Zhoukou (周口)

1. Introduction

Zhoukou City, historically known as Chen, Huaiyang, and Zhoujiakou, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Henan Province, People's Republic of China, located in the southeastern part of Henan Province. The city borders Zhumadian City to the south, Luohe City and Xuchang City to the west, Kaifeng City and Shangqiu City to the north, and Bozhou City and Fuyang City of Anhui Province to the east. Situated in the eastern Henan plain, it lies at the confluence of the Sha River, Ying River, and Jialu River. The city covers a total area of 11,961 square kilometers with a total population of approximately 8.82 million. Zhoukou is the ancient capital of Fuxi and the hometown of Laozi, renowned as the "Pioneer of Huaxia and Sacred Site of the Nine Provinces," and is hailed by the China Fuxi Culture Research Association as a "crucial birthplace of Chinese civilization." In 2010, Henan was rated by CCTV's Economic Life Survey as one of China's top ten happiest provinces in 2009, with Zhoukou City ranking first in happiness within Henan Province. The People's Government of Zhoukou City is located at No. 1 Guangming Road, Chuanhui District.

nix

2. History

2.1 Ancient History

Zhoukou was historically part of the State of Chen. According to legend, Fuxi established his capital at Wanqiu. Later, Emperor Yan built his capital on the old ruins of Fuxi, renaming it "Chen" to signify its status as an ancient capital. The Pingliangtai Ancient City Site discovered within the territory pushes Zhoukou's urban history back over 4,600 years, making it one of China's earliest ancient city sites. Some historians believe this ancient city site is the ancient city of Wanqiu. In the 11th century BC, Guiman, a descendant of Emperor Shun, was enfeoffed at Chen, establishing the State of Chen. In 550 BC, a revolt of corvée laborers occurred in the State of Chen, during which senior officials Qing Yin and Qing Hu were killed. This was the first recorded slave uprising during city construction in Chinese history. In the late Spring and Autumn period, Confucius traveled to the State of Chen three times to lecture, staying for a total of four years. In 479 BC, the State of Chen was annexed by the State of Chu. In 278 BC, King Xiang of Chu moved his capital to Chen, historically known as Ying Chen. In 221 BC, after Qin unified China, Chen County was established, later changed to a commandery, governing 12 counties. In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang established the Zhang Chu regime here, the first peasant regime in Chinese history. In 202 BC, during the Chu-Han Contention, the two sides confronted each other in this area. The famous "Chu River and Han Border" passed through the territory. In 196 BC, Emperor Gaozu of Han changed Chen Commandery to Huaiyang Commandery and later established the Kingdom of Huaiyang. This is the origin of the current name Huaiyang County. Since the Han dynasties, successive dynasties established commanderies and prefectures centered on Huaiyang. In 232 AD, Cao Zhi was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chen and died here.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Zhoujiakou was a crucial hub for the exchange of goods between the northwest and Jiangnan, once known as one of the four major commercial towns in Henan. In the early Ming dynasty, with the opening of the Shayin River water transport, it began to develop, and the initial market town gradually expanded from the north bank of the Sha River to the south bank. To facilitate merchants traveling between the two banks, a family surnamed Zhou opened the first ferry on Ziwu Street (now Old Street in Chuanhui District) on the south bank, giving rise to the name "Zhoujiakou" (Zhou Family Ferry). During the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, the dredging of the Jialu River was completed, making Zhoujiakou an important commodity distribution center connecting Jianghuai in the south and Shanxi-Shaanxi in the north. In the first fifty years of the early Qing dynasty, the Jialu River was dredged ten times to ensure smooth river transport. During the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, Zhoujiakou Town reached its peak, with 16 ferries opened, 116 streets, tens of thousands of permanent residents, and a floating population reaching hundreds of thousands. In the mid to late Qing dynasty, maritime transport gradually replaced river transport as the main channel for north-south goods transportation. In 1843, the Yellow River breached at Zhongmu, causing siltation in the Jialu River and blocking the waterway north to Kaifeng, which was never restored. The commerce of Zhoujiakou Town began to decline. From 1853 to 1854, the Northern Expeditionary Army of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fought fierce battles with Qing forces here. Between 1857 and 1866, the Nian Rebellion affected Zhoujiakou, and many temple buildings in the town were "burned three times, nearly to complete destruction."

2.2 Modern and Contemporary History

In 1901, the entire Jinghan Railway was opened to traffic. Luohe, located dozens of kilometers west of Zhoukou and along the railway line, attracted a large number of merchants and residents. Zhoukou completely bid farewell to the prosperity of the Ming and Qing periods, described in the poem as "Ten thousand household lights rivaling Jiangpu, a thousand sails gathered like Hanga" (This verse is from the poem "Passing Zhoujiakou" by Xiong Tingbi, a native of Jiangxia County, Hubei, written in the 26th year of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty when he passed the Zhoujia ferry on his way to the imperial examinations in the capital. He passed the imperial examination that same year. In the poem, "Hanga" refers to Hankou Town in his hometown Jiangxia County; both Hankou Town and Zhoujiakou Town were water transport hubs that rose during the Ming dynasty). During the War of Resistance against Japan in 1938, the National Revolutionary Army strategically breached the Yellow River dike at Huayuankou. The Yellow River, then in flood season, changed its course, flowing down the Jialu and Ying rivers. The Zhoukou area became a severely affected disaster zone of the Yellow River floods, suffering for nine years. In August of the same year, several counties were occupied by Japanese forces. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhoukou Town was successively under the administration of Shangshui and Huaiyang. In 1965, Zhoukou Prefecture was established (later renamed Zhoukou Region). In 2000, Zhoukou Region was changed to the prefecture-level city of Zhoukou. On June 30, 2011, the county under its jurisdiction, Luyi County, became a province-administered county.

3. Geography

Zhoukou is located in the Huang-Huai Plain, with higher terrain in the northwest and lower terrain in the southeast. The natural gradient ranges from 1/5000 to 1/7000. The elevation ranges from 35.5 to 64.3 meters. Roughly bounded by the line from Chuanhui District to Taikang, the area west of this line has an elevation of 50–64.3 meters.

Zhoukou has a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate. Winters are cold with little snow, while summers are hot and rainy.

January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 1.8°C; July is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 27.3°C. The annual average temperature is 15.0°C.

The city's average frost period is 146 days, and the frost-free period is 219 days.

Average Meteorological Data for Chuanhui District, Zhoukou City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |--------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------| | Avg. high °C (°F)| 6.3 (43.3) | 9.6 (49.3) | 14.7 (58.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.1 (89.8) | 30.9 (87.6) | 27.3 (81.1) | 22.2 (72.0) | 15.0 (59.0) | 8.4 (47.1) | 20.6 (69.0) | | Daily mean °C (°F)| 1.3 (34.3) | 4.3 (39.7) | 9.2 (48.6) | 15.9 (60.6) | 21.3 (70.3) | 25.9 (78.6) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.5 (79.7) | 22.0 (71.6) | 16.3 (61.3) | 9.2 (48.6) | 3.3 (37.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | | Avg. low °C (°F)| -2.4 (27.7) | 0.2 (32.4) | 4.6 (40.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 16.0 (60.8) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.8 (74.8) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.9 (64.2) | 11.8 (53.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | -0.5 (31.1) | 10.9 (51.6) | | Avg. precipitation mm (inches)| 17.0 (0.67) | 20.3 (0.80) | 38.9 (1.53) | 34.4 (1.35) | 74.3 (2.93) | 102.4 (4.03) | 217.9 (8.58) | 136.0 (5.35) | 82.1 (3.23) | 51.0 (2.01) | 31.4 (1.24) | 16.2 (0.64) | 821.9 (32.36) | | Avg. relative humidity (%)| 68 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 70 | 69 | 80 | 82 | 77 | 73 | 72 | 69 | 72 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Zhoukou City currently administers 2 municipal districts and 7 counties, and also administers on behalf of the province 1 county-level city.

• Municipal Districts: Chuanhui District, Huaiyang District
• County-level City: Xiangcheng City
• Counties: Fugou County, Xihua County, Shangshui County, Shenqiu County, Dancheng County, Taikang County, Luyi County

Additionally, Zhoukou City has established the following economic management zones: Zhoukou City Urban-Rural Integration Demonstration Zone (formerly the Eastern New District) and Zhoukou Economic and Technological Development Zone.

Since June 2011, Luyi County has been designated as a pilot county directly administered by Henan Province, granting it certain economic and fiscal management authorities equivalent to those of a prefecture-level city, while it remains under the administrative leadership of Zhoukou City.

| Division Code | Division Name | Pinyin | Area (km²) | Permanent Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 411600 | Zhoukou City | Zhoukou Shi | 11,961.04 | 9,026,015 | Chuanhui District | 466000 | 36 | 101 | 68 | | 411602 | Chuanhui District | Chuanhui Qu | 337.50 | 698,341 | Xiaoqiao Subdistrict | 466000 | 12 | | 2 | | 411603 | Huaiyang District | Huaiyang Qu | 1,334.56 | 1,022,322 | Chengguan Hui Ethnic Town | 466700 | 1 | 7 | 11 | | 411621 | Fugou County | Fugou Xian | 1,163.28 | 553,830 | Tongqiu Subdistrict | 461300 | 2 | 8 | 6 | | 411622 | Xihua County | Xihua Xian | 1,206.86 | 692,846 | Wacheng Subdistrict | 466600 | 3 | 9 | 9 | | 411623 | Shangshui County | Shangshui Xian | 1,270.75 | 960,453 | Xincheng Subdistrict | 466100 | 3 | 11 | 9 | | 411624 | Shenqiu County | Shenqiu Xian | 1,082.04 | 956,631 | Dongcheng Subdistrict | 466300 | 2 | 15 | 5 | | 411625 | Dancheng County | Dancheng Xian | 1,489.50 | 1,057,093 | Xincheng Subdistrict | 477100 | 3 | 8 | 11 | | 411627 | Taikang County | Taikang Xian | 1,754.96 | 1,152,685 | Chengguan Hui Ethnic Town | 461400 | | 15 | 8 | | 411628 | Luyi County | Luyi Xian | 1,243.25 | 958,617 | Zhenyuan Subdistrict | 477200 | 4 | 13 | 7 | | 411681 | Xiangcheng City | Xiangcheng Shi | 1,078.35 | 973,197 | Huayuan Subdistrict | 466200 | 6 | 15 | |

5. Economy

5.1 Agriculture

Zhoukou is a significant production base for grain, cotton, and oil crops in China. Currently, the city's grain cultivation area reaches 18.65 million mu, with a total output of 14.33 billion jin, accounting for 13.3% of Henan Province's total grain output. The annual cotton planting area is 1.993 million mu, with a total output of 340 million jin, representing 26% of the province's total and ranking first in Henan. The total output of oil crops is 550 million jin, accounting for 7% of the province's total and ranking second in the province. In terms of agricultural by-products, the inventory includes 10.0877 million pigs, 2.7056 million cattle, 5.706 million sheep, and 475 million chickens. Zhoukou has a long history in leather production and processing, renowned as the "Leather Capital of the North with Zhangjiakou, and of the South with Zhoujiakou." The abundant and high-quality leather raw materials provide unique advantages for the development of the tanning industry. Zhoukou is rich in forest resources, often called the "Forest Sea of the Central Plains." The forest coverage rate reaches 18%, with a timber stock of 8 million cubic meters.

5.2 Industry

Zhoukou's industrial development is led by the deep processing of agricultural by-products, forming an industrial system with food processing, textiles and apparel, and pharmaceuticals and chemicals as pillars, and featuring power, machinery, and leather and fur industries. A number of well-known industrial brands have emerged, including:

Henan Lotus Group, located in Xiangcheng City. Its "Lotus" brand monosodium glutamate has won 24 domestic and international gold medals. Its production capacity ranks among the top four in the world in the industry, with the highest single-plant output globally.

Henan Songhe Distillery Co., Ltd., located in Zaoji Town, Luyi County. The high and low-alcohol Songhe Liangye liquor produced by this factory has won national gold medals and is listed among China's famous liquors.

Henan Xianglong Siwu Distillery Co., Ltd., located in Chuanhui District, has developed over 10 series including the Yushang series, Siwu Laojiao series, and Old Liquor series, with more than 60 varieties ranging from high to low grades. On September 5, 2008, Henan Xianglong Siwu Distillery Co., Ltd. was listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange, becoming the first listed liquor enterprise in Henan Province and the first Chinese liquor brewing company to achieve an overseas listing.

6. Transportation

6.1 Railway

• China State Railway Group Luohe-Fuyang Railway
• China State Railway Group Yuzhou-Dancheng Railway
• China High-Speed Railway Zhengzhou-Fuyang High-Speed Railway

6.2 Expressway

• G36 Nanjing-Luoyang Expressway
• S81 Shangqiu-Nanyang Expressway
• G45 Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway
• G1516 Yongcheng-Dengfeng Expressway

6.3 National Highway

• National Highway 311
• National Highway 106
• National Highway 230

6.4 Shipping

Zhoukou City, which developed relying on shipping, saw its waterways completely interrupted during the water conservancy projects in the mid-20th century. In recent years, the restoration and continuation projects of the Sha-Ying River have been carried out successively. In 2005, the infrastructure construction of Zhoukou Port was completed. Currently, some river sections have achieved seasonal navigation.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education

• Zhoukou Normal University
• Henan Vocational University of Science and Technology
• Zhoukou College of Education
• Zhoukou Vocational and Technical College

7.2 Secondary Schools

• Dancheng County No.1 Senior High School
• Xiangcheng City No.1 Senior High School
• Huaiyang High School
• Shangshui County No.1 Senior High School
• Shangshui County No.2 Senior High School
• Fugou County Senior High School
• Taikang County No.1 Senior High School
• Luyi County No.1 Senior High School
• Zhoukou City No.1 Senior High School
• Zhoukou Chinese-English School
• Xihua County No.1 Senior High School
• Xihua County No.2 Senior High School
• Xihua County No.3 Senior High School
• Xihua County Jicheng Senior High School
• Xihua County No.1 Vocational Secondary Specialized School
• Xihua County No.2 Vocational Secondary Specialized School
• Shenqiu County No.1 Senior High School
• Shenqiu County No.2 Senior High School
• Shenqiu County No.3 Senior High School

8. Population

At the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 8.812 million, a decrease of 41,000 people compared to the end of 2021. Compared to the decrease of 165,700 people in 2021, the rate of decline has narrowed.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 9,026,015. Compared with the 8,953,793 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total increase over the ten years was 72,222 people, an increase of 0.81%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.08%. Among them, the male population was 4,454,317, accounting for 49.35% of the total population; the female population was 4,571,698, accounting for 50.65% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 97.43. The population aged 0-14 was 2,249,038, accounting for 24.92% of the total population; the population aged 15-59 was 4,994,001, accounting for 55.33% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,782,976, accounting for 19.75% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 1,370,270, accounting for 15.18% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 3,843,339, accounting for 42.58% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 5,182,676, accounting for 57.42% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic population was 8,899,159, accounting for 98.59%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 126,856, accounting for 1.41%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic population increased by 74,304 people, a growth of 0.84%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.03 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities decreased by 2,082 people, a decline of 1.61%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.03 percentage points.

Zhoukou City has a total of 33 ethnic minorities including Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian, with over 166,000 people. The ethnic minority population ranks second in Henan Province, with the Hui population being 158,000, ranking first in Henan Province. There are 6 county-level cities/districts with an ethnic minority population exceeding ten thousand, 40 towns/townships (including 3 Hui ethnic towns) with a population exceeding one thousand, and 130 ethnic聚居 villages.

8.2 Surnames

Zhoukou's total population exceeds ten million, making it a major city in terms of population. According to official statistics, by the end of June 2006, the local population of the city had 1,084 surnames. The 18 most populous surnames in order are: Wang, Zhang, Li, Liu, Zhao, Chen, Yang, Guo, Sun, Zhu, Ma, Zhou, Gao, Xu, Han, Wu, Liang, and Hu. Zhoukou City is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese surnames. More than 130 surnames originated in Zhoukou or have historical commanderies/clans based in Zhoukou.

9. Religion

In terms of religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, and Catholicism all have significant influence in the city. The total number of religious believers is 477,000, with 1,056 government-approved religious activity sites.

10. Culture

Zhoukou is a city rich in cultural resources and serves as a significant cradle of Chinese dragon culture, surname culture, Taoist culture, and agricultural culture.

10.1 Dragon Culture

According to historical records such as Zuo Zhuan and Sanhuang Benji, when Fuxi, the legendary ancestor of Chinese civilization, was born, auspicious signs of the dragon appeared. Consequently, he "established official positions based on the dragon and was called the Dragon Master." In the preface of Zhoukou—China's "City of Mythology" by Mu Renxian, it is recorded: "Fuxi successively conquered nine major tribes. Initially, Fuxi's totem was a python, and each of the other tribes also had its own totem. Every time Fuxi conquered a tribe, he incorporated a part of that tribe's totem into his python totem. After years of conquest, Fuxi added the eyes of a tiger, the whiskers of a whale, the legs of a monitor lizard, the claws of an eagle, the scales of a red carp, and the tail of a white shark to his python totem. Thus, a new totemic image was created. What should this new totem be called? On the fifth day of the ninth lunar month, when Fuxi summoned the leaders of the nine tribes to discuss the alliance, dark clouds suddenly gathered, and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky. The dazzling light resembled the new totem, followed by a rumbling thunderclap. Fuxi was suddenly inspired and named the new totem 'Dragon'."

10.2 Festivals and Events

• Zhoukou Huaiyang Lotus Festival, held annually at the end of July.
• Zhoukou Xihua Peach Blossom Festival, held annually in April.

11. Sister Cities

• Petropavl (Petropavlovsk), Kazakhstan
• Dão, Brazil

nix

nix

nix

nix

Chuanhui District

Taikang County

Han Chinese account for 98.59% of the population; ethnic minorities make up 1.41%.

Sophora japonica

Lotus flower