In Henan, I've traveled quite a bit, including cities like Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Xuchang, and Xinxiang, all with their own unique charm. During my travels, I discovered a particularly peculiar city – Jiyang. Its area, economy, and location were all quite unusual, which sparked a strong interest in me. So, I did a lot of research about Jiyang during my visit, and I finally realized that this seemingly 'small' city actually has a very rich history.

01 Although the area is small, the status is high

Located on the northwestern edge of Henan, Jiyang is the smallest prefecture-level city in Henan. This can be seen from the map: less than 2000 square kilometers, even less than 1/7 of Luoyang. The population is only 700,000, which is far from the millions or tens of millions of cities in Henan. However, its status in the province is not ordinary.

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We know that Henan has 5 prefecture-level cities, namely,Ruozhou, Dunzhou, Jiyang, Gongyi, and Yongcheng.County-level cities and prefecture-level cities have a significant disparity in strength, but Jiyang, although nominally a county-level city, has the authority to 'unlock' all the prefecture-level cities within Henan. This explains why my fellow travelers and I introduced Jiyang as 'a sub-prefecture-level city'02 Second highest per capita but with vulnerabilitiesWhen I arrive in a new city, I like to see its economic development situation. Some cities may have poor GDP performance but are very wealthy, while some cities with high GDP may feel some prosperity is illusory. Jiyang gives me a feeling closer to the latter.

Due to the flourishing of early heavy industry, Jiyang had a high starting point.

As early as 2006, Jiyang's per capita GDP even exceeded that of the capital Zhengzhou, taking the lead. Currently, the latest and most credible per capita GDP data available is the first half of 2019, and in the first half of 2019, Jiyang's per capita GDP was around 42,000 yuan, only second to Zhengzhou's 50,000 yuan. Half of it is to look at, Jiyang's per capita GDP in 2019 should be more than 84,000 yuan, still only second to Zhengzhou.

However, even so, we cannot say that Jiyang has a backup plan. The lead of heavy industry may allow Jiyang to develop for a long time, and it is still an unknown quantity. In recent years, focusing on tourism is a good idea, but the related cultural and creative construction is still a roadblock. Therefore, Jiyang is currently in a 'green-yellow' stage. If it can let the tourism industry take the lead with the heavy industry, it is believed that the future will be very brilliant.03 Tourism resources plus cultural heritageDuring several days, I walked through several scenic spots. It has to be said that Jiyang has a considerable cultural heritage. The most famous one is undoubtedly Wangyueshan Scenic Area. Everyone must have heard the legend of 'The Fool Crow Moves the Mountain'. Its origin is right here. When you go out, you can see a building similar to a thatched hut, made of wood, which was built later for tourists to view the scenery from outside.

This picture was taken by a friend when he climbed Wangyueshan in winter. I was really amazed. After all, the friend's photography skills have always been notoriously bad, but this picture is quite beautiful. It can only be said that Wangyueshan is 'full of spiritual and artistic charm', and it is similar to 'take a snapshot and it's a blockbuster'

Five Dragon Mouth is also visited. The side effect of industrialization still exists. The bare mountain is in contrast to the lush trees and arched bridges, which is somewhat incongruous. However, it can be imagined that when it is also lush and green, it is a beautiful and relaxing place.

When you go to Nanshan, it looks like it is still under development and construction. My friend didn't expect it to have a homestay district here. The overall style is quite elegant. Including the development and construction of water amusement parks and folk villages with stone and flowers, all of which are being built in a flourishing manner. These are all the roads that Jiyang is paving for the future development of tourism.

04 Conclusion

As the smallest city in Henan, Jiyang's status and per capita GDP are quite high, which is an advantage. However, the population base also limits its development to some extent. The most damaging is the transformation of industry. However, I believe that this city will create its own space with its superior tourism resources and abundant cultural heritage. If you travel to Henan, don't forget this city.

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