Xinyang (信阳)

1. Introduction

Xinyang City, historically known as Yiyang and Shenzhou, and also referred to as Shencheng, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Henan Province, People's Republic of China, located in the southeastern part of Henan. The city borders Nanyang to the northwest, Zhumadian to the north, Fuyang of Anhui Province to the northeast, Lu'an of Anhui Province to the east, and Huanggang, Xiaogan, and Suizhou of Hubei Province to the south. Situated in the upper reaches of the Huai River and on the southern edge of the Huanghuai Plain, it is flanked by the Tongbai Mountains to the west and the Dabie Mountains to the south, with terrain sloping from high in the south to low in the north. The Huai River flows through the northern part of the city, along with its tributaries such as the Guan River, Hong River, Bailu River, Huang River, Zhugan River, and Shi River. The city covers a total area of 18,916 square kilometers with a total population of 8.8463 million. The municipal government is located in Yangshan New District, Pingqiao District. During the Tang Dynasty, it served as the seat of Shenzhou, hence the name Shencheng. Huaibin Yinma Port is the largest port in Henan, and in October 2018, Xinyang Minggang Airport became the fourth civil aviation airport in Henan Province to commence operations. It is recognized as an Excellent Tourist City of China, a National Ecological Demonstration City, and one of China's Top Ten Livable Cities. It is also the birthplace of Xinyang Maojian, one of China's top ten famous teas. Attractions within the city include Jigong Mountain, one of China's four major summer resorts, Nanwan Lake National Forest Park, and Jingangtai National Geopark.

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2. History

As early as over 8,000 years ago, a considerable scale of primitive agriculture emerged along both banks of the Huai River within the region, with multiple sites of the Peiligang Culture, Longshan Culture, and Qujialing Culture distributed from east to west. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, several vassal states such as Shen, Xi, Xian, Huang, Jiang, and Liao were established here. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the state of Chu conquered vassal states like Shen and Xi, establishing counties such as Shen, Xi, and Qisi.

During the Han dynasties, the area of present-day Xinyang north of Huangchuan County belonged to the Runan Commandery, west of Guangshan County to the Jiangxia Commandery, further west to the Nanyang Commandery, and east of Shangcheng County to the Lujiang Commandery. In the Eastern Han dynasty, Pingchun County was established in what is now Pingqiao District, under the jurisdiction of the Jiangxia Commandery. During the Cao Wei period, Yiyang Commandery was separated from the Nanyang Commandery, governing Yiyang County. In the Northern Song dynasty, Emperor Taizong of Song, named Zhao Guangyi, avoided the character "yi" (义) due to naming taboo. As the ancient meanings of "xin" (信) and "yi" (义) were similar, "Yiyang" was renamed "Xinyang," a name that has been used ever since. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Xinyang's economy and culture had reached a considerable scale, with abundant grain, prosperous commerce, and a gathering of renowned scholars.

On April 1, 1949, the People's Liberation Army captured Xinyang. In the early years of the People's Republic of China, Xinyang belonged to the Xinyang Special District and Huangchuan Special District of Henan Province. In October 1952, these were merged into the Xinyang Special District. In 1965, the Zhumadian Special District was separated from it. In 1970, the Xinyang Special District was renamed the Xinyang Prefecture. On June 9, 1998, with the approval of the State Council, the Xinyang Prefecture and the county-level Xinyang City and Xinyang County were abolished, and the prefecture-level Xinyang City was established.

3. Geography

Xinyang spans approximately 205 kilometers from east to west and 142 kilometers from north to south on average, with a total area of over 18,000 square kilometers. The terrain is lower in the north and higher in the south, characterized by a stepped landscape of ridges and plains. The western and southern regions are dominated by the Tongbai Mountains and Dabie Mountains, covering nearly 7,000 square kilometers and accounting for 36.9% of the city's total area. These two mountain ranges connect end-to-end, winding along the border between Henan and Hubei provinces, forming the watershed between the Yangtze River and Huai River basins. Within Xinyang, the Tongbai Mountains stretch about 69 kilometers with steep slopes. The Dabie Mountains extend approximately 200 kilometers within the city; the eastern section features majestic ridges with elevations above 1,000 meters, while the western section is lower, broader, and predominantly consists of low mountains under 1,000 meters, interspersed with hills. Hilly and ridge landforms cover about 7,000 square kilometers, accounting for 38.5% of the city's total area. They are distributed north of the Dabie Mountains and south of the Minggang, Zhaihe, and Gushi line, with elevations ranging from 50 to 100 meters. Due to intense erosion and alluvial processes by the Huainan river system, this area features undulating hills and alternating ridges and valleys with height differences of 20 to 40 meters. Characterized by terraced fields, crisscrossing rivers and canals, dense ponds and weirs, and a network of paddy fields, the landscape resembles the scenery of southern China and serves as Xinyang's main grain-producing region. The northern part of Xinyang consists of plains and low-lying land, covering over 4,000 square kilometers and accounting for 24.6% of the city's total area. Plains, with elevations of 30 to 59 meters, make up 17% of the total area, while low-lying land, with elevations of 22 to 35 meters, is primarily distributed along both banks of the Huai River, accounting for 7.6% of the total area.[4]

3.1 Hydrology

Xinyang is located in the upper and middle reaches of the Huai River, and its rivers belong to the Yangtze River and Huai River basins. The total river surface area in the city is 37,000 hectares, accounting for 1.96% of the city's total area. The Huai River flows 363.5 kilometers within Xinyang, and its basin covers 98.2% of the city's total water system area. The Huai River has dense tributaries and abundant water flow, with two-thirds of its tributaries located on the southern side. Tributaries with courses exceeding 100 kilometers include the Shi River, Guan River, Shi River, Bailu River, Huang River, and Zhugan River, which converge into the Huai River from the southwest to northeast. Tributaries on the northern side of the Huai River are slope-water channels, characterized by numerous bends, shallow water, and slow flow, with courses generally under 100 kilometers, flowing into the Huai River from the northwest to southeast. Xinyang's Yangtze River system originates from dozens of small headstreams on the southern side of the main ridge of the Dabie Mountains, covering only 1.8% of the city's total water system area. The total course length within Xinyang is approximately 83.7 kilometers, with steep and shallow channels meandering southward. The per capita water resources in Xinyang amount to 1,230 cubic meters, which is 3.2 times the average for Henan Province. The city has 5 large reservoirs, 13 medium-sized reservoirs, and 866 small reservoirs, with a total storage capacity of 4.052 billion cubic meters. Xinyang's total water resources account for 22% of Henan Province's total.

Xinyang has a mild climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold, summers are hot and humid, while spring and autumn are warm and comfortable. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 2.2°C and an extreme low of -20.0°C (recorded on January 9, 1955). July is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 27.4°C and an extreme high of 40.9°C (recorded on August 23, 1959). Annual precipitation averages about 1,106 mm, concentrated mainly in summer. The city enjoys ample sunshine, with approximately 1,974 hours of sunshine annually. The average annual temperature ranges from 15.1°C to 15.3°C, with a long frost-free period averaging 220–230 days. Rainfall is abundant, with an annual average of 900–1,400 mm. The air is humid, with an average annual relative humidity of 77%.

Meteorological Data for Xinyang City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |--------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------| | Record High °C (°F)| 20.6 (69.1) | 26.5 (79.7) | 30.7 (87.3) | 34.3 (93.7) | 36.3 (97.3) | 38.7 (101.7) | 40.1 (104.2) | 40.9 (105.6) | 37.3 (99.1) | 34.2 (93.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 21.7 (71.1) | 40.9 (105.6) | | Average High °C (°F) | 6.8 (44.2) | 9.6 (49.3) | 14.7 (58.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 26.4 (79.5) | 29.7 (85.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.5 (86.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 15.6 (60.1) | 9.4 (48.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | | Daily Mean °C (°F) | 2.4 (36.3) | 4.9 (40.8) | 9.7 (49.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.2 (79.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | 16.4 (61.5) | 10.3 (50.5) | 4.7 (40.5) | 15.5 (60.0) | | Average Low °C (°F) | -1.1 (30.0) | 1.2 (34.2) | 5.7 (42.3) | 12.0 (53.6) | 17.0 (62.6) | 21.0 (69.8) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 6.3 (43.3) | 1.0 (33.8) | 11.7 (53.1) | | Record Low °C (°F)| -20.0 (-4.0) | -16.0 (3.2) | -6.6 (20.1) | -0.6 (30.9) | 5.0 (41.0) | 11.9 (53.4) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 7.9 (46.2) | -0.4 (31.3) | -6.4 (20.5) | -12.4 (9.7) | -20.0 (-4.0) | | Average Precipitation mm (inches)| 30.1 (1.19) | 41.7 (1.64) | 69.3 (2.73) | 77.0 (3.03) | 116.9 (4.60) | 136.5 (5.37) | 224.9 (8.85) | 174.6 (6.87) | 88.6 (3.49) | 74.2 (2.92) | 49.0 (1.93) | 23.4 (0.92) | 1,106.2 (43.54) | | Average precipitation days (≥0.1mm)| 7.2 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 9.9 | 11.5 | 11.0 | 12.6 | 11.9 | 10.5 | 10.2 | 7.6 | 6.2 | 117.2 | | Average relative humidity (%)| 71 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 83 | 79 | 76 | 72 | 69 | 74 | | Monthly sunshine hours | 127.0 | 121.7 | 139.3 | 175.6 | 196.1 | 197.4 | 205.7 | 194.8 | 160.2 | 162.2 | 149.9 | 143.8 | 1,973.7 | | Percentage of possible sunshine (%) | 40 | 39 | 38 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 43 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 44.5 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Xinyang City administers 2 municipal districts and 8 counties.

• Municipal Districts: Shihe District, Pingqiao District
• Counties: Gushi County, Luoshan County, Guangshan County, Xin County, Shangcheng County, Huangchuan County, Huaibin County, Xi County

Since June 2011, Gushi County became a pilot county directly administered by Henan Province, granted certain economic and fiscal management authorities equivalent to those of a prefecture-level city, but it remains under the administrative leadership of Xinyang City.

On September 6, 2017, the Henan Provincial Committee decided that starting from January 1, 2018, the provincial direct administration system would end for 10 counties (cities), including Gushi County, Luyi County, and Xincai County.

In addition to the formal administrative divisions, Xinyang City has established the following economic functional zones: Yangshan New District, Nanwan Lake Scenic Area, Shangtianti Management Area, Jigongshan Management Area, and Xinyang Industrial City.

| Division Code | Division Name | Pinyin | Area (km²) | Permanent Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|------------|----------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 411500 | Xinyang City | Xinyang Shi | 18,915.61 | 6,234,401 | Shihe District | 464000 | 40 | 83 | 86 | | 411502 | Shihe District| Shihe Qu | 1,783.50 | 640,133 | Hudong Subdistrict | 464000 | 9 | 5 | 4 | | 411503 | Pingqiao District | Pingqiao Qu | 1,886.60 | 875,617 | Pingqiao Subdistrict| 464000 | 9 | 6 | 8 | | 411521 | Luoshan County| Luoshan Xian | 2,070.37 | 493,208 | Lishui Subdistrict | 464200 | 3 | 11 | 6 | | 411522 | Guangshan County | Guangshan Xian | 1,833.68 | 593,486 | Zishui Subdistrict | 465400 | 2 | 7 | 10 | | 411523 | Xin County | Xin Xian | 1,554.22 | 278,620 | Xinji Town | 465500 | 1 | 5 | 10 | | 411524 | Shangcheng County | Shangcheng Xian | 2,109.66 | 459,488 | Chicheng Subdistrict| 465300 | 2 | 10 | 7 | | 411525 | Gushi County | Gushi Xian | 2,942.97 | 1,041,399 | Xiushui Subdistrict | 465200 | 3 | 19 | 11 | | 411526 | Huangchuan County | Huangchuan Xian | 1,634.92 | 636,679 | Dingcheng Subdistrict| 465100 | 4 | 9 | 8 | | 411527 | Huaibin County| Huaibin Xian | 1,207.23 | 549,603 | Binhu Subdistrict | 464400 | 4 | 5 | 10 | | 411528 | Xi County | Xi Xian | 1,892.46 | 666,168 | Qiaolou Subdistrict | 464300 | 3 | 6 | 12 |

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5. Transportation

Xinyang is located approximately 200 kilometers south of Wuhan, 330 kilometers north of Zhengzhou, 340 kilometers east of Hefei, and 590 kilometers west of Xi'an. Situated at the heart of the Wuhan Economic Circle, the Central Plains Economic Zone, the Wanjiang City Belt, and the Beijing-Guangzhou and Beijing-Kowloon "two vertical" economic belts, it is a crucial transportation and communication hub in Henan Province. Xinyang is a national-level highway transport hub city. Among the 286 prefecture-level and above cities nationwide, in the ranking of prefecture-level cities reachable within 8 hours by highway, Xinyang ranks 3rd nationally, with access to 144 prefecture-level cities, following only Wuhan and Zhengzhou.

Wusheng Pass, Pingjing Pass, and Jiuli Pass are collectively known as the "Three Passes of Yiyang." These passes serve as vital north-south thoroughfares, guarding the southern approaches to the Chu region and shielding the Central Plains to the north. Their strategic importance has made them contested territory throughout history.

5.1 Civil Aviation

Xinyang Minggang Airport commenced construction on December 11, 2009, and officially began operations in 2018. Huangchuan Airport has been formally included in Henan Province's "13th Five-Year Plan" for the development of a modern comprehensive transportation system.

5.2 Railway

Xinyang is currently served by four railway lines: the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Beijing-Kowloon Railway, Nanjing-Xi'an Railway, and Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway. Additionally, three planned railways are the Beijing-Kowloon Passenger Dedicated Line (under construction), Hefei-Xi'an High-Speed Railway, Hengyang-Huangchuan Railway, and Xinyang-Xiangyang High-Speed Railway. Major stations include Xinyang Station (a Class I station under the Wuhan Railway Bureau), Xinyang East Station (Class I), and Huangchuan Station (Class II).

5.3 Highway

Multiple major highways form crucial intersections within the region, including the G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, G40 Shanghai-Xi'an Expressway, G45 Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway, and National Highways 106, 107, 312, 220, 230, and 328. The total highway mileage in the area is 22,117 kilometers, with 1,551 kilometers classified as Class II or above.

5.4 Water Transport

Xinyang features seaports such as the Huaibin Yinma Port and the Gushi Wanggang Wharf. Huaibin Port is the largest inland port in Henan Province.

6. Education

6.1 Undergraduate

• Xinyang Normal University
• Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University
• Xinyang University (formerly "Huarui College" of the Normal University)
• China International Tea College (under construction)

6.2 Military Academies

• Air Force Engineering University Aviation Maintenance Non-Commissioned Officer School (formerly the First Aviation College of the People's Liberation Army Air Force)
• Xinyang Branch of the People's Liberation Army Information Engineering University
• Xinyang Branch of the People's Liberation Army University of Foreign Languages
• Xinyang Army Academy of the People's Liberation Army (disbanded)

6.3 Vocational Colleges

• Xinyang Vocational and Technical College
• Xinyang International Vocational and Technical College
• Xinyang Aviation Vocational College
• Dabie Mountain Art Vocational College (planned)
• Gushi Heyuan Science and Technology Vocational College (planned)
• Guangshan Applied Technology College of Henan University of Technology (planned)

7. Population

At the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 6.166 million, including 3.1915 million urban permanent residents and 2.9745 million rural permanent residents. The urbanization rate of the permanent resident population was 51.76%, 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 6,234,401. Compared with 6,109,106 from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 125,295 people over the ten years, a growth of 2.05%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.2%. Among them, the male population was 3,096,479, accounting for 49.67% of the total population; the female population was 3,137,922, accounting for 50.33% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 98.68. The population aged 0–14 was 1,475,608, accounting for 23.67% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 3,557,559, accounting for 57.06% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,201,234, accounting for 19.27% of the total population, among which the population aged 65 and above was 947,373, accounting for 15.2% of the total population. The urban population was 3,124,683, accounting for 50.12% of the total population; the rural population was 3,109,718, accounting for 49.88% of the total population.

Research indicates that surnames such as Huang, Pan, Lai, Luo, Liao, Sun, Jiang, Bai, and Fu all originated from Xinyang.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 6,202,944, accounting for 99.5%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 31,457, accounting for 0.5%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population increased by 121,014, a growth of 1.99%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.06 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 4,281, a growth of 15.75%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.06 percentage points.

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8. Culture

Xinyang is situated between the Central Plains and the Jianghuai region, where Central Plains culture, Chu culture, and Wu culture intermingle, forming a distinctive folk culture. Well-known folk songs and dances such as shadow puppetry, flower-drum opera, Guangzhou drum opera, and dideng opera permeate various aspects of local life. The Xinyang International Tea Culture Festival, centered around tea, is held annually from April 28th to 30th.

8.1 Dialect

In the late Ming Dynasty, after Li Zicheng captured Guangzhou (present-day Huangchuan), a large-scale massacre led to a sharp decline in the local population. Following the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the court ordered the relocation of people from Jiangxi and other regions to the area. During the same period, migrations from Huguang, Fujian, and Jiangxi to Sichuan took place, and some residents in the Xinyang region are descendants of Hakka people from Nanchang, Jiujiang in Jiangxi, and the border areas of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi. In the early Qing Dynasty, Gan dialect and Hakka began to circulate in the Xinyang area. Over centuries of integration and interaction with local residents from Henan, Anhui, and Hubei, the Xinyang region gradually developed a mixed dialect comprising Southwestern Mandarin, Jianghuai Mandarin, and Central Plains Mandarin. The academic classification of the Xinyang dialect has long been debated, but it is generally categorized under the Xin-Beng subgroup of Central Plains Mandarin.

8.2 Cuisine

Most of Xinyang lies south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River, making it a typical Jianghuai region and the only area in Henan Province where rice is the staple food. Its various dietary habits and cooking techniques also reflect Jianghuai characteristics. After millennia of accumulation and development, Xinyang cuisine, known for its authentic flavors, freshness, aroma, and crisp texture, has gained popularity across 16 provinces and 56 cities nationwide. Signature dishes include Luoshan large intestine soup, Shangcheng barrel-fresh fish, Xinyang glutinous rice cake, Huangchuan Guangzhou tribute noodles, Huangchuan soft-shelled turtle, Huangchuan Huanggang fish soup, and egg-stuffed pancakes. Xinyang is abundant in Nanwan fish, making Xinyang grilled fish a renowned local snack.

9. Sister Cities

• Gochang County, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea (2010-03)
• Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan (with Shihe District, Xinyang City, 1992-04-16)
• Ashkelon, Israel (with Yugu District, Xinyang City, 1995-06)

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Xinwu Avenue, Pingqiao District

Gushi County

Han Chinese account for 99.5%; ethnic minorities make up 0.5% of the population.

Ginkgo

Osmanthus