Anhui

Anhui is an inland province in East China. Its capital and biggest city is Hefei. The land of Anhui sits between the Yangtze and Huai rivers. It touches several other places: Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei and Henan to the west, and Shandong to the north.

The name "Anhui" comes from two old towns: Anqing and Huizhou, which is now a part of Huangshan City. People in Anhui speak languages like Lower Yangtze Mandarin, Wu, Hui, Gan, and some Central Plains Mandarin. The government of Anhui works to help all its cities, towns, and villages run well for everyone living there.

History

Anhui became a province in 1667 during the time of the Qing dynasty and its ruler, the Kangxi Emperor. Its nickname, "Wan," comes from an ancient small state there. People have lived in Anhui for as long as 20,000 years, based on discoveries from the Neolithic period.

Over time, Anhui was part of many Chinese dynasties. During the Three Kingdoms era, different kingdoms controlled it. By the Song dynasty, the area's economy and culture grew. In the 1900s, Anhui was important for new ideas and leaders, including some who helped start the Chinese Communist Party. After World War II, the capital moved to Hefei, which grew with new investments.

Geography

Anhui is a province in East China with many different landscapes. The northern part is flat and belongs to the North China Plain. The central area is part of the Huai River watershed. Further south, the land becomes hilly and includes the Dabie Mountains in the southwest. The highest point in Anhui is Lotus Peak in Huangshan, which rises to 1,873 metres (6,145 feet).

The province has important rivers, such as the Huai River in the north and the Yangtze River in the south. The largest lake is Lake Chaohu. Anhui's climate changes from north to south, with the north having more distinct seasons. The main cities include Hefei, Wuhu, and Anqing.

Ecology

Anhui has special plants and animals. One is the Anhui elm, a rare tree found only in certain valleys. There are very few of these trees left.

The province is also home to the Chinese alligator, a small crocodile that needs protection. This animal once lived along the Yangtze River but is now very rare.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: List of administrative divisions of Anhui and List of township-level divisions of Anhui

Anhui is divided into sixteen larger cities. These cities are split into 104 smaller areas, such as districts, smaller cities, and counties. These smaller areas are then divided into 1,512 tiny neighborhoods, including towns, villages, special areas for certain groups, and city sections.

Administrative divisions of Anhui

Hefei Wuhu Bengbu Huainan Ma'anshan Huaibei Tongling Anqing Huangshan Chuzhou Fuyang Suzhou Lu'an Bozhou Chizhou Xuancheng
Division code	Division	Area in km2	Population 2020	Seat	Divisions
					Districts	Counties	CL cities
340000	Anhui Province	139,600.00	61,027,171	Hefei city	45	50	9
340100	Hefei city	11,445.06	9,369,881	Shushan District	4	4	1
340200	Wuhu city	6,004.97	3,644,420	Jiujiang District	5	1	1
340300	Bengbu city	5,950.72	3,296,408	Bengshan District	4	3
340400	Huainan city	5,532.30	3,033,528	Tianjia'an District	5	2
340500	Ma'anshan city	4,049.13	2,159,930	Yushan District	3	3
340600	Huaibei city	2,740.91	1,970,265	Xiangshan District	3	1
340700	Tongling city	2,937.83	1,311,726	Tongguan District	3	1
340800	Anqing city	13,525.03	4,165,284	Yingjiang District	3	5	2
341000	Huangshan city	9,678.39	1,330,565	Tunxi District	3	4
341100	Chuzhou city	13,515.99	3,987,054	Langya District	2	4	2
341200	Fuyang city	10,118.17	8,200,264	Yingzhou District	3	4	1
341300	Suzhou city	9,938.77	5,324,476	Yongqiao District	1	4
341500	Lu'an city	15,450.82	4,393,699	Jin'an District	3	4
341600	Bozhou city	8,521.23	4,996,844	Qiaocheng District	1	3
341700	Chizhou city	8,364.81	1,342,764	Guichi District	1	3
341800	Xuancheng city	12,312.55	2,500,063	Xuanzhou District	1	4	2

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Anhui and List of provincial leaders of the People's Republic of China

Anhui Province has a system of government shared with other parts of China. The Governor of Anhui leads the government, but the main power belongs to the Anhui Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary.

Most government offices are in Hefei, at No.1 Zhongshan Road. These offices help manage cities, counties, and townships across Anhui. Big meetings of the government happen each year.

Economy

Anhui has different kinds of farming based on the climate. In the north near the Huai River, people grow wheat and sweet potatoes. In the south, they grow rice and wheat. The province has many natural resources like iron in Ma'anshan, coal in Huainan, and copper in Tongling. These resources help industries such as the steel industry.

Anhui is home to important companies like the car maker Chery in Wuhu. Although it has developed well, Anhui's economy has grown more slowly than nearby areas like Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Many industries are close to the Yangtze River, in cities such as Hefei, Wuhu, and Ma'anshan. These places have many factories that produce home appliances.

Transportation

Anhui has better roads and trains now. The first big bridge across the Yangtze River, the Tongling Yangtze River Bridge, was built in 1995. Today, Anhui has four bridges across the Yangtze River in Ma'anshan, Wuhu, Tongling, and Anqing.

The province has many trains, including fast trains that connect most cities. Hefei South railway station is the main place for these trains. There are plans for new roads, including big highways like the G3 Beijing-Taipei Expressway, G40 Shanghai-Xi'an Expressway, and G42 Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway. Hefei and Wuhu have subway systems, with more lines being built. The Hefei Metro has two lines now. The Wuhu Metro is growing too. Anhui has five big airports. Hefei Xinqiao and Huangshan are international airports. The airports you can use are Hefei Xinqiao International Airport, Huangshan Tunxi International Airport, Fuyang Xiguan Airport, Anqing Tianzhushan Airport, and Chizhou Jiuhuashan Airport.

Demographics

Han Chinese are the largest group of people in Anhui. There are also two smaller groups, the Huizhou Chinese-speaking Hui and the She, who are known as minorities.

Anhui has some areas where there are more boys than girls, especially among young children.

The main religions in Anhui include Christianity, Chinese ancestral religion, and Islam. Many people follow a mix of Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions, and Chinese Buddhism, or they do not follow a specific religion.

Culture

Anhui is a place where many different cultures come together. In the north, near the Huai River, people speak kinds of Mandarin that sound similar to the languages in nearby areas like Henan, Shandong, and northern Jiangsu. Further south, in the hilly parts, the culture and language feel more like Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

The province has many traditional arts. Huangmeixi is a type of Chinese opera that began near Anqing. There is also Huiju, another opera from southern Anhui that helped shape Beijing Opera. Anhui cuisine is known for using wild game and herbs in simple ways. The area is also famous for special items used in Chinese calligraphy, like Xuan Paper from Xuancheng and She Inkstone from She County.

Education

See also: List of universities and colleges in Anhui

Anhui has many good universities, especially in cities like Hefei, Wuhu, Bengbu, and Maanshan. Hefei is an important place for research in China, with a strong focus on basic science.

Public universities

• University of Science & Technology of China, one of China's top universities and a world-famous research school.
• Hefei University of Technology, a well-known engineering school in China.
• Anhui University, an important university in China.
• Anhui Agricultural University, located in Hefei.
• Anhui Medical University
• Anhui Normal University, located in Wuhu
• Anhui University of Finance and Economics, located in Bengbu
• Anhui University of Technology, located in Ma'anshan
• Anhui University of Technology and Science, located in Wuhu City
• Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Anhui University of Science & Technology, located in Huainan
• Anqing Teachers College, located in Anqing
• Fuyang Teachers College, located in Fuyang
• Hefei Normal University, located in Hefei
• Wannan Medical College, located in Wuhu City
• Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei
• Beihang University (BUAA) - Hefei Campus
• Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) - Hefei Campus
• Tianjin University (TJU) - Hefei Graduate School
• Peking University (PKU) - Hefei Graduate School
• Tsinghua University (THU) - Hefei Institute of Public Safety Research

Military universities

• National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) - Hefei Campus
• PLA Artillery University
• PLA Armoured Force University
• PLA Vehicle University
• PLA Air Force Flight Academy(13th)
• Armed Police Command College(Hefei)

Tourism

Anhui has many beautiful places to visit. Some of the most famous spots are the ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun, which are World Heritage Sites. Other popular places include Chao Lake, Mount Huangshan (also a World Heritage Site), and Taiji Cave, the longest karst cave in East China. There are also many scenic mountains and historic sites to explore.

France worked with the Anhui Provincial Tourism Bureau to help develop rural tourism projects.

Notable people

Anhui has been home to many talented people. Some famous people from Anhui include Xia Jun, an economist, telecom researcher, and university professor. Other well-known people are Qiu Jianliang and Fang Bian, both professional kickboxers. There is also Ouyang Feng, a sanshou fighter and professional kickboxer. The province has produced Yang Rong, an automotive tycoon, and Deng Linlin, an artistic gymnast.