Nanyang, Henan

Names

Nanyang (simplified Chinese: 南阳; traditional Chinese: 南陽; pinyin: Nányáng) 南-South, 阳/陽-sun (the south side of a mountain, or the north side of a river, which in Chinese is called Yang meaning "sunny"). Wan (宛) is the abbreviation for Nanyang which in ancient times was known as Wancheng (宛城), meaning "Wan City".

Geography

Nanyang is located in southwestern Henan, bordering Hubei (Xiangyang, Shiyan, and Suizhou) to the south, Shaanxi (Shangluo) to the west and the following prefecture-level cities in Henan:

The latitude of the entire prefecture ranges from 32° 17' to 33° 48' N, while the longitude ranges from 110° 58' to 113° 49' E, and the prefecture spans 26,600 square kilometres (10,300 sq mi). The city lies within the Nanyang Basin, which is part of a region in Central China that lies in the gap between the eastern end of the Qin Mountains and the source of the Huai River. Thus, using those two geographic features as the standard dividing line, it is difficult to classify the city into northern or southern China.

To the north of Nanyang city proper, there is a mountain called Mount Du, which is famous for the Dushan jade, one of the four famous jades of China, now a rarity. To the southwest is Neixiang County with the newly developing Baotianman Biosphere Reserve—an area of high biodiversity, with 65 rare and endangered species.

Climate

The climate is generally moderate and is a four-season humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with strong monsoon influences: winters are cool but dry, and summers are hot and humid. Spring and autumn provide transitions of reasonable length. The monthly daily average temperature in January is 1.4 °C (34.5 °F) and in July it is 26.9 °C (80.4 °F); the annual mean is 14.9 °C (58.8 °F). More than half the annual rainfall occurs from June to August.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Nanyang administers 2 districts, 1 county-level city and 10 counties.

Railways

Nanyang has one major railway station: Nanyang Railway Station. There are also several other small stations serving suburban areas.

Nanyang is a railway junction for the Nanjing-Xi'an Railway and the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway. Direct train service is available to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hefei to the east, Xian and Lanzhou to the west, Luoyang to the north and Liuzhou to the south.

Roads and expressways

Over 500 km (310 mi) of highway network has been built along the railway line and others. An 80 km (50 mi) beltway is being constructed surrounding the city. As of 2009, feasibility studies for 80 km of elevated rope suspension pathways hanging 10 meters high for pedestrian and bicycle use have been approved by city level governance. Installation will begin early 2010.

Airport and airlines

Nanyang Airport is one of three civil aviation airports in the province. It is only 20 minutes bus time from the urban area. Passengers can take flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Guilin.

There are also two avion airports.

Public transit

Nanyang city buses have about 30 lines in the urban area. Taxis are common.

Demographics

The whole city area has a population over 10.26 million, which is the twelfth prefecture-level city in China now. The built-up area has over 1.8 million people, which is the fifth largest city in Henan Province. About 1 million commute from the city, mainly to Zhengzhou, Guangdong province, Beijing and Shanghai. The majority of the province is Han; among the minority nationalities are the Hui people and Man people.

Culture

The official language of Nanyang is Mandarin Chinese, but most locals speak the Henan dialect, with its easily identifiable stereotypical features; this local dialect is known as Nanyang Hua (南阳话), and is spoken by about 15 million people in the area.

There is also a local form of Chinese opera called Wan Opera.

Famous people from Nanyang

Temples, cathedrals, and mosques

Sights

Shopping

Temples, cathedrals, and mosques

Sights

Hotels and lodging

Nightlife

Economy