Xinxiang 新乡市

Setting and landscape

The northwest is low mountains and hills; the rest is plain laid down by the Yellow River and the Wei River (卫河), which crosses the prefecture and flows through the city. The Yellow River runs 170 kilometres along the south, edged by 1,290 square kilometres of floodland, the most in Henan by the city government's count.

History

The city government counts the Battle of Muye (牧野大战) and the Chenqiao Mutiny (陈桥兵变) among events that took place here, and says poems once current in the area make up a quarter of the 'Airs of the States' (国风) in the Book of Songs (诗经). Xinxiang County dates from 586; the Ming and Qing ruled the area as Weihui Prefecture (卫辉府), and from 1949 to 1952 Xinxiang was the capital of Pingyuan Province (平原省). Huixian (辉县) was the Zhou state of Gong (共国), whose ruler Gong Bo He (共伯和) governed in the king's place after a revolt in 841 BC; the first year of this Gonghe regency (共和行政) is, the city says, the start of China's precisely dated history.

What to see

In Huixian the city government lists Baligou (八里沟) and Baoquan (宝泉) as national 5A areas, with Wanxian Mountain (万仙山) and Guanshan (关山), also a national geopark, among its 4A sites. Guoliang Village (郭亮村) sits on a cliff 1,700 metres up; its villagers cut a road tunnel through the rock face between 1972 and 1977. At Baiquan (百泉), a kilometre northwest of Huixian city, a fair grew from river-god sacrifices in 608; the national intangible heritage list, joined in 2008, calls it one of China's three great medicinal-herb fairs.

Weihui (卫辉), on the Wei at the eastern foot of the Taihang, is where the loyal minister Bigan (比干) is buried, and Bigan Temple (比干庙) there is a 4A site. The Ming Prince Lu (潞简王) held his fief in Weihui, but his tomb, the Luwang Tomb (潞王陵), lies at the southern foot of Fenghuang Mountain (凤凰山) in Fengquan District (凤泉区); it became a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1996.

Food and local products

Henan Daily's food route for Xinxiang names braised mutton (红焖羊肉), Niu Zhongxi shaobing (牛忠喜烧饼), Yanjin huoshao (延津火烧) and Yuanyang huimian (原阳烩面); Xinxiang Daily reported the first three among the first 'Xinxiang gifts' (新乡礼物). Changyuan (长垣), at the Yellow River's last bend, is billed by the city government as 'China's hometown of chefs' (中国厨师之乡).

Getting oriented

The Beijing–Guangzhou and Zhengzhou–Jinan high-speed railways meet the Beijing–Guangzhou, Xinxiang–Yueshan (新月) and Xinxiang–Heze (新菏) lines in Xinxiang.

Highlights

• Baligou 八里沟: Southern Taihang scenic area in Huixian, listed by the city government as a national 5A area.
• Guoliang Village 郭亮村: Cliff village 1,700 metres up in the Taihang whose villagers cut a road tunnel through the rock face in 1972-1977.
• Baiquan 百泉: Site of the Baiquan medicine fair, on the national intangible heritage list since 2008.
• Bigan Temple 比干庙: Cultural sight in Weihui, where the loyal minister Bigan is buried.
• Luwang Tomb 潞王陵: Tomb of the Ming Prince Lu Jian at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain in Fengquan District; a national key cultural relics protection unit since 1996.