Yu is short for Henan Province. It lies in the mid-lower reach of the Yellow River, with an area of 160 thousand square kilometers in area, and a population of 88.1 million.
In the north, west and south, there are some hilly areas. In the east, there are some wide plains. The hills occupy 44 percent, and the others are plains, river valley and basins. In the northern part, The Yellow River flows from the West to the East. And in the southeastern part, there is Huai River. To the South of Funiu Mountain and the Huai River, it is humid monsoon climate in the inferior-torrid zone. To the north, it has a semi-humid monsoon climate in the temperate zone. The mineral resources are amongst the most abundant in China. Mainly, there is coal, petroleum, natural-gas, aluminum and molybdenum.
In agriculture, there are wheat, cotton, tobacco, sesame and peanut. The output of them is amongst the most important in the whole country. The produces of coal, petroleum, chemical fertilizer, synthetic ammonia, chemical fibre, flat sheet glass and tractors are in the important places in our country. The main means of transportation is railway. Also, the highway system is well developed.
Henan is a source of ancient civilization. It holds a very important position in Chinese history. The places of interest here is Song Mountain, Jigong Mountain, the White-horse Temple in Luoyang, Longmen Caves, the Chancellor Temple in Kaifeng, Tie Tower, Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Zhongyue Temple and so on. The traditional specialties are imitate Tangsancai, Henan embroidery in Kaifeng, Maojian Tea in Xinyang and Dukang Wine in Luoyang.
Recommended Scenic Spots
Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City
Located at the foot of Songshan Mountain, the Shaolin Monastery is well known all over the world for its outstanding Shaolin Martial Arts. Each year, many Martial Art organizations in Japan, Singapore, America and Switzerland send their members to visit Shaolin Temple and learn the Shaolin Martial Arts.
Built in 495AD, Shaolin Temple is the famous home of Kung Fu (wushu). It is also the home of the Chan (Zen) sect of Buddhism, which was introduced in 527 by the Indian monk Boddhidharma, founder of the sect. At Shaolin, Boddhidharma supposedly spent 9 years facing a wall in the state of illumination and visitors can still go to the cave where he meditated.
The draw of Shaolin Temple for most is Kung Fu. Visitors can watch thousands of young trainees dressed in the colors of their respective schools practice this martial art. In September, the temple comes alive with guests from all over the world, as it hosts the international Wushu Festival.
Longmen Caves in Luoyang
In 494 AD the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang At Datong the dynasty had built the impressive Yungang Caves. Now in Luoyang, the dynasty commenced work on the Longmen Caves. Over the next 200 years, more than 100,000 images and statues of Buddha and his disciples were carved into the cliff walls on the banks of the Yi River, 16km south of the city. It was an ideal site. The hard texture of the rock, like that at Datong, made it eminently suitable for carving. The caves of Luoyang, Dunhuang and Datong represent the peak of Buddhist cave art.
Apart from natural erosion, at Luoyang there has been much damage done to the sculptures during the 19th and 20th centuries by western souvenir hunters who beheaded just about every figure they could lay their saws on. These heads now grace the museums and private paperweight collections of Europe and North America. Among these were two murals which were entirely removed and can now be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Atkinson Museum in Kansas City. The Cultural Revolution also took its toll when the Red Guards arrived with hammers. The Ten Thousand Buddha Cave was particularly damaged during this period.
The art of Buddhist cave sculpture largely came to an end around the middle of the 9th century as the Tang Dynasty declined. Persecution of foreign religions in China began, with Buddhism as the prime target. Although Buddhist art and sculpture continued in China, it never reached the heights it had enjoyed previously.
White Horse Temple
The Baima Temple in Luoyang, Henan Province, was the first Buddhist Temple in China. It is said that one night in the year A. D. 64, Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) dreamed of a golden man 12 feet high, and the light from the mans head illuminated the hall where he stood.