Ep. 273 | Henan Province (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a four-part series that focuses on the Chinese history that happened in one of China's oldest provinces. In Part 1 we take a look at the lay of the land, the mythical beginnings, the neolithic cultures of Peiligang, Yangshao, Longshan, and Erlitou. We also take the offramp to look at a couple of the more well-known Henan dishes. We'll get as far as the Xia and Shang dynasties and a little of the Western Zhou.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/Term	Chinese	English/Meaning
Hénán	河南	The Province "Where China Began"...or so says the Henan Tourism Authority
Shānxī	山西	A contending province that claims the origins of the Chinese people
Shǎnxī	陕西	Another contending province that claims the origins of the Chinese people
Shāndōng	山东	Another contending province that claims the origins of the Chinese people
Gānsù	甘肃	Another contending province that claims the origins of the Chinese people
Mǔqinhé	母亲河	China's Mother River - The Yellow River
Yángzǐ	扬子江	The Yangtze River, longest river in China, dividing the country into north and south
Qīnghǎi	青海	Province just north of Tibet in Westernmost China
Bóhǎi Sea	渤海	Also known as Bohai Gulf. Part of the Yellow Sea, where the Yellow River flows into
Huáng Dì	黄帝	The Yellow Emperor (see below "Xuān Yuán
Tàiháng Shān	太行山	Mountain chain in the northwest of Henan
Fúniú Mountains	伏牛山	Mountain chaiun in the west of Henan
Dàbié Shān	大别山	Mountain chain In the south of Henan that separates Hénán from Húběi and Ānhuī
Huái Hé	淮河	River that runs to the east and southeast of Henan
Táng Hé	唐河	Tang River, that runs in the southwest of the province
Bái Hé	白河	Bái River, that runs in the southwest of the province
Hé	河	River
Nán	南	South
Zhōngyuán	中原	Central Plain
Zhōngzhōu	中州	The Middle State
Péilǐgāng Wénhuà	裴李岗文化	Neolithic Culture of China, from roughly 7000-5000 BCE
Yǎngsháo Wénhuà	仰韶文化	Neolithic Culture of China, from roughly 5000 to 3000 BCE
Lóngshān Wénhuà	龙山文化	Neolithic culture in China, also known as Black Pottery Culture, ran roughly 3000 to 2000 BCE
Èrlǐtou Wénhuà	二里头文化	Neolithic Culture that some believe to be the mythical Xià Dynasty. The approximate dates of Èrlǐtou Culture are 1900 to 1500 BCE
Xià Cháo	夏朝	Xià Dynasty c. 2070-1600 BCE
Yī Hé	伊河	Yi River
Luò Hé	落河	Luo River
Luòyáng	洛阳	One of the ancient capitals of China, where many dynasties setup their capital
Jiǎhú Gǔdí	贾湖骨笛	China’s oldest musical instrument, discovered in Wǔyáng County 舞阳县along the Shāhé River 沙河 in 1986. Dated back to 7000 BCE
Wèi Hé	渭河	One of the major rivers of Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River
Zhōu Cháo	周朝	The Zhou Dynasty
dǐng	鼎	Iconic ritual bronze vessels. Round dings had three legs and square dings had four
Xuān Yuán	轩辕	The Yellow Emperor, the common ancestor of all Chinese and the founder of China’s magnificent culture. lived from 2697 to 2597
Sīmǎ Qiān	司马迁	China's most renowned historian, writer of the Records of the Grand Historian (史记)
Fúxī	伏羲	First of China's mythical Three Sovereigns
Nǚwá	女娲	Sister of the mythical Fuxi and giver of many great things to Chinese early civilization
Shénnóng	神农	The Divine Farmer, another of the "Three Sovereigns" who gave so many good things to the Chinese people. Also revered in Vietnamese culture
Shāng Cháo	商朝	The Shang Dynasty
Yáo	尧帝	One of the mythical Fiuve Emperors who ruled c. 2356 – 2255 BCE)
Shùn	舜帝	Successor to the mythical Yao who lived sometime between 2294 and 2184 BC
Dà Yǔ	大禹	Xia Dynasty founder, tamer of the floods, lived or reigned from 2123 to 2025 BCE
Yángchéng	阳城	Site where Yǔ setup his first capital in Hénán
Sōngshān	嵩山	Mount Sōng, one of the Five Great Mountains of China and the home of Shàolín 少林寺 Temple
Wángchénggǎng	王城岗	The site where In 1977 an archaeological site was unearthed that some claim was the first Xia Dynasty capital
Zhēnxún	斟鄩;	Another capital, said to be the last one, of the Xia Dynasty. Might also be an Erlitou Culture site
Sì Dà Gǔ Dū	四大古都	The four ancient capitals of China
Jiǔ Zhōu	九州	The nine priginal states of China, attributed to Yu the Great
Yùzhōu	豫州	The most ancient state of Henan
Yǎnzhōu	兖州	The ancient state of Yanzhou located mostly in Shandong but also partially in modern day Henan
Jiǎnchéng	简称	An abbreviated name. Yù 豫 is the abbreviated name of Henan
Yǎnshī	偃师	One of the Shang capitals, located just east of Luòyáng
Zhèngzhōu	郑州	Present day capital of Henan and also site of one of the three Shang capitals
Ānyáng	安阳	Third capital of the Shang, where the Ruins of Yin are located
Yīn Xū	殷墟	The Ruins of Yin, the Shang capital where the Oracle Bones were discoverted
Shāng Tāng	商汤	Shang Dynasty founder
Shāngqiū	商丘	City in easternmost Henan
Zhōngguó	中国	China, The Middle Kingdom
Gǔ Yù Guó	古豫国	Ancient Yu State, physically located in the geographic center of the Shāng lands….and was known as Zhōngguó or the Middle State
Gǔ	古	Ancient
Yī Yǐn	伊尹	wise and capable prime minister to his king and helping him in the overthrow of Xià, he’s also known in Chinese popular culture as the Culinary god
Chúshén	厨神	The Culinary god
Wǔ Wèi	五味	The Five Flavors of tián 甜-sweet, suān 酸-sour, kǔ 苦-bitter, là 辣-spicy and xián 咸-salty
Lǚ Shì Chūnqiū	吕氏春秋	The Annals of Master Lǚ, attributed to Lü Buwei
Yù Cài	豫菜	The Cuisine of Henan Province
Húlà Tāng	胡辣汤	Hu La Soup, a peppery and spicy soup popular in Henan
Shuǐ Xí	水席	Luòyáng Water Banquet
Bò bảy món (Vietnamese)	牛肉七道菜	Bò 7 món - Seven Courses Beef, a Vietnamese specialty
Shuǐ	水	Water
Yōukù	优酷	A popular Chinese video platform similar to YouTube
Wǔ Zétián	武则天	Empress of China and one of the true greats from Chinese history
Sòng	宋朝	The Song Dynasty
Wǔxiāng Shāobing	五香烧饼	Five Spice Shāobing. A shāobing is a kind of a pocket bread that you can stuff ingredients inside. The Hénán version adds five spice to the flavor
Xīān	西安	Location of the ancient capital of Chang'an in Shaanxi Province
Wángchéng	王城	One of the ancient names of Luoyang

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