or Cheng-chou formerly (1913–49) Zhengxian or Cheng-hsien
City (pop., 1999 est.: 1,465,069), capital of Henan province, east-central China.
Located south of the Huang He (Yellow River), it is an important rail centre. There were Neolithic settlements in the area, and the Shang Bronze Age culture (fl. с 1500 BC) was centred there on a walled city. Zhou-dynasty tombs have also been discovered. The city was first called Zhengzhou in AD 605, and it has been known by that name virtually ever since. It achieved its greatest importance in the 6th–12th centuries, when it was the terminus of a canal that joined the Huang to the north. In the early 20th century it became a rail junction and a regional agricultural centre. Since 1950 its industrial base has greatly expanded, and its population has grown considerably.