Anhui

Anhui is an inland province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province lies across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, and it borders several other provinces: Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei and Henan to the west, and Shandong to the north. With a population of 61 million, Anhui is the 9th most populous province in China.

The name "Anhui" comes from two old cities: Anqing and Huizhou, which is now part of Huangshan City. People in Anhui mainly speak languages such as Lower Yangtze Mandarin, Wu, Hui, Gan, and a bit of Central Plains Mandarin. The government of Anhui helps manage its many cities, counties, and townships, making sure everything runs smoothly for the people who live there.

History

Anhui was established in 1667 during the reign of the Qing dynasty's Kangxi Emperor. The province's nickname, "Wan," comes from an ancient small state in the region. Evidence shows humans lived in Anhui as long as 20,000 years ago, with discoveries from the Neolithic period.

Throughout history, Anhui has been part of many different Chinese dynasties. During the Three Kingdoms era, it was controlled by different kingdoms. By the Song dynasty, the area's economy and culture grew strongly. In the 20th century, Anhui was an important place for new ideas and leaders, including some who helped form 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 that has many different landscapes. The northern part is flat and belongs to the North China Plain, while the central area is part of the Huai River watershed. Further south, the land becomes hilly and includes the Dabie Mountains in the southwest and several ranges in the southeast. 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, covering around 800 km². Anhui's climate changes from north to south, with the north experiencing more distinct seasons. The main cities include Hefei, Wuhu, and Anqing.

Ecology

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

The province also has the Chinese alligator, a small crocodile that is in big trouble and needs protection. This animal used to live 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 prefecture-level cities. These cities are further divided into 104 county-level divisions, which include districts, county-level cities, and counties. Finally, these areas are split into 1,512 township-level divisions, consisting of towns, townships, ethnic townships, and subdistricts.

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 dual party-government system, similar to other areas in mainland China. The Governor of Anhui is the top official in the provincial government, but the real power lies with the Anhui Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary.

Most government offices, including the Governor's office, are located at No.1 Zhongshan Road in Hefei, having moved there in 2016. The provincial government oversees many cities, counties, and townships across Anhui. Important meetings of the provincial congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are held each year, usually in the first or fourth quarter.

Economy

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

Anhui is home to important companies such as the automobile maker Chery based in Wuhu. While it has developed well, Anhui's economy has grown more slowly than its neighbors like Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Much of the province's industry is centered around areas close to the Yangtze River, including cities like Hefei, Wuhu, and Ma'anshan. These areas have many factories that make things like home appliances.

Transportation

Anhui has improved its transportation over the years. The first bridge across the Yangtze River in Anhui, the Tongling Yangtze River Bridge, was finished in 1995. Today, Anhui has four bridges across the Yangtze River, located in Ma'anshan, Wuhu, Tongling, and Anqing.

The province now has a good railway network with high-speed trains connecting most cities. Hefei South railway station is the main hub for these trains. There are also plans for many new highways, including major expressways like the G3 Beijing-Taipei Expressway, G40 Shanghai-Xi'an Expressway, and G42 Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway. Hefei and Wuhu have subway systems, with many lines being built or planned. The Hefei Metro already has two lines in use. The Wuhu Metro is also growing. Anhui has five major airports, with Hefei Xinqiao and Huangshan being international airports. The operating airports include Hefei Xinqiao International Airport, Huangshan Tunxi International Airport, Fuyang Xiguan Airport, Anqing Tianzhushan Airport, and Chizhou Jiuhuashan Airport.

Demographics

Han Chinese make up most of the people in Anhui. There are also two big groups called the Huizhou Chinese-speaking Hui and the She, who are smaller parts of the population, known as minorities.

Anhui has more boys than girls in some age groups. For example, in children aged 1 to 4, there are about 138 boys for every 100 girls. The main religions in Anhui include Christianity, Chinese ancestral religion, and Islam. Most people, however, follow a mix of Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions, and Chinese Buddhism, or have no specific religion.

Culture

Anhui is a place where many different cultures meet. In the north, near the Huai River, people speak kinds of Mandarin that are 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 is home to several well-regarded universities, with many located in cities such as Hefei, Wuhu, Bengbu, and Maanshan. Hefei stands out as a major research hub in China, known for its strong focus on basic scientific studies.

Public universities

• University of Science & Technology of China, one of China's top universities and a world-renowned research institution.
• Hefei University of Technology, a well-known engineering school in China.
• Anhui University, a key 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.

In 2008, France worked with the Anhui Provincial Tourism Bureau to help develop rural tourism projects.

Notable people

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