Henan, located in Central China, was the core region of the first three dynasties of recorded Chinese history: Xia (c. 21st century-16th century BC), Shang (c. 16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c.11th century-256 BC). About 5 millennia ago, civilizations began to emerge in that region. Around 4,000 years ago, tribal civilizations converged into one in the area around today's Luoyang. That was when the Xia Dynasty also started.

In the 1950s, archaeologist Xu Xusheng discovered the Erlitou site, which is believed to be the capital of the Xia Dynasty, in Yanshi, a district in Luoyang.

Today, Erlitou Culture, centered on Luoyang but also found in parts of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Hebei provinces, is recognized as a vital development in the history of the Chinese civilization, according to Tian Kai, director of the Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage.