Zhumadian Travel Guide
Zhumadian Facts
Chinese Name: 驻马店市 (zhù mǎ diàn shì)
Population: 9,600,000
Area: 15,000 square kilometers (5,792 square miles)
Location: in the south-central of Henan Province, east-central China
Administrative Division: 1 district (Yicheng); 9 counties (Queshan, Biyang, Suiping, Xiping, Shangcai, Runan, Pingyu, Xincai, Zhengyang)
Area Code: 0396
Zip Code: 463000
GDP (2018): CNY 237.032 billion (USD 35.822 billion)
The Convenient Transport Center & Birthplace of Chinese Civilization
Zhumadian is situated in the south region of Henan Province, in the neighborhood of Anhui to the east. Within the city, it borders upon Nanyang on the west, Zhoukou, Pingdingshan and Luohe on the north and Xinyang on the south. Zhumadian was an important transportation hub where many postmen and officials rested. Now Zhumadian is still a city with smooth traffic, through which Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Beijing-Shenzhen High-speed railway pass. It takes only one or two hours to reach Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, Xinyang Minggang Airport and Wuhan Tianhe International Airport.
It is also one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, the origin of Double Ninth Festival and the classic Chinese love story Butterfly Lovers. The city sees the legend that Pan Gu created heaven and earth. Visitors can enjoy wonderful mountains in Chaya Mountain, the largest Buddhist holy site in Asia, Nanhai Temple, and Suya Lake, the largest Asian artificial plain lake.
Zhumadian Attractions - Things to Do
Chaya Mountain is a national geological park and an AAAA level scenic area of the country with fascinating granite of different shapes. It consists of five scenic spots well known for its strange stones and crags. Relying on its exquisite and peculiar mountain sceneries, the mountain was reputed as miniascape of Central China, ranking as one of the hot tourist destinations in Henan Province.
Nanhai-Buddhist Temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Through the restoration in 1992, it becomes the largest Buddhist temple in Asia.
Copper (Tongshan) Mountain is a scenic area combining mountain, islet, pool, waterfall, cave, temple, historic ruins, legend and tale from history. This comprehensive attraction is also worth visiting.
How to get to Zhumadian
1. Zhumadian is no more than two hours' drive to Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport and Wuhan Tianhe International Airport,and no more than three hours' drive to Nanyang Jiangying Airport. Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, together with the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway and No.106, 107 national highways, runs through the city from the north to the south.
2. Located in the middle section of Xuesong Lu, Zhumadian Motorcoach Station operates buses to other cities of Henan, and long-distance buses to Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo and Changsha. The bus station also has secondary bus stations, the east station in Lianjiang Lu, and the west station in middle section of Leshan Lu, mainly operating buses eastward and westward. Additionally, the west bus station also supplies chartered buses.
Weather
When to Go: April to May of spring and September to October of autumn are the best periods to visit the city.
Zhumadian Travel Tips
History: Archeological discoveries of Paleolithic Age expose that human settlers moved to this area as early as eighteen thousand years ago. Agriculture, stock raising and pottery making were well developed here forty-five hundred years ago. Before it was absorbed by Chu State in the Warring State Period (476BC-221BC), there were several vassal states. In 221BC, the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) ended the independent regimes, and established counties in Zhumadian.
Physical Features: Plains makes up nearly seventy percent of the city's territory. In addition, there are also mountains, hills and hillocks. The terrain generally declines from the west to the east. Low mountains and hills are distributed in the west region of Zhumadian, while the east region is vast plain.
Special Local Products: sesame, chestnut, Chinese mushroom, Piao pear, straw patchwork (straw painting)
I am going to be staying near Huanghuai University as I am lecturing there for 2 months. I am a keen runner and was wondering if anybody knew whether there are any suitable running areas in Zhumadian e.g, parks, forests. Not sure how much traffic there is and whether it would be dangerous to run in the city particularly as a first time visitor to China. Thanks.