Land and Geography

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Anhui is one of China’s smallest province, only measuring about 54000 square miles in size. Although it is relatively small, the province of Anhui has very diverse areas. In the North China Plain there is flat land. To the south the Huangshan Mountain range create boarders with neighboring countries. Although the province is land-locked, a series of waterways and two major rivers, the Yangtze River and the Huai He, run through the entire province. The Yangtze River runs through the southern portion of the province while the Huai He travels through the north.

The northern section of the land is mainly plains. These plains are all part of the North China Plain. This area is a flat area that is constantly flooded by the rivers. The northern soil is mainly calcareous or chalky soil. The soil forms mineral masses under the ground level caused by floods.

The middle region has earthy soil. The soil is called odorized or leached. It is red and erodes easily. This soil is necessary to grow tea.

The southern area is less even than the north flatlands. The Huangshan Mountains are located in the southeast area. The range’s highest point is Lotus Peak. The southern area also has a region called the Yangtze plain. The plain has canals that are used for transportation and farming but can cause heavy flooding when the lakes combine with the canals. In the southern area, the soil is alluvium and rice paddy soil. It is slightly acidic and used to grow rice.

The two massive rivers create several benefits and problems for the land. First, the rivers bring in rich silt and minerals to the soil. However, the weight of the silt is causing the land to slowly sink. The rivers also provide water for the farmers to irrigate crops. But, the rivers also may flood and destroy farms on the land. In response to this problem, the first large-scale water conservation plan by the Peoples Republic of China has been used to stop the river. There has not been a major flood since 1956.

Most of the country was originally wooded area and forests. There are still bamboo groves around many of the temples and shrines. But, due to heavy deforestation in the eighteenth century, the land is mostly farmland. This has become a very serious problem for the wild life. The Yangtze Crocodile, an endangered species, is withering away in the river area. This has led the government to restrict forest destruction since the 1950s.

People and Culture

Anhui is one of the heaviest populated provinces in China with a population of about 59.86 million people. The densest populated areas include areas on the bank of the Huai and the diked areas of the Yangtze. The largest city is the capital, Hefei that has a population of 770,000 people. Some other large cities include Bengbu, Wuhu, Huainan, and Maanshan. There is very little separate area between farms and the cities. Since 1945, industrialization has caused a boost in city populations and formed new cities.

The majority of the population in Anhui is about 99% Han and approximately 1% Hui and She. Mainly in the north, Mandarin Chinese is spoken. There are several different dialects that are used depending on neighboring provinces. In the south, the people speak non-Mandarin Chinese such as Hui and Gan.

The Food in Anhui is a mix of seafood, wild game, and herbs. The style known today is a combination of north, south, and mid area cooking styles.

Retaining to old traditions, Anhui is a supplier of traditional calligraphy products. The area is known for the Xuan paper and Hui ink which are considered the finest in the calligraphy area. Also, the She Ink stone from the She County is the most preferred stone for calligraphy. The She Stones were traded as long ago as the Song dynasty in 1127 C.E.

In addition, the landscapes have been a major cultural subject. Mount Huangshan was the scene for many traditional Chinese paintings and poetry. Also, the Mount Jiuhua is a major Buddhist area with many shrines and temples devoted to Ksitigarbha, the lord of Hell in the Buddhist religion.

Tourism

There are several tourist attractions in Anhui. First are the various famous mountains used in ancient Chinese paintings and poems. Then, there is the Anhui Research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction. This center has over 10,000 alligators living in it. Also, it is the only place where you can eat a Yangtze Alligator in the world.

History

The history of Anhui can been traced as far back as 722 B.C.E. as part of the Wan Dynasty, which is still used in the name of the area south of the Yangtze. It was later taken in by the Wu and Chu dynasty during the warring states period. Then divided by the Qin Dynasty. In 1662, the Ming dynasty created the modern province. Then it was given the name Anhui meaning “peaceful and honorable” from the first character of two of its main cities: Anqing, the first capital; and Huizhou, a wealthy merchant city.

In 1860, the province was opened to trade, but Wuhu, one of the largest ports, was not open to international trade until 1877. In 1938, the Japanese began to invade the province, so the nationalist army destroyed the dikes and changed the Huang Ho to flow south. This caused a massive flood that killed over 900,000 people. Later in World War II, the Japanese captured the province.

From 1949 to 1952, the province was then again split into two regions. The communist party controlled the north, and the nationalists took the south. In 1952, the People’s Liberation Army crossed the Yangtze and created the South Anhui Administrative District. After the Cultural Revolution, the Provincial Revolutionary committee was put in charge. The province supported many communist programs, but since the late 1970s has been the base for moderate reforms.

Economy and Agriculture

Before the 1949, Anhui was considered one of the poorest areas in all of China. During the 1950s industrialism and new technology in farming was able to boost the economy. The amount of investments in the country has grown in huge access. In 1987, the province only gained 3 million U.S. dollars in investments, compared to more than one hundred times that amount was gained in 1994 where it brought in 370 million dollars.

The economy has two main areas, agriculture and industry. The agriculture of the province includes wheat in the north and rice in the south. Also, Anhui is a major soybean producer as well as tea vegetable oil seeds, cotton, tea and tobacco. Anhui is famous for its Keemun black tea since the seventh century. In the 1950s, the Mulberry trees, that were previously destroyed to take away the rebel hiding places in the revolution, were replaced. This allowed the growth of silk worms to help bring in silk.

The main industry of Anhui is raw minerals. One of China’s oldest coalmines, which were started in the 1920s, in Huai-nan is in Anhui. Another coal mine is Huai-pei, which was opened in the 1960s. The coal is important for heating China during the winter season. Also, Anhui has one of the oldest copper mine started in the Tang period.

Government and Social Areas

After the Cultural Revolution ended, the People’s government replaced the provincial revolutionary committee, which is a branch of the People’s Congress. Anhui is divided into 17 prefecture-level divisions. Then the divisions are further divided into 105 counties. Then the counties are split into 1845 townships.

In the society, the government is working on education. Since 1928, the national government has created education systems. In 1949, the government decided to try to wipe out illiteracy. This led the government to institute primary and middle schools in the areas. Later, specialty schools like the Ta-pien Mountain School teaches sericulture. Now there are 30 colleges and universities in the province. However, only 2/3 of the adult population is literate.

Questions

1. The original capital of Anhui was

A. Hefei

B. Huizhou

C. Wuhu

D. Anqing

2. The major crop in the North China Plain is

A. Soybean

B. Tea

C. Wheat

D. Rice

Special Focus: The Yangtze Alligators

In China, there are several endangered species. One of the most endangered is the Yangtze Alligator. This alligator can grow to be three to six feet in length and can live up to 50 to 80 years old. It lives mainly in the Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. They live in groups of around two to five alligators along the Yangtze River and in the Yangtze River valley, and it feeds on the small fish and reptiles in the river. An average female alligator can lay up to 25 eggs at once.

In the 1960s, around 3,000 alligators were found to live in the wild. However, the most recent survey only showed 143 alligators located on the river in the wild. Xie Wan-Shu, the director of the Anhui research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction, believes that the alligators are not dying due to the pollution in the river caused by factories, but by the loss of habitat. The Alligators first lived in the Yangtze River valley, but due to industrialization and the need for more land, the alligators’ habitat is shrinking. He also says, that the river is moving fast enough that the pollution in the river is harmlessly flushed out of the system. It is estimated that the Alligators will disappear from the wild in the next ten years based on the decrease in population. Although the wild population is dwindling, the government is investing to keep the alligator from disapearing altogether.

To save the alligators, the government has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to keep the species from going extinct. The government banded the destruction of forestland to protect the habitat and there are over 799 nature reserved dedicated to saving endangered animals. In addition, the Anhui government started the Anhui Research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction and funds the center with around 145,000 US dollars a year. This center specializes in the artificial breeding of the alligators. It started with only 140 alligators, but today it has an estimate of 10,000 alligators. An estimated 1,500 alligators are born each year at the center.

Outlook

Anhui is a well diverse area where the people are a different as the different areas. The mountains and plains contrast each other and add to the splendid Chinese culture. The people add to the diversity with different dialects and customs. In the next ten years, the economy will continue to grow with the expansion of the industries, and Anhui will continue to be a culturally unique and important province of China.

Summary

安徽很漂亮。 我没去过安徽。

Bibliography

"Anhwei." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 18 Apr. 2006 http://search.eb.com/eb/article-71166.

“Anhui.” Encyclopedia of Asian History. 4 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1988. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/

"Anhui." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 19 Apr. 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org.

Foreign Direct And Other Investments Inflows Chinese Domestic Economy, 1987-1997 , Issued By: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development , Publication Date: 1999

Population Situation." Unescape. Anhui. 19 Apr. 2006 http://www.unescap.org

Tremblay, Jean-Francois. "Finding the Yangtze Alligators." Chemical &Engineering News 13 Apr 2004. 19 Apr 2006 http://pubs.acs.org/.

"Wild Yangtze Alligator Population in China Diminishes." People's Daily. 13 Sep. 2001. Life. 19 Apr. 2006 http://english.peopledaily.com.cn.

Travel and Culture

欢迎你们到安徽省来。你们知道吗? 鳄鱼是安徽省的象征。中国大部分的鳄鱼都在安徽省。安徽是一个好地方！安徽的天气很好！ 安徽的天气属于热带气候。 不太热又不太冷。十月和十一月是旅游的最好季节。因为这两个月的天气很好。安徽的风景很漂亮。安徽最有名的地方话是 “吃了吗？ 你很饿吗“？安徽的饭菜也很好吃。安徽人喜欢吃海鲜。所以安徽的海鲜也很有名。安徽的茶叶也很有名。安徽的书法也很有名。他们的笔墨纸砚也是全国瞩目的。很多安徽老人都会画中国画。很多中国画家都喜欢画安徽的山。你喜欢爬山吗? 好！你就到安徽来爬爬安徽的山。你一定会很喜欢的。

Anhui means peaceful and honorable; however there is a creature lurking in the Yangtze River of the small inland province that is not so. The Chinese name in English translates to evil fish; they are the Yangtze alligators. Although though they can be considered evil, they are really the ones being harmed. Their numbers are dwindling in their natural habitat of the river that cuts through the mountainous region in the south of Anhui, located only 2 hours by flight from beijing,

Anhui southern area is a sub-tropic region and the north is a warm moist area. The temperatures average a balmy 57-65 degrees. The four seasons are very clear, so September-November is a perfect time to visit, right after the Olympics.

Anhui’s history dates back all the way to the Wan Dynasty in 722 B.C.E. During the Ming Dynasty in the 1660s it was given the name Anhui meaning “peaceful and honorable” from the first character of two of its main cities: Anqing, the first capital; and Huizhou, a wealthy merchant city.

The food is a mixture of wild game and seafood due to its diverse area. The herbs from the surrounding area garnish and add a special flavor to the food. Anhui de fan shi (traditional) zhong guo fan. One famous dish is steamed soft shell turtle with ham. YUM! For you Japanese: “Oishe, ne?” Anhui farmers grow the famous Keemun Black tea in the read rich eroding soil.

Anhui is famous for the best supplies in the world. The famous Xuan Paper and Hui Ink are traditionally considered the best types of paper and ink for centuries. The She Ink stones are also carved here and are considered by all calligraphers as the crown jewel of ink stones. Mount Jiuhua, Tianzhu and Huangshun are all very famous mountains for locations of Buddhist temples and scenic ventures. ? Mount Huangshun and Tianzhu are both known for their preserved ming and qing dynasty villages. Take a step back in time and experience what life was like in an ancient kingdom in one of the world’s Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites!

Another must see cultural site is the Memorial to Lord Bao (999-1062 C.ELord Bao symbolized justice and ancient wisdom as a chief advisor to the emperor, who dedicated this massive temple and garden to him with an inscription of his entire life in detail. Next to his large statue is a set of torture tools representing justice in Chinese culture.

The Yangtze alligators’ numbers are around 400 left in the wild. But the Chinese government has stepped in to try to help them. The only preserve for the alligators in the world is in Anhui. There they successfully bread hundreds in captivity every year. There are now over 10,000 in captivity. Come see the mysterious creature before they disappear forever. There are enough in captivity that you can even buy one to eat! Be one of the first on your block to chow down on some endangered alligator!