Get to know Xincai County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Zhumadian
- Chinese name
- 新蔡县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 1,442.00 km²
- Population · 2019
- 846,400
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
History
The name means "New Cai". According to the Shangcai county government, Marquis Ping of Cai (蔡平侯) moved the capital of the Cai state (蔡国) here from Shangcai (上蔡) under pressure from Chu. The ancient city of Geling (葛陵故城), a site of the Eastern Zhou and Han, is a national key protected site, and the old city of Xincai (新蔡故城) is on Henan's provincial list.
The county names the strategist Jiang Ziya (姜子牙) and Gan Bao (干宝), whom it calls the father of Chinese fiction, among the people it produced, together with the long-scroll painter Li Dinglong (李丁陇). Its revolutionary sites include the Xiaolizhuang Martyrs' Memorial (小李庄烈士纪念馆) and the place where the Liu–Deng army (刘邓大军) crossed the river.
What to see
The Dacheng Hall of the Confucian temple (文庙大成殿) and the shrine to martyrs of the 1911 Revolution (辛亥革命烈士祠) are both provincial protected sites. The county government describes its bronze statue of Confucius as the best-preserved Ming dynasty example in China, and also lists Jinsu Temple (金粟寺), Renyi Lane (仁义巷) and the spot where Confucius's disciple Zilu asked the way to the ford (子路问津处).
Xincai calls itself a water town: a 49.2-kilometre network of channels runs through the county town and joins its East, South, West and North lakes and Moon Bay Lake (月亮湾湖).
Food and local products
Shengang youmo (沈岗油馍) is a layered flatbread from Shengang village in Dungang township (顿岗乡). The county dates it to the early Ming and says it was sent as tribute under the Ming and Qing, with the saying "Daokou roast chicken in the north, Shengang youmo in the south". It is made from wheat flour and sesame oil in many thin, golden layers that break into pieces the size of copper coins. Wheat, soybeans, maize, rice, sesame, sweet potatoes and peanuts are the main farm products.
Highlights
- Geling ancient city 葛陵故城: Eastern Zhou and Han city site, listed as a national key protected site.
- Confucian Temple Dacheng Hall 文庙大成殿: Henan provincial protected site in Xincai.
- Shengang youmo 沈岗油馍: Layered flatbread of wheat flour and sesame oil, dated by the county to the early Ming.
Sources for this guide
新蔡县情简介_新蔡县人民政府 · Xincai County People's Government
沈 岗 油 馍_新蔡县人民政府 · Xincai County People's Government
新蔡县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
新蔡县各级文物保护单位列表 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
上蔡县 历史_上蔡县人民政府 · Shangcai County People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-24.
Explore Xincai County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Xincai County 新蔡县
Plan your visit
Getting there
Xincai County is about 95 km in a straight line from central Zhumadian. Search for 新蔡县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →More in Zhumadian
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 新蔡县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 新蔡县各级文物保护单位列表 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.