Anhui Province

With a population of over 59 million, Anhui is an inland province in southeast China that stretches over the Yangtze and Huai rivers. Anhui is adjacent to six provinces: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Henan and Shandong. One of the province’s main attractions is its capital, Hefei City, which has a 2,000-year-old history. The abbreviation for Anhui is "Wan", because there were historically a State of Wan, a Mount Wan, and a Wan river in the province.

Covering an area of 130,000 square kilometers, Anhui boasts abundant tourist resources and is a top tourist attraction among many provinces in the southeast. Some sites include Amazing Mount Huangshan, which is famous for its towering pines, precipitous stones, wonderland "cloud sea" and hot springs; Mount Jiu Hua Shan, one of the four famous Buddhist Mountains in China; and Mount Tian Zhu, also a well-known scenic spot. The magnificence of these peaks is stupendous. Standing on top of any one of these peaks would overwhelm even the most intrepid hikers. Another important, unique and meaningful attraction is the cluster of well-preserved ancient villages from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) in Yixian County and Shexian County. The most impressive ones are in Xidi and Hongcun in Yixian County, Tangyue Memorial Archways and Xuguo Archway in Shexian County. They are really sights worth seeing and musts for visitors who are keen to learn more about the architecture and life during those years.

Anhui intrigues and astonishes tourists with its marvelous scenery and centuries-old cultural relics. The province's annual average temperature ranges between 14C and 17C. The best time to visit the scenic areas is during autumn (September, October and November) and spring (April, May and June). However, the snow-covered landscapes of Huangshan during the winter are also breathtaking.

Anhui is also well known for its various craftworks, such as rice paper, ink stone and Chinese ink. Together, they form the precious Chinese four treasures of literary pursuits.

Provincial capital: Hefei

Major Cities: Huangshan; Wuhu; Bengbu; Tongling; Ma'anshan

cultural and historical city: Bozhou; Shouxian

Ethnic groups: Han, Hui, and She

Tourism: Anhui has abundant tourism resources, featuring many well-known natural scenic spots well-preserved cultural relics. Currently, there are five state-level scenic areas, including Mount Huangshan, Mount Jiuhua, Mount Tianzhu, Mount Langya and Mount Qiyun, three national nature reserves, 23 national forest parks and three state-level historical and cultural cities in Haozhou, Shouxian and Yixian counties. Spots of historical interest under state protection include: Ruins of Zhongdu and the Ming Emperor Tomb in Fengyang, the Site of Hexian Man, the Xuguo Arch Gate in Yixian, and the Huaxi Theatre in Bozhou. In 1999, Mount Huangshan won the International Award for Protection and Management of Cultural Scenic Spots and Mount Jiuhua was named a national model scenic spot by the Ministry of Construction. Previously, in 1998, Hefei, Huangshan, Bozhou were in the first group of Chinese cities to be awarded as excellent tourism cities.

Culture:
Huangmei Opera (Huangmeixi), which originated in the environs of Anqing in southwestern Anhui, is a form of traditional Chinese opera popular across China. Huiju, a form of traditional opera originating in the Huizhou-speaking areas of southern Anhui, is one of the major precursors of Beijing Opera; in the 1950s Huiju (which had disappeared) was revived. Luju is a type of traditional opera found across central Anhui, from east to west.

Anhui has a high concentration of traditional products related to calligraphy: Xuanzhou (today Xuancheng) and Huizhou (today Huangshan City) are revered for producing Xuan Paper and Hui Ink, respectively, which are traditionally considered the best types of paper and ink for Chinese calligraphy. She County is famous for the She Inkstone, one of the most preferred types of inkstones (a required tool in traditional calligraphy).

Geography
Anhui is quite diverse topographically. The north of the province is part of the North China Plain while the north-central areas are part of the Huai He River watershed. Both of these regions are very flat and densely populated. The land becomes more uneven further south, with the Dabie Mountains occupying much of southwestern Anhui and a series of hills and ranges cutting through southeastern Anhui. The Yangtze River finds its way through south Anhui in between these two mountainous regions. The highest peak in Anhui is Lotus Peak, part of the Huangshan Mountains in southeastern Anhui. It has an altitude of 1873 m.

Major rivers include the Huai He in the north and the Yangtze in the south. The largest lake is Lake Chaohu in the center of the province, with an area of about 800 km². The southeastern part of the province near the Yangtze River has many lakes as well.

As with topography, the province differs in climate from north to south. The north is more temperate and has more clearcut seasons. January temperatures average at around -1 to 2°C north of the Huai He, and 0 to 3°C south of the Huai He; in July temperatures average 27°C or above. Plum rains occur in June and July and may cause flooding.

al resources and products, and possesses 64 million mu of farmland, 62 million mu of forest land and 8 million mu of aquatic farm. Many Anhui's agricultural products are famous both at home and abroad including: grapes, pears, pomegranates, green tea(Huang Shan), black tea (Keemum), crab, bull, Fuyang yellow cow, Dingyuan pig, silver fish (Chaohu lake) and white goose of Luan.

Industry: The major provincial minerals are coal and iron. The coal field extends from Guzhen in the east to Yingshang in the west and from Huainan in the south to Xisoxian in the north. This is a vast area and its reserves come out first in East China.