Pingdingshan Travel Guide
Population: 4,900,000
Area: 7,882 square kilometers (3,043 square miles)
Nationalities: Han
Administrative Division: 4 districts (Xinhua, Weidong, Zhanhe, Shilong); 4 counties (Baofeng, Jiaxian, Lushan Yexian); 2 county-level cities (Ruzhou, Wugang)
Seat of the city government: North of Kuanggong Road (Middle), Xinhua District, Pingdingshan City
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0375-4968235
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184
Bank of China Pingdingshan Branch: Jianshe Road (Middle), Xinhua District, Pingdingshan City
China Post Pingdingshan Branch: No.54, Kuanggong Road (Middle), Xinhua District, Pingdingshan City
Location: Located in the central Henan Province, Pingdingshan neighbors Luoyang in the northwest, and the capital city Zhengzhou is 135 kilometers (84 miles) of road mileage from the city.
History: About eight thousand years ago, there area human settlers living in this region. It was the domain of the Ying and Jie tribes inhabited there before the Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-221BC). During the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC), Pingdingshan was partly and successively belonging to several kingdoms. Through thousands years of development, the city has made a great pace since the large-scale exploitation of coal ore in the 1950s.
Physical Features: Pingdingshan lies along the Funiu Mountains in the west, and links the spacious and flat Huanghuai Plain in the east. Therefore, the terrain of Pingdingshan generally declined from east to west.
Climatic Features: The city enjoys a warm temperate continental monsoon climate, bearing superior natural environment. It has four distinct seasons and there are thirty-one rivers in total, constituting an interlacing water network. Its annual average temperature is about 15C (59F).
When to Go: spring and autumn
Special Local Products: persimmon, tobacco leaf, Zisha (purple-clay) pottery, Lushan silk, Chinese gooseberry, monkey-head mushroom, Ru Porcelain
Scenic Spots:
Shiren Mountain which in ancient times was also known as Yaoshan Mountain is the top natural scenic area of the city west of Lushan County, gathering strange stones, waterfalls, springs, sea clouds, forests, rare animals and plants. Complementing the fascinating natural sceneries, the humanistic landscape is also a vital part of its scenic spectacularity.
Wind Hole (Fengxue) Temple is situated 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) northeast of the Ruzhou City. It was first constructed by the Northern Wei in Northern and Southern Dynasty (420-581). The temple has experienced over 1,500 years boasting buildings from Tang (618-907) to Qing dynasties (1644-1911). Qizu Pagoda, Bell Tower and Buddha Hall are the core building of the temple. In addition, there is a pagoda forest consisting of 83 pagodas on the slop outside the temple, which is said to be a largest pagoda forest only second to that of Shaolin Temple.
Other Scenic Spots: Shimantan National Forest, Rizhou Hot Springs
Tourist Tips:
Pingdingshan's long-distance bus station is seated in No.13, Kuanggong Road (Middle), and the passenger transport central station is located in No.49, Zhongxing Road (South). Pingdingshan do not have airport. Visitor should first go to the Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport. Usually, it will take one hour to Pingdingshan from downtown Zhengzhou by taxi after alighting from the plane, or it will cost about three hours by bus.