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County has played an important role in the history of China since it was first established as a basic administrative unit in the Qin Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. Historic counties have not only performed administrative and economic functions but also carried and preserved basic information about culture and traditions of China. Not long ago, the Photographic Exhibition on the Cultural Heritage of Historic China, organized by China Cultural Relics Protection Foundation in partnership with the Palace Museum and China Institute of Toponymy, was held at the Forbidden City, displaying photographs on the cultures and traditions of the first 16 Historic Counties of China, with an objective to enhance the public's awareness of the conservation of cultural heritage in these historic counties. Our magazine will cover each of these chosen historic counties in each issue.
Xinzheng, a county-level city in the south of Henan province of Central China, is considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. More than 8,000 years ago, Neolithic people of Peiligang Culture live in the vicinity. The legendary Yellow Emperor was said to have been born in Xinzheng 5,000 years ago. During the Zhou Dynasty, it was the capital of the State of Zheng. Bai Juyi (772
According to the historical records, the semi-legendary Yellow Emperor, or Huangdi was named after his birthplace Xuanyuan. He was extraordinarily clever in his childhood and remarkably able in his adulthood. He led his tribe successfully in defeating and blending his brother Yandi's tribe,...