Smyrna times., 1932-05-25
HONAN-FU NEW
CAPITAL OF CHINA
Seat of Government Now in a
More Secluded Center South
: of the Yellow River
PAPER INVENTED THERE

WaSnlUSIO0-NeW UlSpdLCueS Ihlt
are beginning to reach the world
with the date line "Loyang," "Liu-
an" or "Honan-fu" are coming from
a city that has become China's new
est capital but which once served
as the seat of Chinese government
long before telegraphy was dreamed
of, according to a bulletin from the
National Geographic society.
THE city with three names is
most commonly known as 'Honan-
fu,' meaning 'Honan City," says
the bulletin. 1T lies in the prov
ince of Honan about twenty miles
south of the Yellow river. There is
good reason for such a site rather
than location directly on the great
river. This stream emerges from
the highlands, a few miles to the
west, and from that point on be
comes 'China's Sorrow an erratic
river that is forever changing its
course. Few cities are built within
its treacherous reach.
Not Easily Accessible.
Headquarters Of the Chinese re-
gime that has been centered at
Nanking were moved to Honan-fu
because of the relative inaccessible
ity of the latter place to invading
forces. Nanking, situated directly
on the Yangtze, is in easy reach by
ocean-going gunboats.
"The situation of the new capital
in relation to the more familiar
cities Of China can be best under
stood by an American comparison.
Shanghai, great commercial center
near the mouth of the Yangtze (al-
though actually a few miles up a
tributary may be compared to New
Orleans. Marking, farther up the
Yangtze, has a situation comparable
to Vicksburg, Miss. Honan-fu. to
which the Nanking government
archives and personnel have been
moved, lies 400 miles to the north
west, In a position that can be
llhtAiCu " tAdl VI OhAutOlAld SAlgs
"The Yellow river is not naviga-
Bile anywhere near Honan-fu, so
that there is no danger of attack by
i-val forces. The Peiping- Han
kow railway. China's principal rail
artery. lies about seventy-five miles
east Of the city. A branch line ex-
tends from it to Honan-fu.
''Honan province has figured inn
portantly in Chinese history from
the earliest times. 1t has even been
suggested that Chinese culture had
its birth in this region. At any
rate, it was from Honan that the
early culture spread southwark to
the coast. The name means South
of the River but an early nickname
was Middle Flowery Land 1t was
from this affectionate term for
Honan that the name Middle King
DOM applicable to China, arose.
although off the route Of river
an-fu has been for centuriles on one
of the most important of Chinese
overland highways, the Great North
west road. The portion of this road
from Peiping to Honan province ex-
tends southwark to the vicinity of
Kaifeng, the provincial capital. 1t
then runs along westward some
twenty miles south of the Yellow
river through Honan-fu, Shenchow,
and Sian; turns northwestward to
Chow, Liang-chow, and Su-
chow; and extends on into Central
Asia. Over IL moves most of the
commerce between Chinese Turke-
stan and China proper.
Typical Old City.
"Honan-fu has a population of
only about 10000. 1t is a typical
old city Of the interior with a wall
enclosing a clutter Of narrow and
dusty streets. About its gates at
certain hours is a congestion of
wheelbarrows, laden donkeys and
vendors of food and tea. In the
town is the first temple raised in
China to Buddhism, the famous
white Horse Temple On the site,
1t is said, was buried the white
-. x..t.tob ,-,aro bra,ruhf fy.a,,,