Shangqiu

About Shangqiu

Shangqiu carries one of the oldest names in Chinese history. The Shang people are linked to this corner of the eastern Henan plain, and over the centuries the city served as the capital of the State of Song and as Suiyang, which the Tang general Zhang Xun defended to the last during the An Lushan Rebellion. Under the Northern Song it was an important southern capital, and its Yingtian Academy became one of the most celebrated schools of the age.

The heart of any visit is the walled old city of Guide, rebuilt in the Ming dynasty after floods destroyed the earlier town. Its brick walls and gates sit inside a broad ring of water and an outer earthen dyke, a layout often compared to an ancient coin. Lanes inside hold old courtyard houses, including the hall of the poet Hou Fangyu.

A modern city has grown up around it, with lakeside parks and fast rail links. Day trips lead to the Han dynasty royal tombs of Mangdang Mountain and to the Mulan Temple in Yucheng County, which honours the legendary heroine.