Hefei

The capital of Anhui province, an important railway hub and scientific research base of China, the old haunt of the 3 Kingdoms, the birthplace of Baozheng (an official of Song dynasty famous for his integrity and rectitude)

Population
692,400 (1989 est.)

Area: 7,266 sq km

Location
In the center of Anhui Province, 130 km west of Nanjing.

Neighboring Areas: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Henan, and Shandong provinces

History
The name Hefei was first given to a county set up under the Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC. Because of its location on a mountain saddle between northern and southern states, Hefei was frequently fought over in the 4th to 11th centuries AD, and changed hands several times.

Hefei was a quiet market center at the time of Liberation in 1949, serving as a collection center for grain, beans, cotton, and hemp. Since then, it was made the capital of Anhui province, and it has become an industrial center through the development of a cotton mill, a thermal generating plant, chemical plants, an iron and steel complex, and an aluminum industry.

Culture
One of the cultural highlights of Hefei is a temple dedicated to the memory of Magistrate Bao, a revered nobleman of the Song dynasty (999-1062).

Hefei is the home of one of the "big eight" universities in China.

Climate subtropical humid monsoon climate with frost-free period of 245 days, 4 seasons clearly

Average Temperature: 15.7C annually

Rainfall: annual precipitation of 1000 mm

Rivers: the Cao Lake - one of the 5 famous fresh-water lakes in China, Feihe River - a branch of Huaihe River, Sili River; Ershili River and Banqian River

Food
Local specialties are freshwater crabs, cured Mandarin fish, and stewed turtle.

Folklore
After a battle that took place at what is now Carefree Ferry Crossing Park in Hefei, legend has it that the leader of the defeated army fled the scene by leaping across the river on his horse.