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Henan is located in the Yellow River valley. The province is flat in the east and mountainous in the west and extreme south. The eastern and central parts of the province form part of the North China Plain. To the northwest the Taihang Mountains intrude into Henan's borders; to the west the Qinling Mountains enter Henan from the west and end about halfway across Henan, with branches (such as the Funiu Mountains) extending northwards and southwards. To the far south, the Dabie Mountains separate Henan from neighboring Hubei province.
The Yellow River passes through northern Henan. It enters from the northwest, via the Sanmenxia Reservoir. After it passes Luoyang, it is raised via natural sedimentation and artificial construction onto a levee, higher than the surrounding land. From here onwards, the Yellow River divides the Hai He watershed to the north and the Huai He watershed to the south. The Huai He itself originates in southern Henan.
Henan has hot, rainy summers, dry, inclement winters and windy springs. It has an annual temperature of 13ºC-15ºC (52F-59F), an annual frost-free period of 6-8 months, and an annual precipitation of 600-900 mm.
Henan opera (Yuju) evolved in this area, but it is popular throughout China. Henan Quju and Henan Yuediao are other local opera forms.
Important traditional art and crafts include: Junci, a type of porcelain originating in Yuzhou noted for its unpredictable color patterns; the jade carvings of Zhenping; and Luoyang's Tangsancai ("Tang Three Colors"), earthenware figurines made in the traditional style of the Tang Dynasty.
Henan is the most populous province of China. At the end of the year 2005, the total population in Henan Province was 97.68 million. If it were a nation in itself, it would be the twelfth most populous country, just behind Mexico. The vast majority (99%) of the population is Han Chinese, while the Hui minority accounts for virtually all the remaining 1%.
There were seven ancient capitals in China, three of which were located in Henan: Luoyang, Kaifeng and Anyang. This province has more historical relics than any other province. Henan has the most underground historical sites in China; only one other province has more above-ground historical sites than Henan, and one-eighth of all historical relics in museums in China are in Henan. In Henan Museum alone there are 120,000 historical relics, including over 40,000 rare ones. Henan is a perfect place for tourists to see the past.
