Puyang Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 濮阳市 (pú yáng )
Population: 3,991,600
Area: 4,188 square kilometers (1,617 square miles)
Location: in the northeast of Henan Province, east-central China
Administrative Division: 1 district (Hualong); 5 counties (Qingfeng, Nanle, Fanxian, Taiqian, Puyang)
Area Code: 0393
Zip Code: 457000
GDP (2018): CNY 165.447 billion (USD 25.003 billion)

Puyang is located in the northeast of Henan Province on the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Within the province, it neighbors Xinxiang to the southwest and Anyang to the west. It neighbors Shandong to the east and Hebei to the north. Puyang is also known as the Dragon Town because a dragon-shaped shell of 6,400 years’ history was unearthed here. It is the earliest dragon pattern relic found in Chinese archaeology. In ancient times, the dragon is a symbol of imperial power and people believed that they were descendants of the dragon. Puyang also enjoys the fame of the hometown of Chinese acrobatic as Puyang acrobatic is famous at home and abroad. As the city has preserved more than 200 historical sites, visitors can learn Yangshao Culture in Qicheng City Ruins and know something about Cangjie who created primitive hieroglyphs in Cangjie Mausoleum.

Qicheng City, also called Longkui City, was a town of great importance when Puyang was the central city of Wei Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. At present, the 1,520 meter remains of the city walls and the underground historic relics of six thousand years from the Yangshao Culture  to the Han Dynasty (206BC-240AD) are all under national protection.

It is said that Cangjie was the official in charge of word-formation in the Emperor Huangdi period. He made careful observation of living things benefitting from the sign words that were used by the various tribes, and finally created characters which ended the history of rope-knotting records. The mausoleum consists of the Cangjie Tomb, the Cangjie Temple and some stone inscriptions. The building was constructed in his hometown to commemorate the Chinese sage of word-formation.  

Other Scenic Spots: Puzhao Temple, Si Pailou (Archway), Maolou Ecological Tourist Zone

Lying in the warm temperate zone, Puyang enjoys a continental monsoon climate, featuring four distinct seasons. Spring is dry and windy usually accompanied with blowing sand, while the summer is torrid and rainy. The weather in autumn is moderate and fine with more sunlight, while it is cold and seldom rains or snows in winter. Its annual average temperature falls around 13.3 degrees Centigrade (about 56 degrees Fahrenheit). 

 When to Go: Autumn is the recommended time.

Si Pailou (also Zhong Xin Ge) is centred in the heart of the old city district of Puyang City. There are four streets with numerous buildings and stores in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) style. It was first constructed during the Ming Dynasty. It is a good place for shopping and sightseeing and is famous for its notion-market in northern Henan.
Puyang tourist bus station: middle of Jingkai Lu, Hualong District

 History: The city was called Diqiu in ancient times. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) it was the political, economic, and cultural city of the Wei Kingdom for four hundred years. The name of this city came into use following the Warring States Period (476BC-221BC). The First Dragon in China, which was piled up with mussel shells 6,400 years ago, was discovered in 1987 in Xishuipo, hence Puyang is reputed to be the birthplace of Chinese dragon culture.

 Physical Features: The city is a part of the Yellow River alluvial plain. Its terrain is relatively flat and gently declines from the southwest to the northeast. The siltation, stagnation, burst, and course changing of the Yellow River have shaped the landform of the city: seventy percent is flat, twenty percent is covered with slight depressions, and there are small areas of sand and water.