Xuchang

Xuchang
—  Prefecture-level city  —
Chinese transcription(s)
- Simplified	许昌
- Traditional	許昌
- Pinyin	Xǔchāng
Xuchang in Henan
Xuchang Location in China
Coordinates: 34°02′N 113°49′E / 34.033°N 113.817°E / 34.033; 113.817
Country	China
Province	Henan
Area
- Total	4,996 km2 (1,929 sq mi)
Population
- Total	4,450,000
- Density	890.7/km2 (2,306.9/sq mi)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code	Unknown
Area code(s)	374
GDP	¥8,153 per capita (2002)
Major Nationalities	Han
County-level divisions	6
Township-level divisions	unknown
Website	http://www.xuchang.gov.cn/

Xuchang (simplified Chinese: 许昌; traditional Chinese: 許昌; pinyin: Xǔchāng; Postal map spelling: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Xuchang administers 1 district, 2 county-level cities and 3 counties.

• Weidu District (魏都区)
• Yuzhou City (禹州市)
• Chang'ge City (长葛市)
• Xuchang County (许昌县)
• Yanling County (鄢陵县)
• Xiangcheng County (襄城县)

History

According to tradition, the city was named after Xu, an ancient state led by tribal leader Xuyou during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Zhou Dynasty. In ancient times, the city occupied a strategic location in central China.

Xuchang served as the warlord Cao Cao's de facto capital during the Three Kingdoms Period. After finding the Han Dynasty capital Luoyang ravaged by war, Cao moved the imperial court and the emperor to what is now Xuchang in 196.

In 220, Cao Cao's son and successor Cao Pi officially declared the city as the capital of the newly-established state of Wei. The city was renamed "Xuchang", meaning "Xu Rising". The Wei emperors held court at Xuchang until the capital was moved to Luoyang in the 220s.

In 2008, a skull (probably Homo erectus) approximately 80,000 to 100,000 years old was found in Xuchang.[1]

Agriculture and industry

Xuchang is an important center of the Chinese tobacco industry. However, due to economic reasons many farmers have chosen not to plant tobacco anymore.

The city is also famous for its human hair exports.

Tourism

Famous tourist attractions include Baling Bridge and Chunqiu Tower.

Sister city

On 18 December 2006, the Oromia Region government in Ethiopia signed an agreement with Henan Province to establish a sister city program with Ambo.^[1]

Notes

External links

• Government website of Xuchang (in Simplified Chinese)

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