Get to know Xixia County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Nanyang
- Chinese name
- 西峡县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 3,453.00 km²
- Population · 2019
- 431,800
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
Laojieling (老界岭), the main peak of the Funiu range, runs west to east along the north of the county, and the land tilts from north-west to south-east down to 181 metres at Mabian village (马边村) in Danshui (丹水). The county lies on the line between the warm-temperate and northern subtropical zones. The Laoguan River (老鹳河) flows for 109.4 kilometres through Xixia before continuing through Xichuan (淅川) to the Dan River (丹江).
History
Between 524 and 506 BC the area was the capital of the state of Xu (许国), and under the Qin and Han it formed Xi County (析县). From the Qin to the Jin dynasty the county seat stood on the site of today's Xixia town. Later the area was part of Neixiang (内乡); Xixia became a county of its own after 6 May 1948, was merged back in January 1949 and re-established that December.
What to see
Laojieling is a 5A scenic area and national nature reserve at the core of the Funiu Mountain World Geopark. The county government explains the name through its three characters: lao for Laozi (老子), who is said to have lived here as a recluse; jie for the line between China's northern and southern climates; and ling for the ridge that divides the Yangtze and Yellow River basins. Summer temperatures average 22°C.
The Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park (西峡恐龙遗迹园), in Danshui, lies 25 kilometres from each of the Xixia, Neixiang and Xichuan county towns and is rated 5A by the county government. It sits at the core of the Nanyang dinosaur-egg fossil national nature reserve and opened in July 2006. Its egg-fossil museum was one of the first three branches of the Geological Museum of China, and the dinosaur-egg site is displayed in excavated tunnels that show the eggs as they were buried.
Other sights listed for the county include rafting on the Laoguan River and the Yunhua Bat Cave (云华蝙蝠洞), where tens of thousands of bats roost together.
Food and local products
The State Forestry Administration has named Xixia a home of kiwifruit (猕猴桃) and of the medicinal cornel, shanzhuyu (山茱萸); the county grows 70 per cent of China's shanzhuyu, which carries a geographical-indication label. Fruit, mushrooms and medicinal herbs are the three mainstays of its farming, and Shuanglong (双龙) has a shiitake market.
Highlights
- Laojieling 老界岭: 5A area on the Yangtze-Yellow River divide, core of the Funiu Mountain World Geopark.
- Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park 西峡恐龙遗迹园: Dinosaur eggs shown in excavated tunnels as they were buried; opened 2006.
- Yunhua Bat Cave 云华蝙蝠洞: Cave where tens of thousands of bats roost.
- Shanzhuyu (medicinal cornel) 山茱萸: Xixia grows 70 per cent of China's output; geographical-indication product.
Sources for this guide
中国.西峡恐龙遗迹园_西峡旅游_南阳西峡县人民政府 · Xixia County People's Government
老界岭世界地质公园_西峡旅游_南阳西峡县人民政府 · Xixia County People's Government
西峡县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Xixia County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Xixia County
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Xixia Laojieling西峡老界岭
Laojieling is a high mountain destination in the Funiu range, with forested ridges, unusual rock peaks and watershed scenery.
Read the place guide →
A sunlit paved plaza at the entrance of the Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park: a huge green sauropod statue with a raised neck on the left and a white one on the right, a pink stone wall lettered 中国西峡恐龙遗迹园 between them, a white picket fence, trees and a blue sky; a parked car and a kiosk sit at the left edge.Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park西峡恐龙遗迹园
Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park in Danshui Town focuses on dinosaur eggs and the geological setting in which they were found.
Read the place guide →
Laojie Ridge · 老界岭Laojie Ridge老界岭
Laojieling (老界岭) is a high ridge in Xixia County, Nanyang, Henan, forming the core of the Funiu Shan UNESCO Global Geopark and a national nature reserve, and marking the watershed between the Yangtze and Yellow River basins.
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Xixia County is about 110 km in a straight line from central Nanyang. Search for 西峡县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Xixia Laojieling and Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Nanyang →More in Nanyang
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 西峡县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park · Gary Todd · CC0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Laojie Ridge · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.