However, the decline of Kaifeng and Luoyang as ancient capitals has its geographical and historical roots. Only Zhengzhou in the province can replace it.
King SHEN WOO is not heartless.
The Central Plains was wiped out in the stagnation of Qi.
East of the Yellow River between Shaanxi and Shanxi in modern times was called "Hedong" in ancient times, and the area south of the Yellow River in Henan was called "Henan". Coupled with the "Hanoi" sandwiched between Taihang Mountain and the eastbound Yellow River, it constitutes the hometown of Sanjiang, where Chinese civilization originated.
The core of modern Henan is ancient "Henan".
In this core region of Chinese civilization, the north-central part of Henan lies in the world. For an ancient empire, it is almost inevitable to choose this place as an edict. This can ensure that all aspects of the news are conveyed almost at the same time, which is convenient for the rulers to coordinate and control the situation in time.
In such a central region, cities with relatively greater traffic potential will naturally become political and economic centers. Zhengzhou, Luoyang and Kaifeng, located in the middle of the province, are all good choices.
Three cities in northern Henan province living in the world
Luoyang, Zhengzhou and Kaifeng
If we only look at the geographical location, Zhengzhou, which is in the middle of the three, seems to have a greater geographical advantage and a more prominent position in the province or at home.
However, before the invasion of the Yellow River south (through today's Hebi, Anyang West and Puyang into North China), Zhengzhou was quite far from the Yellow River waterway; The Huaihe River basin is also too far from the southeast, so it is difficult to form a water transportation system.
The Yellow River around the Han Dynasty
It's still a little far from Zhengzhou.
And if we expand our horizons to the whole country and then go to Luoyang in the west, we will occupy a more favorable position. Luoyang basin is the protruding part from the third step to the second step, which controls the main passage to Shanxi and is the city of hope in both east and west directions.
Of course, the formation of this control depends on the power of the dynasty itself. If the kings are empty, then the capital that was originally attacked will become the target of attack.
However, Luoyang, as a central city, also has great disadvantages: it is a little far from the increasingly affluent south of the Yangtze River. Compared with Kaifeng and Zhengzhou, Luoyang needs more transshipment costs to get financial support from the south.
With the war in the late Tang Dynasty, the appearance of the Little Ice Age and the southward movement of the precipitation line, Luoyang, located in the westernmost part of the three cities, took the lead in decline.
After the demise of the Tang Dynasty, no unified dynasty considered Luoyang as the central city.