A Brief Introduction to Xin County
Location
Locates in the southeast of Xinyang in Henan Province
Residing in the hinterland of the Dabie Mountains
At the junction of Hubei and Henan provinces
Lies the place known as the South Gate of the Central Plains
114° 33 ' E ~ 115° 12' E , 31° 28' N ~ 31° 46' N
Bounded by Shangcheng County in the east
Adjacent to Hong'an County and Macheng County, Hubei Province in the south, bordering Luoshan and Dawu County of Hubei Province in the west, connecting with Guangshan County in the north
Geographical Features
Xin County is forestry-based, and was described vividly as "seven mountains, one river, one field, one road and one manor"
The outline of Xin County is nearly a perfect rectangle
The main range of the Dabie Mountains crosses through the county from east to west which forms the Jianghuai watershed
The south side of the watershed pertains to the Yangtze River Basin; the north side pertains to the Huai River Basin
The territory contains rolling hills with high peaks, deep valleys, and crossing rivers
Transportation
National Highway 106, Daqing-Guangzhou Highway, and Beijing-Kowloon Railway pass through the region
Xin County sits on the north, 440 km from Zhengzhou, and 116 km away from Xinyang
Wuhan of Hubei Province is 170 km to the south
Hefei of Anhui Province is 301 km to the east
Climate
Xin County is located in the north subtropical zone to warm temperate zone
It has a continental humid monsoonal climate
With four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall and sunlight
Ecology
Xin County lies across the north-south plant transition zone in China
It is rich in animal and plant resources, and home to many rare species
The area consists of 2389 known species of plants
24 of these species are nationally recognized as rare or endangered, 23 species are under State protection, and another 21 are under Henan province protection
It consists of 1296 species of animals, 3 of these species of animals are under first-class state protection
23 of these species of animals are under second-class state protection
And 8 species of these animals are under Henan province protection.
Economic Status
The total population of the county is 368,000. It was one of the state-level key poverty-stricken counties
In 1992, Xin County ranked last among 111 counties in Henan in economic prosperity
In recent years, Xin County focused on the development of eco-agricultural economies and tourism economies. Poverty alleviation work has also seen a rise
Living condition and quality of life rose considerably for both townspeople and farmers
A Brief Introduction to Xihe Bay Ancient Village
Xihe Bay Ancient Village is located in the Midwest of Zhouhe Township, Xin County
The hinterland of the Dabie Mountains
9.9 miles from the county
The village was built during the end of the Yuan Dynasty
Completed at the start of the Ming Dynasty
And flourished under Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty
With a history of more than 700 years
Part of the stone carving, brick carving and wooden carving are still kept intact
With considerably high artistic research value
The location is surrounded with a pleasant ecological environment, beautiful scenery
A strong culture of Southern Henan folk custom
And lots of attractions such as Lion Rock, Jade Emperor Stockade, Monkey King Temple…
The towering ancient trees near the entrance
Are the symbol of the village
Since August 2013
Xihe Bay has been incorporated into
“The Protection Project of Key Ancient Villages of Xin County”
Buildings with history were transformed into the International Youth Hostel, and the Grain and Oil Museum, Cafés, restaurants with revolutionary themes, the folk custom exhibition hall, etc.
Rejuvenated and brought new vigor to the ancient village
Xihe Bay Ancient Village has been inducted into
The third batch of “The Directory Traditional Village of China” and
The second batch of “The Directory Traditional Village of Henan Province”
And given the title of “The Most Beautiful Historical and Cultural Ancient Village“
In the fourth “Chinese Landscape Villages” Appraisal
It was appointed by China Folklore Photographic Association as an Interview Base
The Xihe Grain and Oil Museum and the villager activity center
Were awarded the prize for excellence of WA social equality at
The 2014 WAACA Chinese Architecture Awards