Pingdingshan (literally the mountain with a flat peak) City is situated in the southwest of He'nan Province, and is named after its being located at the foot of a flat mountain.
Covering an area of 7,882 square kilometers and with a population of 4.7 million, the city has a long history dating back to five or six thousand years ago. Here lie important remains of the Neolithic Age, such as the Peiligang, Yangshao and Longshan Culture. As recorded in classic history books such as Zuozhuan, Shijing (Book of Poems) and Shiji (Historical Records), this land was once the territory of the Ying Kingdom during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the first record dating back to 1324 B.C. It is this land that had cradled lots of outstanding people in the past dynasties, from famous statesman to great poets. Many ancient scholars and calligraphers who visited or governed these lands had left lots of cultural heritages, such as Confucius, Li Bai, Han Yu, and Su Dongpo, to name just a few.
The continental monsoon climate of medium latitudes grants Pingdingshan four distinct seasons and mild weathers with abundant rainfall and a long snow-free period, which is favorable to the growth of various crops and plants. The wheat and the tobacco leaf are the two key local crops. Pingdingshan has been well-known as one of the three famous areas of tobacco leaf in China for a long time.
There are many resorts and historical sites in Pingdingshan, including the Fodushan Scenic Area, the tombs of Su Xun and his two sons, Su Shi and Su Zhe (three of the eight eminent literati in the Tang and Song Dynasties), the Shirenshan Scenic Area, the Shimantan National Forest Park——a perfect combination of mountains, forests and lakes, and the famed Ruzhou Hot-Spring. |