A tree reaching the sky must have its roots, and the waters running down the mountains must have their origins. Being the birthplace of the Chinese civilization, Henan plays an incomparable role in the history of this country. Henan hence can be compared to a wellspring, a root, and a mother of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization.

History

As mentioned, Henan is the cradle of China and the place where the early Chinese people predominantly lived. The ancestor of China, the Yellow Emperor, was born at Xinzheng, Henan. The beginnings of the Chinese civilization, the invention of the Chinese characters the formation of cities, and the founding of the country all have close relationship with Henan. Ever since the founding of the Xia Dynasty, which was the first one in Chinese history, over 20 dynasties have chosen Henan to build their capital city. For more than 3,000 years Henan has served as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. Four of the eight famous ancient capitals of China were located in the Province of Henan: they are Luoyang, the capital of nine dynasties, Kaifeng, the capital of seven dynasties, Anyang, the capital of the Shang Dynasty, and Zhengzhou, also the capital of the Shang Dynasty. At different times in Chinese history, a large number of local inhabitants decided to move to other places and settle down there; this fostered the development of these areas as well as the spread of Chinese civilization.

Cultural Origins

As we read above, Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. It houses the ruins of the Peiligang culture (7,000 years old), the ruins of Yangshao culture (5,000 years old), and the ruins of Longshan culture (4,000 years old). It is home to three world heritage sites, i.e. Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, the Anyang Yin Xu (Yin Ruins), and Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in "The Center of Heaven and Earth", Zhengzhou. China's ancient culture is impressive and Henan is its crown jewel. The ancient thinkers Laozi and Zhuangzi, the scientist Zhang Heng, the medical scholar Zhang Zhongjing, the authors Du Fu, Han Yu and Bai Juyi, the Buddhist master Xuan Zang, and many others have made indelible contributions to the development of the Chinese society.

Surname Origins

Henan is also an important birthplace of Chinese surnames. In China there are 300 surnames and 171 of these have their roots in Henan. Of the 100 most common surnames in China, 78 have their origins in Henan, which is remarkable. In fact, most of overseas Chinese people can trace their lineage back to Henan, such as families named Chen, Lin, Huang and Zheng. Henan is also the ancestral home of millions of Hakka people from all over the world. In recent years we have seen an endless stream of overseas Chinese returning to Henan: they desire to find their family roots and make a pilgrimage to their ancestors. Henan has become the emotional belonging of the Chinese people all around the globe.