Shangqiu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shangqiu
商丘市
Shangkiu
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Prefecture-level city
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Aerial view of Shangqiu old city
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Shangqiu Prefecture in Henan
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 Shangqiu
Location in North China Plain
Shangqiu
Location in China
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| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Henan |
| Municipal seat | Suiyang District |
| Area | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 10,658 km2 (4,115 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,697 km2 (655 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 3,255 km2 (1,257 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 50 m (165 ft) |
| Population
(2020 census)
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| • Prefecture-level city | 7,816,831 |
| • Density | 733.42/km2 (1,899.56/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,859,723 |
| • Urban density | 1,095.9/km2 (2,838.3/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,831,814 |
| • Metro density | 869.99/km2 (2,253.3/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Prefecture-level city | CN¥ 198.9 billion US$ 29.9 billion |
| • Per capita | CN¥ 27,332 US$ 4,115 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| Postal Code |
476000
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| Area code(s) | 370 |
| ISO 3166 code | CN-HA-14 |
| Major Nationalities | Han |
| County-level divisions | 9 |
| Township-level divisions | 116 |
| License plate prefixes | 豫N |
| Shangqiu | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 商丘 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 商邱 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Shangqiu (Chinese: 商丘), also called Shangkiu, is a large city in eastern Henan province, Central China. It shares borders with Kaifeng to the northwest and Zhoukou to the southwest. It also borders the provinces of Shandong and Anhui.
In 2020, Shangqiu had a population of over 7.8 million people. About 2.8 million of these people lived in the main city area. Shangqiu has grown a lot recently. It is a very important place for transportation because many major railways meet there.
Shangqiu and the areas around it were a key center for the Shang dynasty (around 1600 – 1046 BC). The city itself was founded more than 3,000 years ago.
Contents
Exploring Shangqiu's Rich History
The history of Shangqiu, which means "Hills of Shang," is deeply connected to the very start of Chinese history. Legends say that ancient emperors like Shennong and Emperor Ku lived in this area around 2500 BC.
Ancient Beginnings and Dynasties
Qi, a son of Emperor Ku, helped Yu the Great control big floods. Because of this, he was given the land of Shang. Qi became the ancestor of the ancient Shang people. Shangqiu was also one of the capitals for the Xia emperor Xiang of Xia.
Later, a descendant of Qi named Tang of Shang overthrew the Xia dynasty. He started the Shang dynasty with its first capital, Nanbo, located south of modern Shangqiu. Around 1100 BC, the Zhou dynasty took over from the Shang. The royal family of the Shang dynasty was given the Shangqiu area, which then became the state of Song.
Suiyang: A Key City Through Time
The capital of the Song state was called Suiyang. It was located in the southern part of today's Shangqiu city. The Song state was powerful during the Spring and Autumn period. However, it became weaker during the Warring States era and was eventually defeated in 286 BC.
During the Han dynasty, Suiyang became the capital of the Liang Kingdom. Liu Wu, Prince of Liang, was a loyal ruler who supported the emperor during a big rebellion. A failed attack on Suiyang during this rebellion helped the emperor win. King Xiao was also known for supporting artists and writers.
In 596 AD, Suiyang became the center of Song Prefecture. During the An Lushan rebellion in the Tang dynasty, Suiyang faced a long, ten-month siege in 757. This battle was a turning point and helped the Tang dynasty win the war.
Shangqiu and the Song Dynasty
Before he became Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin was a military leader in the Shangqiu region. When he founded the new dynasty in 960, he chose "Song" as its name. The city was also known as Nanjing, the southern capital, during the Northern Song dynasty.
When northern China was taken over by the Jurchens in 1127, the Song government had to move its capital. They moved from Kaifeng to Shangqiu because of its historical importance. This move helped show that the new emperor, Emperor Gaozong of Song, was the rightful ruler. He was crowned emperor in Shangqiu on June 12, 1127. The capital later moved again to Yangzhou and then to Hangzhou.
In later dynasties like the Yuan, Ming, and Qing, Shangqiu was called Guide Prefecture. The name "Shangqiu" appeared in 1545 when a new county was created to manage the city.
Modern Shangqiu and Its Role
Under the Republic, Shangqiu was an important city in eastern Henan. This was because of its location on the Longhai Railway, which connected the port city of Lianyungang to Lanzhou in central China. At that time, it was known as Kweiteh.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), Gui'de Airbase (now Shangqiu Airport) was a key air force base. It supported air attacks against Japanese forces.
Geography and Climate of Shangqiu
Shangqiu is the easternmost part of Henan province. It covers about 10,704 square kilometers. The city is located on the North China Plain, which means it is mostly flat. The land is generally between 30 and 70 meters (98 to 230 feet) above sea level.
Understanding Shangqiu's Weather
Shangqiu has a humid subtropical climate with four clear seasons. Winters are cool and dry, while summers are hot and humid. Spring is warm with some rain, and autumn is cool and drier.
The average temperature in January is around 0.2°C (32.4°F). In July, it rises to about 27.3°C (81.1°F). The average temperature for the whole year is 14.4°C (57.9°F). Most of the rain falls between June and September. Shangqiu has a long winter and summer, but shorter spring and autumn seasons.
| Climate data for Shangqiu (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) |
25.9 (78.6) |
28.2 (82.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
38.1 (100.6) |
41.3 (106.3) |
39.4 (102.9) |
37.9 (100.2) |
35.8 (96.4) |
35.0 (95.0) |
27.5 (81.5) |
20.3 (68.5) |
41.3 (106.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.4 (41.7) |
9.2 (48.6) |
15.0 (59.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
32.0 (89.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
27.0 (80.6) |
21.9 (71.4) |
14.0 (57.2) |
7.5 (45.5) |
20.2 (68.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
3.6 (38.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
15.4 (59.7) |
20.9 (69.6) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.3 (81.1) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.3 (70.3) |
15.5 (59.9) |
8.3 (46.9) |
2.1 (35.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
4.1 (39.4) |
10.0 (50.0) |
15.5 (59.9) |
20.4 (68.7) |
23.5 (74.3) |
22.3 (72.1) |
16.9 (62.4) |
10.7 (51.3) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.2 (4.6) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
4.2 (39.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
5.8 (42.4) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 14.2 (0.56) |
18.1 (0.71) |
26.4 (1.04) |
40.6 (1.60) |
61.8 (2.43) |
85.9 (3.38) |
168.3 (6.63) |
165.5 (6.52) |
74.2 (2.92) |
40.3 (1.59) |
31.9 (1.26) |
13.8 (0.54) |
741 (29.18) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 4.1 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 8.0 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 78.8 |
| Average snowy days | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 10.6 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 67 | 66 | 64 | 67 | 69 | 68 | 80 | 84 | 79 | 73 | 72 | 69 | 72 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 118.5 | 127.0 | 167.9 | 192.4 | 206.7 | 179.4 | 165.3 | 157.5 | 155.7 | 153.9 | 137.0 | 122.8 | 1,884.1 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 38 | 41 | 45 | 49 | 48 | 41 | 38 | 38 | 42 | 44 | 44 | 40 | 42 |
| Source 1: China Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather China | |||||||||||||
People and Administration in Shangqiu
In 2010, Shangqiu had a population of about 7.36 million people. This was a slight decrease from the year 2000.
How Shangqiu is Governed
The city of Shangqiu is divided into 2 districts, 1 county-level city, and 6 counties. These divisions help manage the large population and area. The table below shows information from the 2010 census.
| Map | |||||
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Liangyuan
Suiyang
Minquan
County Sui
County Ningling
County Zhecheng
County Yucheng
County Xiayi
County Yongcheng
(city) |
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| English Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Area (km2) | Population (2010) | Density (/km2) |
| Liangyuan District | 梁园区 | Liángyuán Qū | 673 | 787,931 | 1,171 |
| Suiyang District | 睢阳区 | Suīyáng Qū | 913 | 748,356 | 820 |
| Yongcheng City | 永城市 | Yǒngchéng Shì | 2,068 | 1,240,296 | 600 |
| Minquan County | 民权县 | Mínquán Xiàn | 1,222 | 703,379 | 576 |
| Sui County | 睢县 | Suī Xiàn | 920 | 711,088 | 773 |
| Ningling County | 宁陵县 | Nínglíng Xiàn | 786 | 523,367 | 666 |
| Zhecheng County | 柘城县 | Zhèchéng Xiàn | 1,048 | 778,107 | 742 |
| Yucheng County | 虞城县 | Yúchéng Xiàn | 1,558 | 954,720 | 613 |
| Xiayi County | 夏邑县 | Xiàyì Xiàn | 1,470 | 915,228 | 623 |
Economy and Industries in Shangqiu
In 2019, Shangqiu's economy grew by 7.4% compared to the previous year. The city's total income was 291.12 billion yuan.
Agriculture: Farming in Shangqiu
Shangqiu is located on the North China Plain, which is a very good area for farming. The soil is rich, and there are good ways to water the crops. This helps grow many different plants.
In 2005, about 719,864 hectares of land were used for farming. The most important crops grown here are wheat, maize (corn), cotton, and vegetables. Farmers also raise livestock like cattle and pigs.
Industry: Growing Businesses
Compared to farming, Shangqiu's industry used to be smaller. But since the 1990s, it has grown quickly. For example, Kedi Group, a food company, is a top exporter of frozen vegetables in China.
Shangqiu also has large amounts of coal. The Yongcheng-Xiayi coal mine has an estimated 10 billion tons of coal. This helps power industries like electricity generation and aluminum production.
Transportation Hub of Shangqiu
Shangqiu has been an important transportation center since 1916. That's when the east-west Longhai Railway was finished. Its importance grew even more in 1996 with the building of the Beijing-Kowloon (Hong Kong) railway. These two major railways cross paths in Shangqiu.
The Longhai railway is now part of the "European-Asia continental landbridge." This route goes all the way from the port city of Lianyungang to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Because of this, Shangqiu is known as the city of the "golden cross."
Road transport is also very good and getting better. Two major national routes, one going east-west and one north-south, also cross in Shangqiu. Highway travel is developing fast, and new highways are being planned. The Shangqiu–Hangzhou high-speed railway started running in June 2020, making travel even faster.
Education and Learning in Shangqiu
Shangqiu's education system focuses a lot on professional training. Many new colleges for this type of education have opened since the 1990s.
Colleges and Universities in Shangqiu
- Shangqiu University (商丘学院)
- Shangqiu Normal University (商丘师范学院)
- Shangqiu Institute of Technology (商丘工学院)
- Shangqiu Professional Training College (商丘职业技术学院)
- Shangqiu Medical College (商丘医学高等专科学校)
Culture and Tourist Spots in Shangqiu
Shangqiu has a very old and rich cultural history. The first star observatory in China, called Ebo Tai, was built here. Yingtian Shuyuan, one of the biggest official schools in the Northern Song dynasty, is also in Shangqiu.
The old city of Suiyang, built in 1511 during the Ming dynasty, is one of China's best-preserved traditional cities. It was named a famous historical city by the government in 1986.
Shangqiu is also known for many famous people. Cangjie, who is said to have invented Chinese characters, lived here long ago. Zhuangzi and Mozi, two great ancient Chinese philosophers, were also born in Shangqiu.
Top Tourist Attractions in Shangqiu
- The ancient city of Suiyang (睢阳古城)
- Temple of Hua Mulan
- Former home of Zhuangzi (庄周故里)
- Ebo Tai, China's first star observatory (阏伯台)
- Mangdang Mountain tourism site (芒砀山文物旅游区)
- Shangqiu Ancient Culture Tourist Area (商丘古文化旅游区)
- Huaihai Battle Chenguanzhuang Memorial Hall Scenic Spot (淮海战役陈官庄纪念馆景区)
- Beihu Scenic Area, Sui County (睢县北湖景区)
- Cangjie Tomb (仓颉墓)
- Sui Emperor's Mausoleum (燧皇陵)
- Zhuangzi Cultural Tourism Scenic Area (庄子文化旅游景区)
Famous People from Shangqiu
- Cangjie
- Zhuangzi
- Mozi
- Hua Mulan
- Jiang Yan
- Hou Fangyu (侯方域)
- Xiaolan Huangpu
- Xu Zhiyong
- Shang Tang (商汤)
- Wang Junguang
- Dai De
- Dai Sheng
Images for kids
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Aerial view of Shangqiu old city
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Shangqiu Prefecture in Henan
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Map including Shangqiu (labeled as SHANG-CH'IU (KWEITEH) (walled) 商邱) (AMS, 1955)
See also
In Spanish: Shangqiu para niños
