Chinese Name: Shangqiu City (shng qi sh)

Population: 8,310,000

Area: 10,704 square kilometers (4,133 square miles)

Nationalities: Han

Administrative Division: 2 districts (Liangyuan, Suiyang); 6 counties (Yucheng, Minquan, Ningling, Suixian, Xiayi, Zhecheng); 1 county-level city (Yongcheng)

Seat of the City Government: Central section of Shenhuo Lu, Liangyuan District, Shangqiu City

Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints:0370-3289679
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184

Bank of China Shangqiu Branch: No.101, Shenhuo Lu, Liangyuan District, Shangqiu City

China Post Shangqiu Branch: Qingyun Jie, Liangyuan District, Shangqiu City

Location: Shangqiu City is situated in the eastern region of Henan Province. It touches the borders of neighboring Kaifeng in the west, Zhoukou in the south, Shandong Province in the north and Anhui Province in the east.

History: Shangqiu played an important role in the history of the Chinese nation. It is reportedly the place in China where the first fire was lit by a human. After the first emperor of the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) defeated Xia (21st - 16th century BC), he chose Shangqiu as the capital. It was authorized as the assistant capital by the first emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) for he grew up in this old city.

Physical Features: Shangqiu has always been an important farming area with convenient irrigation supplied by the Yellow River. The land is basically flat, sloping downward from the northwest to the southeast, with a spattering of dunes, bottomland troughs and some low-lying areas.

Climatic Features:Shangqiu enjoys a warm temperate climate, featuring warm and windy springs, torrid and rainy summers, refreshing autumns and chilly winters. It has ample sunshine and moderate rainfall. The annual average temperature is 14C (57.2F).

When to Go: Spring and autumn.

Special Local Products: Apples, grape, persimmons, honey peaches, sheep skin, handmade embroidery.

Attractions:
Old Town of Shangqiu is a well preserved town in the southwest section of the city proper. Dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the brick construction retains great historic and cultural relics, especially in the traditional residential houses and courtyards characteristic of the period.

Ebo Tai: a platform which is known as the earliest observatory in China.

Baiyun Temple: As one of the four holy temples in Central China, Baiyun Temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in what is now known as Minquan County, 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of the county seat.

Other Scenic Spots: Mangdang Mountain Cultural Relics Tourism Area, Diku Mausoleum.

Travel Tips:
1. Shangqiu has been a vital transportation hub for both railways and highways in China. The Eurasian Continental Bridge, spanning from Lianyungang in East China to Rotterdam of Holland, intersects the longest railway artery of China, Beijing-Kowloon Railway in Shangqiu. The Shangqiu-Hangzhou Railway runs through Shangqiu as well. The city is the junction of the national highway which runs from Beijing to Zhuhai and that which runs from Lianyungang to Horgas Port of Ili. Although there is not an airport in Shangqiu, the Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, which is over 200 kilometers (124 miles) away, may be may be conveniently reached by the expressway.

2. Shangqiu Central Bus Station is located in Liangyuan District, just opposite the railway station on Zhanqian Lu.