Xinzheng

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xinzheng (Chinese: 新鄭; pinyin: Xīnzhèng) is a small county-level city of Zhengzhou in the south of Henan province of China. The city has a population of 600,000 people and covers an area of 15km.[1]

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[edit] History

Xinzheng is considered the birthplace of the Chinese nation. It was the seat of government for the Qin Dynasty, from about 221 B.C.E., which is considered the begining of a unified China.[2] The word qin (秦), which is pronouced similar to "chin", is thought to be the basis for the word "China."[2]

It was also the birthplace of the famous Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi in 772 A.D.[3]

[edit] Education

Xinzheng also has one of the largest concentrations of foreign teachers in central China, thanks to SIAS University. The school has 14,000 students and about 90 foreign teachers.[citation needed]

[edit] Dragon

A giant dragon is being constructed by private investors near the city out of concrete and marble with a 29.9m tall head and a body that will eventually stretch 21km (13 miles) along the ridge line of Shizu Mountain.[4][5] The hollow body of the dragon is 9m high and 6m wide and will contain a light rail system along with facilities for sight seeing and leisure, such as shops, resturants and luxury clubs.[5] The body of the dragon will be covered with 5.6 million scales made of white marble and gilded bronze to symbollically represent China's 56 enthic groups.[6] The 21km length represents the wish for China's rapid growth in the 21st Century.[7] The project is expected to be completed before October 1, 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China[4][7]

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