The name Shangqiu is one of the oldest in Chinese history. This was the heartland of the Shang people, whose dynasty ruled the Yellow River plain more than three thousand years ago, and a persistent tradition says that the Shang were such good traders that their name became the word for merchants and commerce, shang. Whether or not the etymology is exact, the town has a good claim to being the cradle of trade. Later, under the Song dynasty, Shangqiu was one of the secondary capitals, known as the Southern Capital, and a major hub for grain, salt and silk.
The Nanguan section of the Tongji Canal runs by the south gate of the old city, and it was here that boats from the south unloaded rice and goods for the northern markets. Part of the old bank and wharf has been excavated, and a short stretch has been preserved and interpreted for visitors. Looking at a ditch beside a neat modern park, you may wonder why this is a World Heritage site, but it helps to remember that the canal carried a large share of the empire's grain, and that the whole network is listed as one of the great works of hydraulic engineering in history.
Shangqiu itself is a rather quiet city of about a hundred and eighty thousand, with an old walled town, well restored in recent years, and a tradition of folk culture, local opera and flatbreads. The roads in the area are flat, straight and often tree-lined, and they connect villages and market towns in a regular grid. Truck traffic and agricultural vehicles share them with cars. There is little in the way of dramatic riding, but a lot of daily life to see: wheat drying on the tarmac in June, old men playing chess in the shade, vendors selling steamed buns.
Fuel stations are easy to find, and restaurants serve noodles, dumplings and Henan stews. Heat and humidity are severe in July and August, with heavy rain, and winter brings cold, dry air and dust. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. Foreign riders in China need to comply with strict rules about licences, vehicles and guides, so check ahead and arrange permits in advance, because police checkpoints are common and rules are enforced.