Shangqiu

Japanese: 商丘 - しょうきゅう

Shangqiu, Henan Province, China is a prefecture-level city on the Dongsha River, upstream of the Huai River, a tributary of the Huai River. It governs two city districts and six counties, and acts as the deputy governor of one county-level city (as of 2016). It has a population of 9,497,000 (2014). It is a key transportation hub on the North China Plain, with expressways passing through it, including the Longhai Line, the Beijing-Kiu Line, Jining in Shandong Province, Heze, and Bengbu in Anhui Province. It is the main cotton-growing region in the Yellow River basin, and is also an important food-producing area, with wheat and sorghum cultivation thriving. The city is also known for its abundant coal reserves, with the Tongzhe coalfield boasting 23 billion tons of reserves, the largest in Henan Province (as of 2016).

It has a long history of development, having been the capital of the Song dynasty during the Spring and Autumn period, and becoming Shangqiu County in the Ming dynasty, before being established as a city in 1950. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was also called Qide, after the name of the prefecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

[Masakazu Komai, Editorial Department, December 12, 2017]

World Heritage Registration

In 2014, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) registered the Shangqiu Nanguan Canal and Shangqiu Xiayi Canal, which are part of the Tongji Canal, as cultural heritage sites of the "Grand Canal of China" (World Cultural Heritage).

[Editorial Department, December 12, 2017]

[Reference items] | Henan (province) | Jingjiu Line | Longhai Line

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

中国、河南(かなん)省商丘淮河(わいが)の支流澮河(かいが)上流の東沙(とうさ)河畔にある地級市。2市轄区、6県を管轄し、1県級市の管轄代行を行う（2016年時点）。人口949万7000（2014）。隴海(ろうかい)線や京九線、山東(さんとう)省の済寧(さいねい)、菏沢(かたく)、安徽(あんき)省の蚌埠(ほうふ)などに通じる自動車道が通り、華北平原の交通の要所を占めている。黄河(こうが)流域ワタ作地帯の主産地をなすほか、小麦やコウリャン栽培も盛んで、重要な食糧生産地である。また、石炭の埋蔵量が豊富であることでも知られ、通柘(つうしゃ)炭田は河南省最大となる230億トンの埋蔵量を誇る（2016年時点）。

　開発は古く、春秋時代には宋(そう)の国都が置かれ、明(みん)代に商丘県となり、1950年市が設けられた。中華人民共和国成立前までは、明・清(しん)時代の府名をとり、帰徳(きとく)ともよばれた。

［駒井正一・編集部　2017年12月12日］