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Geography of Anhui |
Anhui
Province is situated in the north-western part of eastern
China, extending across Changjiang (Yangtze) River and he
Huaihe River valleys. The total area of the Province is over
139,000 square kilometres with a population of about 66
million, including the
Han,
Hui,
She and other
nationalities.
Hefei is its provincial capital.
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Climate of Anhui |
Anhui
Province has a mild monsoon climate with ample rainfall. It has four
distinctive seasons in a year. The average monthly
temperature of January, the coldest month, is between -1°C
(30.2°F) and 4°C
(39.2°F) while that of July, hottest month, is between
27°C
(80.6°F) and 29°C
(84.2°F). Dabieshan Mountains and Mt. Huangshan are two
main rain areas. There are great yearly variations of
rainfall in the northern part of the Province, consequently
the frequent occurrences of drought in springs and floods in
summer season. The average annual rainfall of Anhui is
750mm-1700mm.
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Brief History of Anhui Province |
During the
Spring and Autumn Period (770-1476 BC), Wu and Chu Kingdom
were established in today’s Anhui Province. As early as the
Three Kingdom, Tang and Song Dynasties, agriculture and
handicraft industries in Anhui area already occupied an
important position in the national economy. But in the old
China, the beautiful and richly endowed Anhui Province was
afflicted with all ills and reduced to ruins because of the
corrupt and decadent rule of the successive reactionary
ruling classes in history. Now great changes have taken
place in both the urban and rural areas.
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Anhui Local Products |
Anhui is one
of the principal tea producing areas in China. The well-
known varieties are Qimen Black, Tunxi Green Tea, Mt.
Huangshan Maofeng Tea, Liu’an Guapian Tea, etc. Popular
fruits of the Province are Xuanchang candied dates, Mt.
Dangshan soft pear, Huizhou pear,Huaiyuan pomegranate,
Xiaoxian grapes etc. The Province is also known for some
good quality herbs of the traditional Chinese medicine, i.e.
the stems of noble dendrobium of Mt. Huoshan, the Chuxian
chrysanthemum, the roots of herbaceous peony of Haoxian
Country, etc. The Gujing (Ancient Well) liquor brewed at
Boxian Country, one of the eight best wines and liquors of
China, is known for its fragrance and lingering aftertaste,
therefore very popular among both the Chinese and foreign
drinkers. The traditional handicrafts of the Province are
Shexian Country’s Hui Ink Stick, Shexian Country’s Ink
Slabs, and Xuan Paper of Jingxian Country. Some more are the
bamboo mats made in Shucheng and Qianshan and the iron
pictures made in Wuhu.
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Anhui Local Cuisine |
The Anhui
cuisine consists of three local specialities: Wannan,
Yanjiang and Yanhuai. Wannan speciality is known for its
making delicacies from land or mountains, good at stewing,
braising and terperature control. The dishes so prepared
maintain the original freshness and flavour, being usually
greasy but generous in portions. One of the well-known
dishes is Salted Trout Fish. Yanjiang speciality is
represented by the cuisine of the cities of Wuhu and Anqing.
It specializes in cooking freshwater fish and poultry, is
good at chopping techniques, shaping and colouring. Frequent
use of sweetening and smoking technique are two other
distinctive features. One of the well-known dishes is Wuhu
Smoked Chicken. Yanhuai cuisine consists of local flavours
from Bengbu city,Suxian Country, Fuyang, etc. Dishes are
usually salty and slightly hot by using different spices and
seasoning and soup is usually thick. Fuliji Braised Chicken,
one of the famous delicacies, uses 13 different spices and
herbs and has a rich aroma and excellent taste.
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Places of Interests and Tourist Attractions: Anhui |
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The
following cities and scenic areas are open to international
tourists: Hefei city, Wuhu city, Ma’anshan city, Mt. Jiuhua,
Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) tourists resort are, Bengbu
city, Tunxi city, etc. among which Mt. Huangshan and Mt.
Jiuhua have been listed as China’s key reserve areas of
scenic spots.
Mt.
Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), famed as “No. 1 Mountain under Heaven,” has 72
named peaks in the reserve area of 154 square kilometers,
among which the Lotus Flower Peak, the Bright Top and
Celestial Capital Peak are all over 1,800 meters above sea
level.
Ever
since ancient time, numerous tourists have flocked here for
their natural beauties and nature’s wonders. Consequently
they are fascinated by the “Four Marvels” of Mt. Huangshan---
fantastic pines, grotesque rocks, hot springs and the sea of
clouds. Mt. Jiuhua is one of the four famous Buddhist
mountains in China, enjoying the fame of “Fairyland of
Buddhism”.
In the
scenic area covering 100 square kilometers, there are 99
peaks, the formation of which resembles a lotus flower.
There, one will enjoy numerous known or unknown scenic
spots, sites of historical interest, and lakes and rivers
against the background of green mountains, thus winning for
itself the fame of “No. 1 Mountain in the Southeast”.
For more information about Huangshan (Yellow Mountain),
please click
HERE
Hefei,
the provincial capital, not only serves as the province’s
political, economic and cultural centre, but also many
places of historical interest and scenic beauties, one of
which is the Temple of Lord Baogong that was built in memory
of Bao Zheng of the Song Dynasty, a noble man of high
integrity. For more information about Hefei, please
click HERE.
The
script “Xian Xue Ji Bei” (a record of country events
inscribed on a stone table) by the famous Song Dynasty
calligrapher Mi Fu, now well preserved in Wuhu city, is a
valuable piece of ancient calligraphy with forceful strokes
and exquisite carving. Another spot of nature’s beauty is
Caishiji (Rock of Varied Colours) of Ma’anshan city. There
one will find sheer precipice and overhanging rocks standing
out of the river and towering mountains, green bamboo and
sturdy pines.
Tunxi is
an age old market town of the native produce in Huizhou
hilly regions where ones will have the privilege of visting
tea processing workshops, Hui Ink Stick factories, she
Inklab factories. There, famous Anhui teas, the four
treasures of the study (Chinese writing brush, ink stick,
inkslab and paper), exquisite handicrafts and native produce
are always on sale. |
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Anhui Useful Links and Sites |
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Anhui
Related Article and Report Links |
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Chinese Cities and Province Information
