Located in the core hinterland of the Chinese civilization - the middle and lower Yellow River, the laboratory develops and integrates digital geography technology, explores the principles of interaction between surface environment and economic and social systems, and serves regional sustainable development. Under the leadership and influence of early pioneers such as Academician Feng Jinglan, Professor Li Changfu and Academician Wang Zhizhuo, three unique research directions have been formed based on years of academic accumulation: research of key technologies on analysis and sharing of geographic information, research on the geography pattern and ecological processes in the middle and lower Yellow River, and research on cities and space in the Central Plains Economic Zone.

The laboratory is the key subject platform with years of construction of Henan University: After passing through the Geographical Information System Laboratory of Henan University (1985), the Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System in school level(1994), and the China-Australia Geographic Information Analysis and Application Research Center ( 1997), the Company's Geographical and Regional Development Simulation Laboratory (1999), Digital Regional and Virtual Engineering Laboratory (2002), and 2005, was awarded the "Digital Regional Simulation Laboratory" of key subjects of universities in Henan Province. After strict review, in October 2011, the laboratory was formally approved as“The Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education on Digital Geography Technology co-established by the province and the ministry in the Middle and Lower Yellow River”by the Ministry of Education. In December 2015, it was accepted to be a key laboratory of the Ministry of Education.

The laboratory takes the human-earth system in the middle and lower Yellow River as the research object, based on geography theory, relies on geographic information technology (GIS, GNSS, RS, VGE, etc.), takes major scientific research projects and people's livelihood construction projects as breakthroughs to research the laws and mechanism of interaction between resource development, natural environment systems and economic and social systems, explore key scientific issues in resources, environment, economy, and society that regional development has, so as to provide theoretical guidance and technical support for regional sustainable development. While adhering to basic theoretical research, the laboratory actively participates in the development and construction of local national economy and society, serves the economic construction of the coastal areas of the Yellow River and Henan Province, and promotes regional sustainable development.

The laboratory research includes science, engineering, economics, management and other subjects. With the principle of“openness, communication, innovation, and improvement”, we welcome research institutions at home and abroad to exchange and cooperate, and welcome relevant researchers to work in the laboratory.