Anyang (Zhangde) (Chinese: 安阳, pinyin: Ānyáng, pall.: Anyang) is an urban district in Henan Province, China, slightly north of the middle part of the Yellow River basin. In the area of ​​the city, a large number of objects were found that belong to the period of the Shang Dynasty (1562-1027 BC). It is believed that the capital of this kingdom, Yin, was located here. The territory of the ancient city (Yinxu, “the remains of Yin”) is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

History
In the late 1920s, a site of ancient settlement and cemeteries of the developed Bronze Age were discovered here. Archaeologists have found a huge archive of inscriptions on fortune-telling bones, the deciphering of which made it possible to solve many research problems, in particular, to identify the settlement near Anyang (Xiaotun village) with the well-known state of Shang-Yin from ancient written monuments. This center of civilization existed for about two or three centuries (XIII-XI century BC), which is not consistent with the material of Sima Qian’s Shi Ji, which states that the development of the Shang state began earlier. After the Zhou conquest at the end of the 11th century. BC e. the Yin capital was destroyed.
Unlike the Erlitou-Erligan complex, which developed on the basis of the Longshan culture, there is writing and royal tombs here. The letter in the Anyang archive appears in the form of fortune-telling inscriptions with many hundreds of hieroglyphic ideograms and a well-thought-out calendar with cyclic signs (see jiaguwen).
In the royal tombs next to the royal deceased, hundreds of associates, wives and servants accompanying him to the other world, as well as magnificent items made of bronze, stone, bone and wood (weapons, jewelry, vessels with highly artistic ornaments and high relief images) and, most importantly,, war chariots with thin and strong wheels with many spokes, as well as war horses harnessed to them. The latter find is particularly unique, as chariots and domesticated horses from this period have only been found in the Middle East (Mitannians and Hittites). The bronze weapons were decorated in the “animal style”.
After the kingdom of Qin united China into a single empire for the first time in history, Anyang County (安阳县) was created here. Under the Han Empire, it was annexed to Danyin County (荡阴县), but then recreated. Starting from the Eastern Han Empire, the main part of the territory of the modern urban district was administered by the Weijun (魏郡) county government headquartered in Yecheng. Under the Northern Wei Empire in 401, the Xiangzhou (相州) region was formed, whose authorities were also located in Yecheng. Eastern Wei made Yecheng its capital, and Anyang and Danyin counties were annexed to Yexian (邺县) county. Under the Northern Zhou Empire, during the campaign against the rebellious general Yuchi Jun chengxiang, Yang Guan burned Yecheng in 580, after which the authorities of Yesian County, Weijun County and Xiangzhou Province were forced to move to the south of Anyang.
Under the Sui Empire in 583, the administrative division of the country became two-level: it began to be divided into zhou regions and xian counties; Anyang became the seat of the authorities of Xiangzhou Province and Yesian County. In 590, the authorities of Yesian County returned to the place of the former Yecheng, and Anyang County was re-established in these places. In 605, the zhou regions were abolished and the jun districts were recreated; accordingly, the Xiangzhou region was abolished and the Weijun district of 11 counties was re-created, the authorities of which were located in Anyang. At the end of the Sui Empire, one of the largest anti-government uprisings began in the territory of modern Huaxian County.
After the formation of the Tang Empire, the Weijun district was again transformed into the Xiangzhou region in 618 (comprising 8 counties). During the An Lushan rebellion, the Anyang region became one of the main war zones, leading to mass impoverishment of the population.
In the Jurchen Empire of Jin, the Xiangzhou region was raised in 1192 in status to the Zhangde administration (彰德府), to which 5 counties were subordinate. In the Mongol Empire of Yuan, the Zhangde government was renamed the Zhangde region (彰德路); under the Ming Empire, it again became the Zhangde government (which was subordinate to 6 counties and 1 region). After the Xinhai Revolution in China, the administrative division of the sub-provincial level was reformed, and in 1913 the councils and regions were abolished.

Modern history
After the victory in the civil war, the Communists created Pingyuan Province in August 1949, and Anyang became its city of provincial subordination; at the same time, the Anyang Special Region (安阳专区) was created, consisting of six counties. On November 30, 1952, Pingyuan Province was disbanded, and Anyang became part of Henan Province, still remaining a provincial city. subordination; Anyang Special District, whose authorities were located in Puyang County, also became part of Henan Province. In 1958, Anyang Special Region was merged into Xinxiang Special Region (新乡专区). In 1960, Anyang County was annexed to Anyang City, but was re-established in 1961.
On December 19, 1961, the Anyang Special Region was re-established by the Decree of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China; it included the cities of Anyang, Hebi, and the counties of Anyang, Puyang, Linxian, Huaxian, Qingfeng, Nanle, Tangyin, Neihuang, Junxian and Changyuan. In 1968, the Anyang Special Region was renamed Anyang County (安阳地区). In 1983, Anyang County and Anyang City were disbanded and the city districts of Anyang and Puyang were established; areas of the former city of Anyang became districts of the urban district of Anyang.
In 1986, Hebi City was separated from Anyang City.
In 2014, Huaxian County was removed from Anyang, and became directly subordinate to the authorities of Henan Province.