HSIN-HSIANG

Pinyin Xinxiang city in northern Honan sheng (province), China. It is a transportation centre located at the head of navigation of the Wei River, with access northeast to Tientsin, and at the southern end of a route from Hopeh province that runs west to ultimately connect with southern Shansi and Shensi provinces. Founded under the Sui dynasty (AD 581618), the town gained importance because of its location, where the Yung-chi Canal joined the Wei River to the Huang Ho (Yellow River), thus affording a transport route from the Huang Ho valley to northern Hopeh. When the Grand Canal was constructed farther to the east in the early 15th century, Hsin-hsiang remained a transport centre for southeastern Shansi and northern Honan provinces, standing on a waterway that afforded an easy route to Tientsin and Peking. It also served as a collecting centre for cotton. The town gained new importance with the completion of the railway from Peking to Han-k'ou in 1905. This line gave access to the important coalfield at Chiao-tso to the west of Hsin-hsiang. In 1949 Hsin-hsiang had only four small factories, but by the mid-1950s it had been transformed from a prosperous regional commercial centre and market into a minor industrial centre and the chief city of northern Honan. In addition to cotton-textile production, spinning, and dyeing, its industries include flour milling, brewing, and food processing. The usefulness of the Wei River as a transport route was increased by the construction of the People's Victory Canal (which links the Wei's headwaters with the Huang Ho to allow diversion of water when the level is low) and by the improvement of the lower course as part of the major Hai River conservation project. Pop. (1990 est.) 473,762.