Dynasty, it was Chanyuan Commandery. In the first year of the Jingde era (1004 AD), the Khitan army approached Chanzhou. The military and civilians rose to resist, and under Kou Zhun's strong urging, Emperor Zhenzong personally led an expedition to Chanzhou. The Song army, though outnumbered, heavily defeated the Liao forces. The defeated Liao army sought peace, leading to an alliance between Liao and Song here, later known as the "Chanyuan Alliance." In the sixth year of the Xining era (1073 AD), Dunqiu County (North City) was abolished. In the tenth year of Xining (1077 AD), due to flooding, Puyang County's seat was moved to the present-day Puyang urban area. In the fourth year of the Chongning era (1105 AD), Chan Prefecture was renamed Beifu; the following year, it was elevated to Kaide Prefecture, governing Puyang County. In the fourth year of the Huangtong era of the Jin Dynasty (1144 AD), Kaide Prefecture was renamed Kai Prefecture. In the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369 AD), Puyang County was abolished and incorporated into Kai Prefecture. The Qing Dynasty followed this system, with Kai Prefecture subordinate to Daming Prefecture.

In the second year of the Republic of China (1913 AD), the prefecture system was abolished, and Kai Prefecture was downgraded to Kai County under the Jidao of Zhili Province; the following year, Kai County was renamed Puyang County, and Jidao was renamed Damingdao. The dao system was abolished in 1928. In the twenty-sixth year of the Republic of China (1937 AD), the 17th Administrative Supervision District of Hebei Province was established, headquartered in Puyang County. In 1945, Puyang County was transferred to the 14th Administrative Supervision District.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Puyang Special District of Pingyuan Province was established, with its administrative office located in Puyang County. In 1952, the Pingyuan Province structure was dissolved, and Puyang Special District was transferred to Henan Province. In 1954, Puyang Special District was abolished and merged into Anyang and Xinxiang Special Districts, with Puyang County transferred to Anyang Special District. In 1969, Anyang Special District was renamed Anyang Region. In 1983, Anyang Region was abolished; Puyang County was abolished and replaced by Puyang City, directly under provincial jurisdiction; seven counties from the former Anyang Region—Neihuang, Hua County, Qingfeng, Nanle, Changyuan, Fan County, and Taiqian—were placed under the jurisdiction of Puyang City. In 1986, Hua County and Neihuang County were transferred to Anyang City; Changyuan County was transferred to Xinxiang City. In 1987, the Puyang City suburbs were abolished and re-established as Puyang County. In 2002, the urban area of Puyang City was renamed Hualong District.

2.1 Cultural Relics

In 1987, three groups of tombs with shell-inlaid dragon and tiger patterns were excavated at Xishuipo in Puyang. Dating indicates they are approximately 6400 years old. The shell dragon is recognized by the archaeological community as the "First Chinese Dragon." Based on this site, experts infer that 6000 years ago, the Puyang region had already entered a patrilineal clan society and became the sacred birthplace of the Chinese dragon culture. Consequently, Puyang was named "Hometown of the Chinese Dragon" and "Dragon Capital of China" by the Chinese Yan Huang Culture Research Association. The central urban area, Hualong District, derives its name from this.

3. Geography

Puyang is located on the north bank of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, at the junction of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces. It borders Liaocheng and Heze in Shandong province to the northeast, leans against Xinxiang City in Henan province to the southwest, connects with Anyang City in Henan province to the west, and is adjacent to Handan City in Hebei province to the north. It lies between 35°20′0″N to 36°12′23″N latitude and 114°52′0″E to 116°5′4″E longitude. The city covers a total land area of 4,188 square kilometers.

3.1 Climate

Puyang City is situated in the mid-latitude zone, perennially influenced and controlled by the southeast monsoon circulation, belonging to a warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate. Its characteristics are four distinct seasons: dry and windy springs with sandstorms, hot summers with heavy rainfall, clear and sunny autumns with long sunshine hours, and dry winters with little rain or snow. The high solar radiation value adequately meets the needs for two crop harvests per year. The annual average temperature is 13.3°C, with an extreme maximum temperature reaching 43.1°C and an extreme minimum temperature of -21°C. The frost-free period is generally 205 days. The average annual precipitation ranges from 502.3 mm to 601.3 mm.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |--------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------| | Avg High °C | 4.4 | 8.2 | 14 | 21.3 | 26.6 | 31.6 | 31.5 | 30.4 | 26.8 | 21.3 | 13 | 6.3 | 19.6 | | Avg High °F | 39.9 | 46.8 | 57.2 | 70.3 | 79.9 | 88.9 | 88.7 | 86.7 | 80.2 | 70.3 | 55.4 | 43.3 | 67.3 | | Daily Mean °C | -1.3 | 2.2 | 7.8 | 14.9 | 20.3 | 25.4 | 26.8 | 25.5 | 20.8 | 14.7 | 6.8 | 0.7 | 13.7 | | Daily Mean °F | 29.7 | 36 | 46 | 58.8 | 68.5 | 77.7 | 80.2 | 77.9 | 69.4 | 58.5 | 44.2 | 33.3 | 56.7 | | Avg Low °C | -5.5 | -2.4 | 2.6 | 9.1 | 14.6 | 19.9 | 22.8 | 21.7 | 16.2 | 9.6 | 1.9 | -3.5 | 8.9 | | Avg Low °F | 22.1 | 27.7 | 36.7 | 48.4 | 58.3 | 67.8 | 73 | 71.1 | 61.2 | 49.3 | 35.4 | 25.7 | 48.1 | | Avg Precipitation mm | 5.5 | 8.3 | 20.9 | 23.5 | 55.8 | 70.5 | 166.5 | 122 | 60.8 | 33 | 17 | 5.7 | 589.5 | | Avg Precipitation inches | 0.22 | 0.33 | 0.82 | 0.93 | 2.2 | 2.78 | 6.56 | 4.8 | 2.39 | 1.3 | 0.67 | 0.22 | 23.22 | | Avg Relative Humidity (%) | 66 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 69 | 66 | 81 | 84 | 78 | 73 | 72 | 69 | 71 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Puyang City administers 1 district and 5 counties.

• District: Hualong District
• Counties: Qingfeng County, Nanle County, Fan County, Taiqian County, Puyang County

Puyang Economic and Technological Development Zone is a national-level economic and technological development zone established by Puyang City.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | | |-------------------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------|-------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|---| | 410900 | Puyang City | Púyáng Shì | 4,271.16 | 3,772,088 | Hualong District | 457000 | 14 | 44 | 31 | | | 410902 | Hualong District | Huálóng Qū | 380.2 | 963,512 | Zhongyuan Road Subdistrict | 457000 | 14 | 2 | 2 | | | 410922 | Qingfeng County | Qīngfēng Xiàn | 833.49 | 592,425 | Chengguan Town | 457300 | | 8 | 9 | | | 410923 | Nanle County | Nánlè Xiàn | 622.86 | 476,557 | Chengguan Town | 4574000 | | 6 | 6 | | | 410926 | Fan County | Fàn Xiàn | 616.99 | 447,760 | Chengguan Town | 457500 | | 7 | 5 | | | 410927 | Taiqian County | Táiqián Xiàn | 448.49 | 323,113 | Chengguan Town | 457600 | | 6 | 3 | | | 410928 | Puyang County | Púyáng Xiàn | 1,369.13 | 968,721 | Chengguan Town | 457100 | | 13 | 8 | |

5. Economy

In 2020, the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 164.999 billion yuan, marking a growth of 3.0%. The general public budget revenue was 10.342 billion yuan, increasing by 2.9%. The value added of industries above designated size grew by 4.1%, while their operating revenue rose by 6.7%. The total electricity consumption of the whole society amounted to 11.847 billion kilowatt-hours, up by 6.2%. Fixed asset investment increased by 5.4%. However, the total retail sales of consumer goods stood at 65.700 billion yuan, reflecting a decline of 4.7%. The per capita disposable income of residents was 22,584 yuan, showing a growth of 4.6%.

5.1 Petrochemical Industry

Zhongyuan Oilfield is located at the border of Henan and Shandong provinces, with its central area situated in Puyang City, Henan Province. The headquarters and residential base are located in the eastern part of Puyang's urban area. The residential bases of various secondary units are distributed across Hualong District, Puyang County, Qingfeng County, and Fan County in Puyang City; Lankao County in Kaifeng City; Shen County in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province; and Dongming County in Heze City. It is a significant production base for petroleum and natural gas in eastern China. Large-scale exploration began in 1975, and formal development commenced in 1979. Its geological structure is part of the Bohai Bay Subsidence Zone, forming a basin with rift characteristics due to geological faults, geologically referred to as the Dongpu Depression.

6. Transportation

6.1 Railway

• Conventional Railway

  On December 27, 1997, the Tangtai Railway was fully completed and successfully connected with the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, becoming an important connecting line linking the Beijing-Guangzhou Line in the west and the Beijing-Kowloon Line in the east. The Jinzhongnan Railway connects the three provinces of Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong. It is one of the most important heavy-haul coal transportation railways in mainland China and is planned to also operate a small amount of passenger service. On March 18, 2016, passenger train service from Zhengzhou to Puyang was launched, but due to connection line issues, a reversal of direction is required in Anyang.

• High-Speed Railway

  The Jizheng High-Speed Railway, connecting the two major railway passenger hubs of Zhengzhou and Jinan, has been completed and opened to traffic. Puyang is an important city along this line. The Zhengzhou to Puyang section of the Jizheng High-Speed Railway opened on June 20, 2022.

6.2 Highway

• Expressways: The G45 Da-Guang Expressway and S26 Tai-Hui Expressway pass through the central urban area. The S22 Nan-Lin Expressway and S39 Jiao-Xu Expressway pass through Nanle and Fan County respectively. The Fan-Tai-Liang Expressway is the eastern extension project of Henan Province's S26 Tai-Hui Expressway, connecting to the Ji-Guang Expressway in the east and the S39 Jiao-Xu Expressway in the west, passing through Fan County and Taiqian County.
• National Highways: National Highway 106, National Highway 342.

7. Education

As of 2008, Puyang City had a total of 1,776 schools at various levels (excluding adult education institutions), with an enrollment of 821,000 students.

Puyang City has one undergraduate institution (first-tier): Henan University Puyang Institute of Technology. There are two higher vocational colleges: Puyang Vocational and Technical College and Puyang Medical College. Additionally, the city is home to institutions such as Puyang Education College, Puyang Radio and Television University, Zhongyuan Oilfield Radio and Television University, Puyang College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Henan Puyang Normal School, Zhongyuan Oilfield Petroleum Technical School, and Puyang Health School.

8. Population

By the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 3.743 million, of which the urban permanent resident population was 1.9325 million, and the rural permanent resident population was 1.8105 million. The urbanization rate of the permanent resident population was 51.63%, an increase of 0.62 percentage points from the end of the previous year.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 3,772,088. Compared with the 3,598,740 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 173,348 people over the ten years, a growth of 4.82%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.47%. Among them, the male population was 1,869,006, accounting for 49.55% of the total population; the female population was 1,903,082, accounting for 50.45% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 98.21. The population aged 0–14 was 969,473, accounting for 25.7% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,135,967, accounting for 56.63% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 666,648, accounting for 17.67% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 495,856, accounting for 13.15% of the total population. The urban population was 1,884,758, accounting for 49.97% of the total population; the rural population was 1,887,330, accounting for 50.03% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 3,762,910, accounting for 99.76%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 9,178, accounting for 0.24%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population increased by 171,830, a growth of 4.78%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.03 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 1,518, a growth of 19.82%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.03 percentage points.

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10. Sister Cities

In September 2000, Puyang City officially established a sister city relationship with Ashburton, New Zealand. In May 2008, Puyang City signed the "Agreement on Establishing Friendly City Relations" with the Chuy Region of the Kyrgyz Republic, formally establishing a sister city relationship. On March 28, 2019, at the China-Pakistan Sister Provinces and Cities Cooperation Forum, Puyang City officially established a sister city relationship with Gwadar, Pakistan.

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Hualong District

Puyang County

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