Anyang

/ahn"yahng"/, n. Pinyin, Wade-Giles.

a city in N Henan province, in E China: site of the ancient city of Yin, the center of the Shang dynasty, dated c1350-1027 B.C. 225,000.

Also, An-yang.

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▪ China

Wade-Giles romanization  An-yang 

      city, northern Henan sheng (province), northeast-central China, on the Anyang River, a tributary of the Wei River. It was important in history as the site of the ancient city of Yin, the capital of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BCE) from the 14th century BCE; the Shang palace stood about 10 miles (16 km) west of the present city. Anyang declined when the succeeding Zhou (Zhou dynasty) capital arose at Luoyang to the southwest. Archaeological excavations have revealed historical remains of the Shang, illustrating the splendour and advanced stage of the civilization that developed there and providing authentic evidence of the ancient civilization of China.

      Yinxu (“The Ruins of Yin”), the site of the Shang capital at Anyang, had been known to scholars since the turn of the 20th century through the accidental discovery in 1899 of inscribed oracle bones, the earliest Chinese written records. It was not until 1928, however, that the first organized scientific expedition started systematic excavation of these remains under the auspices of Academia Sinica, organized by the Nationalist government of the Republic of China. Fieldwork was carried out by the archaeologist Li Ji (Li Chi) from 1928 until the Japanese invasion in 1937. The finds include building foundations, bronzes, chariots, pottery, stone and jade, and thousands of oracle bones. Several other excavations were conducted after 1950. Yinxu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2006.

      Anyang has been a regional agricultural and trade centre for centuries. In contemporary times, it became a station on the main north-south rail line from Beijing to Guangzhou (Canton) (Canton); in addition it is on the expressway from Beijing to Zhuhai (near Macau). Coal mining is important. Anyang's textile mills and food-processing plants have been supplemented by heavier manufactures since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. More recently, high-technology industries have been established. Tourism has also grown in significance. Pop. (2002 est.) city, 570,773; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 887,000.

▪ South Korea

      city, Kyŏnggi do (province), northwestern South Korea, 19 mi (31 km) southwest of Seoul. Given the status of a municipality in 1973, it has become the largest industrial satellite of Seoul. Industries include brewing and the manufacture of textiles, pottery, paper, and bricks. The country's largest motion-picture studio is located there. Among the city's historical remains are two temples, Yŏmbul-am and Jǔngcho-sa, both built in the 9th century. Pop. (1990 prelim.) 480,668.

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