Dengfeng (postal: Tengfeng) is a county-level city of Henan Province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhengzhou. Dengfeng has an area of 1220 km2 and a population of 630,000. It occupies the southwestern corner of Zhengzhou and is its westernmost county-level division. Dengfeng is located at the foot of the Mount Song, one of the most sacred mountains in China. The city is one of the most renowned spiritual centers of China, and is home to various religious institutions and famous temples such as the Taoist Zhongyue Temple, the Buddhist Shaolin Temple (a renowned center for martial arts), as well as the Confucian Songyang Academy and the Gaocheng Observatory, hence its poetic expression derived from Chinese literature as the spiritual "center of heaven and earth". Parts of the city were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.

History

The first Xia dynasty capital, Yangcheng, was built west of Gaocheng Township on the Yin River under the sacred Mount Song. The famous Shaolin Monastery, traditionally considered the origin of Zen, is located in Dengfeng where they teach adults as well as children martial arts. It is also a famous tourist attraction.

Administrative divisions

As of 2012, the city is divided to 3 subdistricts, 8 towns and 5 townships.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2010, UNESCO inscribed several of the most renowned sites of Dengfeng onto its World Heritage List under the title "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Center of Heaven and Earth'." The World Heritage Site includes several historic gates, temples, a Confucian academy and the Gaocheng Observatory: Other notable sites in Dengfeng include the Fawang Temple, a Buddhist temple built in the Tang dynasty.

Climate

Transportation

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