Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and
alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the
capital and largest city of
Henan Province in the
central part of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones ...
. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the
National Central Cities in China, the centre of
Central Plains area, and serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational center of the province. The Zhengzhou metropolitan area (including Zhengzhou and
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the N ...
) is the core area of the
Central Plains Economic Zone.
The city lies on the southern bank of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, ...
. Zhengzhou is a major hub of China's national transportation network, with railways connecting Zhengzhou to Europe and an international airport. Zhengzhou is a and a
State-list Famous Historical and Culture City. As of 2020, there are two
World Cultural Heritage Sites in Zhengzhou. The
Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE) is China's first futures exchange.
Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone is China's first Airport Economy Zone.
As of the
2020 Chinese census, the
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous count ...
of Zhengzhou had a population of 12,600,574 inhabitants, whom 10,260,667 lived in its built-up (or metro) area made of 6 urban districts plus Zhongmu county, Xinzheng and Xingyang cities now largely being conurbated.
The city had a total GDP of 1.014 trillion (RMB) in 2018. Greater Zhengzhou was named as one of the 13 emerging mega-cities in China in a July 2012 report by the
Economist Intelligence Unit, and officially named as the eighth National Central City in 2017 by the central government in Beijing.
Zhengzhou is a major city for scientific research, appearing among the world's top 100
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
as tracked by the
Nature Index. The city is home to
several national key universities in China, notably
Zhengzhou University,
Henan University,
Henan Agricultural University,
Henan University of Chinese Medicine, and
Henan University of Technology.
History
The
Shang dynasty
The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is th ...
established Aodu () or Bodu () in Zhengzhou. This prehistorical city had become abandoned as ruins long before the
First Emperor of China in BC 260. Since 1950, archaeological finds in a
walled city in Eastern Zhengzhou have provided evidence of
Shang dynasty
The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is th ...
settlements in the area around BC 1600. Outside this city, remains of large public buildings and a complex of small settlements have been discovered. The site is generally identified with the Shang capital of Ao and is preserved in the Shang dynasty Ruins monument in Guanchen District. The Shang, who continually moved their capital due to frequent natural disasters, left Ao at around 13th century BC. The site, nevertheless, remained occupied;
Zhou (post-1050 BC) tombs have also been discovered.
Legend suggests that in the Western Zhou period (1111–771 BC) the site became the fief of a family named ''Guan''. From this derives the name borne by the county (''
xian'') since the late 6th century BC—
Guancheng (City of the Guan). The city first became the seat of a prefectural administration in AD 587, when it was named ''Guanzhou''. In 605 it was first called Zhengzhou—a name by which it has been known virtually ever since.
The name Zhengzhou came from the
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and la ...
(AD 582), even though it was located in Chenggao, another town. The government moved to the contemporary city during the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten King ...
. It achieved its greatest importance under the
Sui (AD 581–618),
Tang (618–907), and early
Song (960–1127) dynasties, when it was the terminus of the
New Bian Canal, which joined the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, ...
to the northwest. There, at a place called Heyin, a vast granary complex was established to supply the capitals at
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usual ...
and
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Re ...
to the west and the frontier armies to the north. In the Song period, however, the transfer of the capital eastward to
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the N ...
robbed Zhengzhou of much of its importance.
In 1903 the
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous countr ...
–
Hankou Railway arrived at Zhengzhou, and in 1909 the first stage of the
Longhai Railway gave it an east–west link to Kaifeng and Luoyang; it later was extended eastward to the coast at
Lianyungang,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East ...
, and westward to
Xi'an (
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Re ...
),
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation
A nation is a c ...
, as well as to western Shaanxi. Zhengzhou thus became a major rail junction and a regional center for cotton, grain,
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume
A legume () is a plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryote
Eukaryotes () are organisms ...
s, and other agricultural produce. Early in 1923 a workers' strike began in Zhengzhou and spread along the rail line before it was suppressed; a 14-story double tower in the center of the city commemorates the strike. On June 10, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek's
National Revolutionary Army opened up the dikes retaining the Yellow River at Huayuankou between Zhengzhou and Kaifeng, in an effort to stem the
tide of invading Japanese; however, the ensuing
1938 Yellow River flood also killed hundreds of thousands of Chinese.
Zhengzhou also has a
locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; ...
and
rolling-stock repair plant, a tractor-assembly plant, and a thermal generating station. The city's industrial growth has resulted in a large increase in the population, coming predominantly from industrial workers from the north. A water diversion project and pumping station, built in 1972, has provided
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main ...
for the surrounding countryside. The city has an agricultural university.
In July 2021,
record breaking floods left over a million people displaced and at least 300 people dead.
Geography
Located just north of the province's centre and south of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, ...
, Zhengzhou borders
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usual ...
to the west,
Jiaozuo to the northwest,
Xinxiang to the northeast,
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the N ...
to the east,
Xuchang to the southeast, and
Pingdingshan to the southwest. With the land within its administrative borders generally sloping down from west to east, Zhengzhou is situated at the transitional zone between the
North China Plain to the east and the
Song Mountains and
Xionger Mountains to the west, which are part of the greater
Qinling range. The city centre is situated to the south of the middle reach of the Yellow River, where its valley broadens into the great plain. Zhengzhou is at the crossing point of the north–south route skirting the
Taihang Mountains and the mountains of western Henan. The prefecture spans 34° 16' ~ 34° 58 N latitude and 112° 42' ~ 114° 14' E longitude, covering a total area of , including the metropolitan area, which covers , and the city centre, which occupies .

A section of the Yellow River passes by the northern edges of the urban area, extending within Zhengzhou prefecture. However,
Jialu River, a secondary tributary of the
Huai River
The Huai River (), formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding ...
, is Zhengzhou's main urban river and flood channel. The Jialu enters Zhengzhou from
Xinmi to the southwest, and turns to the southeast within the city. Mountains loom over the western counties of
Gongyi and
Dengfeng while the easternmost county of
Zhongmu is a vast, fertile floodplain, with the counties in between being hilly transitions.
Climate
Zhengzhou experiences a monsoon-influenced, four-season
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40 ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climate science, climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by ...
''Cwa''), with cool, dry winters and hot, humid summers. Spring and autumn are dry and somewhat abbreviated transition periods. The city has an annual mean temperature of , with the monthly 24-hour average temperature ranging from in January to in July. The frost-free period lasts on average 220 days. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from on 2 January 1955, 27 December 1971 and 1 February 1990 to on 19 July 1966.
Rainfall is primarily produced by the
monsoonal low during summer; in winter, when the vast
Siberian High dominates due to radiative cooling from further north, the area receives little precipitation. During the summer season, the city is also often affected by tropical depressions, which bring additional amounts of rain. The annual precipitation is about . With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 45 percent in February and March to 54 percent in May, the city receives 2,182 hours of sunshine per year, which is just under half the possible total.
2021 Flood
On July 20, 2021, "The heaviest hour of rainfall ever reliably recorded in China crashed like a miles-wide waterfall over the city of Zhengzhou on July 20, killing at least 300 people, including 14 who drowned in a subway tunnel." Although an emergency alert was issued the day before the flood, businesses and subways remained open. From 4pm to 5pm on July 21, 7.95 inches of rain fell. A collapsed retaining wall allowed water to pour into subway tunnels. "The Chinese government now appears to be acknowledging missteps by local officials, as well as the possibility that severe weather events will become increasingly common."
Administration and demography

Zhengzhou is divided into 6
urban districts, 5
county-level cities
A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a county-level administrative division of the People's Republic of China
China ...
and 1
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. These subdivisions are likely to undergo significant changes in the near future due to increasingly rapid urban expansion and urban planning.
The municipality is home to 8,626,505 inhabitants (2010 census) and 6,35 million in its built up area made of 6 urban and suburban districts,
Xingyang and
Xinzheng cities and now
Zhongmu county largely being urbanized, making the city one of the main built-up areas of the province.
Main sights
File:二七广场.jpg, Erqi Memorial Tower
File:20210220 Henan Museum - main hall 01.jpg, Henan Museum
File:Between Heaven and Earth by Christian de Vietri in Zhengzhou China.jpg, ''Between Heaven and Earth'' by Christian de Vietri
Zhengzhou was the capital of China during the
Shang dynasty
The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is th ...
. Parts of the Shang-era capital city wall that were built 3,600 years ago still remain in Downtown Zhengzhou (see
Zhengzhou Shang City).
Zhengzhou maintains abundant cultural heritages that reflect its history as well as the culture of Henan Province.
Zhengzhou Confucius Temple, initially built during the Eastern Han dynasty 1900 years ago, is one of the oldest Confucian Temples in China. Other important architectural heritage sites in the city center include Town God Temple and
Erqi Memorial Tower.
The internationally known tourist attraction is the
Shaolin Monastery, which is in
Dengfeng, about southwest of downtown Zhengzhou (1.5 hours by coach). The Shaolin Monastery is not only known as one of China's most important Buddhist shrines, but also as the ancient center of Chinese
Kung-fu. Shaolin Monastery and its famed
Pagoda Forest were inscribed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.
The
Henan Museum is one of China's most important museums. It has a collection of more than 130,000 pieces of cultural relics includes exhibitions from prehistoric times, including
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutiona ...
fossils and prehistoric human remains, up through the modern eras.
Zhengzhou's most developed and modern area is the
Zhengdong New Area, which is in the eastern part of the city. It is home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in Zhengzhou, including the tall
Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza ("Big Corn"), which is one of the most prominent landmarks in Zhengzhou, and the twin towers of
Zhengzhou Greenland Central Plaza (), which are currently the tallest skyscrapers in the city. The tallest structure in Zhengzhou is the 388-meter height
Zhongyuan Tower, located on Hanghai East Road in the south of
Zhengdong New Area. It is used as a television tower, with a revolving restaurant and an observation deck. The tower is among
the tallest towers in the world.
Zhengzhou Zoo () is located on Huayuan Road ().
The newly built
Zhengzhou Botanic Garden is at the western edge of Zhengzhou city.
Main attractions of Zhengzhou include:

*
Mount Song (
UNESCO Global Geopark)
*
Shaolin Monastery and
Pagoda Forest (
UNESCO World Heritage Site)
*
Dengfeng Observatory (
UNESCO World Heritage Site)
*
Songyue Pagoda (
UNESCO World Heritage Site)
*
Yellow River Scenic Area
*
Mausoleums of the Song dynasty
*
Kang Baiwan's Mansion

* the birthplace of
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch or by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god o ...
*
Erqi Memorial Tower
*
Henan Museum
*
Zhongyuan Tower
*
Zhengzhou Shang City
Economy
Zhengzhou, along with
Xi'an,
Chengdu,
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China
Southwest China () is a region in the south of the People's Republic of C ...
and
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceed ...
, are some of the most economically important cities in inland China. Zhengzhou is the economic center of the province and the surrounding areas such as southeastern
Shanxi and southwestern
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous countr ...
. Due to its strategic location in one of the most populous areas in the world (nearly 100 million people in Henan alone) and in China's railway, road and aviation transport networks, Zhengzhou is increasingly attracting domestic and international investment as well as migrants from other areas, transforming the city into one of the largest economic centers in China. In 2018, total GDP of Zhengzhou was ¥ 1020 billion, ranked 17th in China.
Agriculture
By the end of 2006, Zhengzhou had a total population of over 7 million, of which 2.88 million lived in rural areas. Its main products include
apple
An apple is an edible fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) dissemin ...
s,
paulownia,
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infe ...
,
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...
,
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor ...
, and
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal
A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering p ...
. In addition, Zhengzhou also produces Yellow River
carp, Zhengzhou
watermelons, Xinzheng
jujube,
Xingyang dried
persimmons, Guangwu
Pomegranate and Zhongmu
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species
In biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For insta ...
, all of which are specialties that are rarely found outside the region.
Mining and manufacturing
Zhengzhou and the surrounding area have large reserves of coal and other minerals. Coal mining and electricity generation are traditionally important in the local economy.
Zhengzhou has been one of the major industrial cities in The People's Republic of China since 1949. The city's staple industry is
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers ...
s. Others
manufactured items include
tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque
In physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior t ...
s,
locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; ...
s,
cigarette
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the op ...
s,
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English
American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family ...
,
processed meats,
agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in ...
, and
electrical equipment. Some high-tech companies in new material, electronics and biotechnology are also growing rapidly during the recently years, especially in the high-tech industrial park in the northwest of the city.
*
Yutong, China's largest bus producer.
*
Shaolin Bus, a well-known small-to-medium-sized bus producer.
*Zhengzhou
Nissan
, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti
is the lu ...
, a subsidiary of
Dongfeng Nissan, specializing in the manufacture of SUVs and pickup trucks. In 2010, Nissan opened its second plant in the city.
*
Haima Automobile Zhengzhou, an automobile manufacturer specializing in manufacturing
microvans and light passenger vehicles.
*
Zhengzhou Unique Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd., a large tractor and agricultural equipment manufacturer.
*
Foxconn Zhengzhou, located in
Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, is the largest smartphone production site in the world and is also known as "iPhone City".
*

Sanquan Food, a frozen food company. With over 20000 employees, Sanquan produced the first frozen dumplings and rice balls in China.
*Synear Food Holdings Limited, along with Sanquan Food, is one of the largest producers of frozen food in China. The market share is over 20% in China
Services
The service industries of Zhengzhou include retail, wholesale, hospitality, finance, exhibition, transport and delivery, tourism, and education. With a number of domestic and international institutions having regional offices in the city, Zhengzhou is becoming the financial center in central China.
Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE) is one of the only four future exchanges (inc.
Shanghai Futures Exchange and
Dalian Commodity Exchange and
China Financial Futures Exchange) in China and is becoming an important global player specialised in agricultural future exchange. Equipped with newly built facilities such as
Zhengzhou International Conference and Exhibition Center. Third party logistics (3PL) in Zhengzhou has also been experiencing industrial boom during the past few years. As a transit and tourist center of Henan Province and central China, Zhengzhou is the center of Henan cuisine.
*
Dennis, a regional retail chain.
*
Henan Jianye, a large real estate developer, which owns the
China Super League club
Henan Jianye F.C.
Economic development zones
The
Zhengdong New Area (), literally Eastern Zhengzhou New Area, similar to
Hangzhou Bay New Area in
Ningbo and
Hengqin New Area in
Zhuhai, is one of dozens of major economic zones that are currently developing in various regions of China. Established in 2003 by the provincial and municipal governments, it has become the financial center of
Henan province and one of the most rapidly growing areas of China.
Kisho Kurokawa, a Japanese world-renowned planner and architect, was appointed to design the overall planning scheme for Zhengdong New Area. He brought in advanced ideas including ecological city, co-existing city, metabolic city and ring city ideas. The scheme won the "Prominent Award for City Planning Design" at the first session of Annual Meeting of the World Architects Alliance in 2002. Zhengdong New Area is mainly constituted by the CBD area, the Longhu commercial and residential area, the Longzihu college area, and the
Zhengzhou East railway station commercial area.
Industrial zones
* Zhengzhou New & Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone
Zhengzhou High & New Technology Industries Development Zone was established in 1988, and approved by the state Council of PRC to be a state development zone on Mar.6,1991. It was appraised to be advanced high tech zone of China respectively in 1993, 1998 and 2002. The Zone currently covers a total area of . An extension plan was approved by Zhengzhou Municipal Government, the various construction work started in 2004. Under the development strategy of “multiple parks in one zone”, the Zone has been making great efforts to promote the development of software, information technologies, new materials, bio-pharmaceutical and photo-machinery-electronic industries.
* Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone
Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone was approved as state-level development zone on February 13, 2000. The zone has a developed area of Industries encouraged include Electronics Assembly & Manufacturing, Telecommunications Equipment, Trading and Distribution, Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals, Instruments & Industrial Equipment Production, Medical Equipment and Supplies, Shipping/Warehousing/Logistics and Heavy Industry.
* Zhengzhou Export Processing Area
Zhengzhou (Henan) Export Processing Zone was established on June 21, 2002 with approval by the state council. Its planned area is . Zone A is located in Zhengzhou National Economic & technological Development Area and began to operate on June 1, 2004. The area of land developed is at present. Zone B is located in Zhengzhou Airport Area and is adjacent to Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport on the north and it covers a planned area of 5 square km with bonded logistics zone, bonded processing zone and supporting industry zone, etc.
Transportation
Zhengzhou is located in the central part of China and is a main national
transport hub.
Public transit
Metro

The
Zhengzhou Metro is a rapid transit metro rail network serving urban and suburban districts of Great Zhengzhou metropolitan. The
Zhengzhou Metro system started operation on 28 December 2013. It currently has 5 lines in operation, creating a long network. The first two lines (
Line 1 and
Line 2) were approved by the
National Development and Reform Commission in Feb. 2009. Construction of the two lines started in 2009 and 2010, and were finished in 2013 and 2015 respectively. The
Chengjiao Line (planned to be part of Line 9), which is now in through operations with Line 2, allows the system to serve the
Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport. A total of 21 metro lines have been planned to connect all areas in Great Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area.
Bus

Zhengzhou has a bus system with over 5,700 bus vehicles, operated by the
Zhengzhou Bus Communication Corporation (ZZB).
The operations of
Zhengzhou Bus Rapid Transit commenced in 2009. The system consists of 5 main routes (
B1,
B2,
B3,
B5 and
B6) with dedicated bus lanes and dozens of branch routes that serve most areas of the city.
Railways

Zhengzhou is the junction of the
Longhai Railway (
Lianyungang,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East ...
–
Lanzhou,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation
A nation is a community of p ...
) and the
Beijing–Guangzhou Railway as well as a major national
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport
Transport (in British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Oxford Dictionaries, " English as used in Great Britain
Great Bri ...
hub. The main railway station for these conventional services is
Zhengzhou railway station, opened in 1904.
Zhengzhou is also on the
Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed railway and the
Xuzhou–Lanzhou High-Speed Railway. The
high-speed rail
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, line ...
network provides fast train services to most major cities in China, including
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous countr ...
(2.5 hours),
Guangzhou (6 hours),
Xi'an (2 hours),
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceed ...
(2 hours),
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is th ...
(4 hours),
Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It ...
(3 hours),
Hangzhou (5 hours), and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China
China, officially the P ...
(6.5 hours). Proposed high-speed railways from Zhengzhou to
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China
Southwest China () is a region in the south of the People's Republic of C ...
,
Hefei
Hefei (; ) is the capital and largest city of Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East A ...
,
Jinan
Jinan (), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Tsinan, is the Capital (political), capital of Shandong province in East China, Eastern China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is the second-largest city i ...
and
Taiyuan are under construction.
The completion of the
Zhengzhou–Jinan high-speed railway, planned for 2023, will complete a star-shaped (referred to as a "米"-shaped) network of eight high-speed lines radiating out from the city.
Zhengzhou is also the hub of
intercity railways in Henan. Currently there are three intercity railways from Zhengzhou:
Zhengzhou–Kaifeng intercity railway,
Zhengzhou–Jiaozuo intercity railway and
Zhengzhou–Xinzheng Airport intercity railway are in operation.
Zhengzhou East railway station is dedicated to high-speed trains and is one of the largest in Asia and
Zhengzhou South railway station is a new high-speed railway hub under construction.
, over long and over wide, has been described as Asia's largest
classification yard.
Roads and Expressways

The surrounding area of Zhengzhou, along with the
Yangtze River Delta,
Pearl River Delta and the
Bohai Economic Rim, has the highest highway density nationwide. Zhengzhou is the center of
Henan expressway network that provides 1–2 hours road trip to surrounding cities of
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the N ...
,
Xinxiang,
Xuchang,
Jiaozuo and
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usual ...
. Other major cities within the province can be reached in 3 hours. The
expressway network and
national highways also links Zhengzhou to all major cities in the country.
There are several
limited access express roads in the city center to relieve traffic problems. However, heavy congestion is still common in rush hours.
Expressways
*
G4 Beijing–Hong Kong and Macau Expressway
*
G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway
*
G3001 Zhengzhou Ring Expressway
*
S1 Zhengzhou Airport Expressway
*
S32 Yongcheng–Dengfeng Expressway
*
S49 Linzhou–Ruzhou Expressway
*
S60 Shangqiu–Dengfeng Expressway
*
S82 Zhengzhou–Minquan Expressway
*
S85 Zhengzhou–Shaolinsi Expressway
*
S87 Zhengzhou–Yuntaishan Expressway
*
S88 Zhengzhou–Xixia Expressway
*
S89 Zhengzhou Airport–Xihua Expressway
National highways
*
China National Highway 107
*
China National Highway 220
*
China National Highway 310
Urban express roads
*
3rd Ring Road (Zhengzhou)
*
4th Ring Road (Zhengzhou)
*
Jingguang Expressway
*
Longhai Expressway
*
Nongye Expressway
*
Zhongzhou Avenue
Air

Zhengzhou is primarily served by
Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tar ...
: CGO,
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international ...
: ZHCC), which is southeast of the city center.
The airport is a focus city of
China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore ...
,
Lucky Air,
West Air and
Shenzhen Airlines. It used to be the headquarter for
Henan Airlines. In 2017, it was the busiest airport in
central China in both passenger and cargo traffic. It is also one of the eight air hubs nominated by the
Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Other airports in Zhengzhou include
Shangjie Airport (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tar ...
: HSJ) which is for general aviation, and Matougang Airbase which is for military use.
Colleges and universities
Public
*
Zhengzhou University
*
Henan University(Longzi Lake campus)
*
Henan Agricultural University
*
Henan University of Technology (former Zhengzhou Institute of Technology)
*
Henan University of Finance and Economics
*
Zhongyuan Institute of Technology
*
Zhengzhou University of Light Industry
*
Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management
*
North China Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Power
*
Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
*
Henan Textile University ()
*
Zhengzhou Normal University
*
Zhengzhou Institute of Technology (former Zhongzhou University, not to be confused with
Henan University of Technology)
*
Henan Institute of architecture technology(河南建筑职业技术学院)
Military
*
PLA Information Engineering University (
中国人民解放军信息工程大学)
*
Air Defense Force Command Academy
Private
*
Zhengzhou College of Economics
*
Huanghe S&T University(ZiJin Mountain Street Campus)(黄河科技大学)(紫金山南校区)
*
Sias International University
*
Shengda Economics, Trade and Management College of Zhengzhou
Notable people

*
Zichan (; ? – 552 BC), a politician and philosopher of the
State of Zheng during the
Spring and Autumn period
The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives f ...
.
*
Lie Yukou (; c. 450 BC – ?), known as Liezi, a
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worl ...
philosopher.
*
Shen Buhai (; c. 400 BC – c. 337 BC), a politician and philosopher in
Legalism.
*
Han Fei (; c. 280 BC – 233 BC), also known as Han Feizi, an influential political philosopher of the
Warring States Period
The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period
The Spring and Autumn period was a peri ...
.
*
Du Fu
Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty a ...
(; 712–770), a Tang dynasty poet, born in
Gongyi, now a county under the administration of Zhengzhou.
*
Bai Juyi (; 772–846), a
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten King ...
poet widely known for his poems featuring realism, born in
Xinzheng.
*
Li Shangyin (; c. 813–858), a late
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten King ...
poet, born in
Xingyang.
*
Gao Gong (; 1512–1578), a politician of the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
, born in
Xinzheng.
*
Wei Wei (; 1920–2008), a modern era writer, widely known in China for his works on the Chinese Volunteer army's participation of
the Korean War.
*
Chang Xiangyu (; 1923–2004), a
Yu opera actress.
*
Li Na (; born 1963), a Chinese folk singer.
*
Li Jianying (; 1964–2006), hero pilot.
*
Shi Yigong (; born 1967), a biophysicist, president of Westlake University and the former vice president of
Tsinghua University.
*
Hai Xia (; born 1972), a Chinese news anchor for China Central Television, the main state announcer of China.
*
Deng Yaping (; born 1973), a four-time
table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity
Physical activity is defined as any voluntary bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires ...
Olympic champion.
*
Liu Yang (; born 1978), a pilot and
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard ...
who became the first Chinese woman in space.
*
Tie Ya Na (; born 1979), a table tennis player representing Hong Kong, born in Zhengzhou.
*
Sun Tiantian (; born 1981), a former professional tennis player on
WTA Tour and 2004 Olympic Tennis champion (women's doubles with
Li Ting), the first Chinese player to win a mixed doubles Grand Slam title at the
2008 Australian Open with
Nenad Zimonjić.
*
Du Wei (; born 1982), a professional footballer and the former captain of
China national football team.
*
Jiang Xin (; born 1983), an actress, famous for her role as
Consort Hua in the TV series
Empresses in the Palace.
*
Gao Lin (; born 1986), a professional footballer.
*
Shi Xiaolong (; born 1988), an actor.
*
Ning Zetao (; born 1993), a competitive swimmer and gold medal winner at
2014 Asian Games
The 2014 Asian Games ( ko, 2014년 아시아 경기대회/2014년 아시안 게임, Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 17th Asian Games ( ko, 제17회 아시아 경기대회/제17회 ...
and
2015 World Aquatics Championships.
*
Fan Pengfei (; born 1992), a Chinese
singer
Singing is the act of creating music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary cons ...
,
songwriter and
musician in pop music.
Politics
The current mayor is
Wu Tianjun from February 2006.

List of the
CPC Party Chiefs of Zhengzhou:
#
Gu Jingsheng (): October 1948 – December 1948
#
Wu Defeng (): December 1948 – June 1949
#
Zhao Wucheng (): June 1949 – April 1953
#
Song Zhihe (): April 1953 – August 1956
#
Wang Lizhi (): August 1956 – January 1968
#
Wang Hui (): March 1971 – January 1974
#
Zhang Junqing (): January 1974 – December 1977
#
Yu Yichuan (): December 1977 – December 1979
#
Li Baoguang (): December 1979 – May 1983
#
Jiang Jinfei (): May 1983 – September 1984
#
Yao Minxue (): September 1984 – August 1987
#
Cao Lei (): August 1987 – July 1990
#
Song Guochen (): July 1990 – May 1992
#
Zhang Deguang (): May 1992 – December 1995
#
Wang Youjie (): December 1995 – June 2001
#
Li Ke (): June 2001–
Sister cities
Zhengzhou is
twinned with:
See also
*
Zhengzhou Ostrich Park
*
Zhengzhou Shang City
*
History of Zhengzhou
*
List of historical capitals of China
*
Zhengzhou Ferris Wheel
*
Zhengzhou Foreign Language School
Notes
References
External links
Zhengzhou Government website
{{Authority control
Provincial capitals in China
Prefecture-level divisions of Henan