Nanyang, city, southwestern Henan sheng (province), China. Nanyang is situated on the Bai River, which is a tributary of the Han River. It was from early times an important centre, commanding a major route between Xi’an in Shaanxi province and Xiangfan in Hubei province and the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) valley, as well as two routes across the Funiu Mountains into the central plain of Henan, leading to Luoyang and Kaifeng. Another route extends southeastward into Anhui province.
In the early part of the 1st millennium bce, Nanyang was the seat of the state of Shen. For most of the period from 600 to 220 bce, it was on the borders of the southern state of Chu and was known as Wanyi. With the Qin conquest in 221 bce, it became Wan county, seat of the commandery of Nanyang. It became important under the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce), both as a centre of commerce and as the seat of state iron foundries and of other state manufacturing enterprises. It was also the point at which converged the major routes leading from the Xi (Western) Han capital at Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) and the Dong (Eastern) Han capital at Luoyang leading to the Yangtze River at Jiangling and the far south. In Dong Han times (25–220 ce) its local magnates played a large part in the restoration of Han power, and its name was a byword for refinement and luxury. For a time it was designated the southern capital. Later, however, its importance declined, and it remained a county town, subordinated to Dengzhou, until the last years of the 13th century, when the Mongols established it as the superior prefecture of Nanyang. It kept this status until 1912, when it became a county town.
Nanyang’s importance subsequently declined somewhat, especially after the route of the Beijing-Hankou railway was built east of the city. However, with the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, it remained the political and cultural centre of southwestern Henan province and the regional hub for trading the grain, beans, sesame, tobacco, and other crops produced in the surrounding basin. Soon after, a new rail line was completed between Jiaozuo (Henan province) and Liuzhou (Guangxi autonomous region) that passed through Nanyang, which boosted the city’s economy. Since the 1980s, Nanyang has experienced considerable industrial growth, with the establishment of factories producing chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, building materials, and, more recently, machinery and electronics. In addition, expressways now connect the city to points north, south, and southeast. Nanyang’s airport provides domestic service to Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities in China.
Nanyang was long a centre of science, technology, and culture in ancient times, known also for being the birthplace or home of many notable persons in Chinese history. These include Zhang Heng (78–139 ce), scientist of the Dong Han credited with inventing the hydraulic celestial globe and the seismograph; the 3rd-century physician Zhang Zhongjing, who specialized in internal medicine; and the statesman and strategist Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo) period (220–280). Nanyang is thus rich with historical relics and is designated by the national government as a historical and cultural city. Since early times the city has had a reputation for handicrafts, including cut and polished gemstones and jade. The surrounding region has a highly developed sericulture industry, producing raw silk, silk yarn, silk textiles, and embroidery. Pop. (2002 est.) city, 531,220; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 1,944,000.