In 1998, the concept of building a new Zhengzhou city on farmland to the east of the old city was approved by the central government.

The new city, named Zhengdong (meaning east of Zhengzhou in Chinese), was on the drawing board by 2002, with plans provided by one of the world's top design houses.

Zhengdong's construction kicked off in January 2003, with the aim of becoming the first new investment zone in the Chinese mainland to attract modern service industry investors and not just manufacturers.