Hefei
Encyclopedia
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui
Province in Eastern China
. A prefecture-level city
, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui. Located in the central portion of the province, it borders Huainan
to the north, Chuzhou
to the northeast, Chaohu to the southeast and Lu'an
to the west.
Hefei has an area of 7,048 km² and, as of 2010 Census, a population of 5,702,466 inhabitants. Its built-up area ("metro") is home to 3,352,076 inhabitants encompassing all urban districts .
in the 2nd century BC. During the 4th to the 6th century AD, this crucial border region between northern and southern states was much fought over; its name and administrative status were consequently often changed. During the Sui
(581–618) and Tang
(618–907) periods, it became the seat of Lu prefecture — a title it kept until the 15th century, when it became a superior prefecture named Luzhou.
In 3rd century AD, the famous Three Kingdoms
battle, Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
, was fought at what is currently Xiaoyao Ford (逍遥津) in Hefei. General Zhang Liao
of the Kingdom of Wei commanding 800 picked cavalry defeated the 200,000-man army of the Kingdom of Wu. Several decades of warring in Hefei between Wu and Wei followed this battle.
The present city dates from the Song dynasty
(960–1126), the earlier Hefei having been some distance farther north. During the 10th century, it was for a while the capital of the independent Wu kingdom
(902–938) and was an important center of the Southern Tang
state (937–975).
After 1127 it became a center of the defenses of the Southern Song dynasty (1126–1279) against the Jin (Jurchen
) invaders, as well as a flourishing center of trade between the two states. When the Chinese Republic was founded in 1911, the superior prefecture was abolished, and the city took the name of Hefei. The city was known as Luchow or Liu-tcheou ' onMouseout='HidePop("49215")' href="/topics/Pinyin">p
Luzhou) during the Ming
and Qing
Dynasties (after 14th century to 19th century). Hefei was the temporary capital for Anhui from 1853 to 1862. It was renamed as Hefei County in 1912. Following the Chinese victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1945, Hefei was made the capital of Anhui.
Before World War II
, Hefei remained essentially an administrative center and the regional market for the fertile plain to the south. It was a collecting center for grain, beans, cotton, and hemp
, as well as a center for handicraft industries manufacturing cloth, leather, bamboo goods, and ironware.
The construction in 1912 of the Tianjin
–Pukou railway, farther east, for a while made Hefei a provincial backwater, and much of its importance passed to Bengbu
. In 1932–36, however, a Chinese company built a railway linking Hefei with Yuxikou (on the Yangtze opposite Wuhu) to the southeast and with the Huai River
at Huainan
to the north. While this railway was built primarily to exploit the rich coal
field in northern Anhui, it also did much to revive the economy of the Hefei area by taking much of its produce to Wuhu and Nanjing.
Although Hefei was a quiet market town of only about 30,000 in the mid-1930s, its population grew more than tenfold in the following 20 years. The city's administrative role was strengthened by the transfer of the provincial government from Anqing
in 1949, but much of its new growth derived from its development as an industrial city. A cotton mill
was opened in 1958, and a thermal generating plant, using coal from Huainan, was established in the early 1950s. It also became the seat of an industry producing industrial chemicals and chemical fertilizer
s. In the late 1950s an iron and steel complex was built. In addition to a machine-tool works and engineering and agricultural machinery factories, the city has developed an aluminum industry and a variety of light industries. There are several universities based in the city.
. Chaohu Lake, a lake 15 km (9 mi) southeast of the city, is one of the largest fresh water
lakes in China. However, the lake has unfortunately been polluted with nitrogen
and phosphorus
in recent decades.
(Koppen
Cfa) with four distinct seasons. Hefei's annual average temperature is 15.8 °C (60.4 °F). Its annual precipitation
is just under 1000 millimetres (39 in), being heavier from May through August. Winters are damp and cold, with January lows dipping just below freezing and a January average of 2.6 °C (36.7 °F). The city sees irregular snowfalls that rarely turn significant. Springs are generally relatively pleasant if somewhat erratic. Hefei’s summers are oppressively hot and humid, with a July average of 28.1 °C (82.6 °F). In the months of June, July, August, and often September, daily temperatures can reach or surpass 37 °C (99 °F) with high humidity levels being the norm. Fall in Hefei sees a gradual cooling and drying.
Usually in May and June, air quality in Hefei diminishes. The city is blanketed by a sweet-smelling smog caused by the smoke generated as farmers outside the city burn their fields in preparation for planting the next crop.
. There are a small number of Hui Chinese living in the city, which is why there are few mosques in the city. There are over five million people in the city, of which some are migrant workers from other parts of Anhui.
The prefecture-level city
of Hefei administers 7 county-level divisions, including 4 districts and 3 counties.
Before the Chinese civil war
Hefei was a town whose main industry was agriculture. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China
, the capital of Anhui was moved from Huaining to Hefei. To assist the development of the city, many talented people were sent in from other parts of the country. Modern-day Hefei has machinery, electronics, chemistry, steel, textile, and cigarette industries, among others.
Despite being the Provincial Capital of Anhui, Hefei still exudes an air of poverty. Migrants from all over Anhui converge on the city looking for opportunities which do not actually exist for many of them. This constant influx keeps wages low. However, new industrial development in special economic zones ringing the city has resulted in new manufacturing jobs for technical school and college graduates.
In the summer of 2005, the municipal government implemented changes designed to beautify
the city by demolishing thousands of illegally built structures, and clearing away long established marketplaces in many parts of the city. Overnight, longstanding businesses housed in flimsy structures that once lined many streets were gone. The impact on the local economy could be seen immediately as hundreds, if not thousands, of low paid workers no longer had employment.
On the other hand, these actions removed many unlicensed food stalls which had contributed to the spread of diseases that struck the city in the past. These changes also removed many unlicensed buildings that posed a fire hazard in the city. While it is undeniable that some people were forced to make sacrifices for the beautification of the city, the changes ensured that most of the residents in the city have a better environment.
Hefei has been identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit
in the November 2010 Access China White Paper as a member of the CHAMPS
(Chongqing
, Hefei, Anshan, Maanshan, Pingdingshan
and Shenyang
), an economic profile of the top 20 emerging cities in China.
Hefei has been the provincial capital since 1949 (before it was Anqing
) and is a natural center of transportation, being situated to the north of Lake Chao
and standing on a low saddle crossing the northeastern extension of the Dabie Mountains, which form the divide between the Huai
and Yangtze river
s. From Hefei there is easy water transport via the lake to the Yangtze River opposite Wuhu.
Important land routes run through Hefei — east-west from Pukou (opposite Nanjing
in Jiangsu
) to Xi'an
(in Shaanxi
) and north-south from Xuzhou
(in Jiangsu) and Bengbu
to Anqing
(both in Anhui).
There are also two train stations in Hefei, the new one was built a few years ago and the old one is no longer used by the public.
In 2008 the thoroughfare Chang Jiang Lu (Chang Jiang Road) (长江路) is undergoing a renovation project to widen the roads and to create a bus route in the center of the road, with bus stations at islands that are connected to the sidewalks by skyways. The First Ring Road is also undergoing construction, with traffic lights being replaced by overpasses and ramps built to connect the First Ring Road and all major intersecting roads. Both projects are intended to ease the traffic Hefei now experiences at rush hour.
Hefei Luogang International Airport
provides scheduled passenger service to major airports in China and some international cities as well. The domestic destinations include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Harbin, etc. The international destinations include Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei (Taoyuan International Airport and Songshan Airport), Seoul (Incheon International Airport) and Singapore (Changi International Airport). The new Hefei Xinqiao International Airport is currently under construction and supposed to start operation in May, 2012.
, and the National Laboratory for Nuclear Fusion (Tokamak) Research (磁约束核聚变国家实验室), under the Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences, Institute of Plasma Physics, which itself is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences
.
Hefei is the location of EAST
, an experimental superconducting tokamak
magnetic fusion energy reactor.
(安徽九方),who in the 2007-08 season were promoted from the Chinese Football Association Yi League
to the Chinese Football Association Jia League
which is the second highest tier of Chinese football.
with: Kurume, Japan (May 20, 1980) Freetown
, Sierra Leone (March 20, 1984) Bujumbura
, Burundi (July 7, 1986) Columbus, Ohio
, United States (November 17, 1988) Aalborg
, Denmark (April 22, 1989) Lleida
, Spain (April 4, 1998) Wonju
, South Korea (June 20, 2002) Darebin
, Australia (October 29, 2003) Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, United Kingdom (December 26, 2003)
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
Province in Eastern China
East China
East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include...
. A prefecture-level city
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui. Located in the central portion of the province, it borders Huainan
Huainan
Huainan is a prefecture-level city with 2,334,000 inhabitants in central Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu’an to the southwest, Fuyang to the west, Bozhou to the northwest, Bengbu to the northeast and Chuzhou to the east.Its...
to the north, Chuzhou
Chuzhou
Chuzhou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the southwest, Huainan to the west, Bengbu to the northwest, Chaohu to the south, and the province of Jiangsu to the east...
to the northeast, Chaohu to the southeast and Lu'an
Lu'an
Lu'an , is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, with a population of 5,612,590 inhabitants at 2010 census. Its built up area is home to 1,482,729 inhabitants spread out on 2 urban districts...
to the west.
Hefei has an area of 7,048 km² and, as of 2010 Census, a population of 5,702,466 inhabitants. Its built-up area ("metro") is home to 3,352,076 inhabitants encompassing all urban districts .
History
From the 8th to the 6th century BC, Hefei was the site of many small states , later a part of the Chu kingdom. Many archaeological finds dating from this period have been made. The name Hefei was first given to the county set up in the area under the Han dynastyHan Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
in the 2nd century BC. During the 4th to the 6th century AD, this crucial border region between northern and southern states was much fought over; its name and administrative status were consequently often changed. During the Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
(581–618) and Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907) periods, it became the seat of Lu prefecture — a title it kept until the 15th century, when it became a superior prefecture named Luzhou.
In 3rd century AD, the famous Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
battle, Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
The Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, also known as the Battle of Leisure Ford, Battle of Hefei, and Hefei Campaign, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Quan between 215 and 217 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history over the control of Hefei...
, was fought at what is currently Xiaoyao Ford (逍遥津) in Hefei. General Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's clan and the Wuhuan tribes...
of the Kingdom of Wei commanding 800 picked cavalry defeated the 200,000-man army of the Kingdom of Wu. Several decades of warring in Hefei between Wu and Wei followed this battle.
The present city dates from the Song dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960–1126), the earlier Hefei having been some distance farther north. During the 10th century, it was for a while the capital of the independent Wu kingdom
Wu (Ten Kingdoms)
Wu , also referred to as Huainan , Hongnong , Southern Wu , or Yang Wu , was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China which was in existence between the years of 907 and 937. Its capital was Jiangdu Municipality...
(902–938) and was an important center of the Southern Tang
Southern Tang
Southern Tang was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-975. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian deposed the emperor Yang Pu....
state (937–975).
After 1127 it became a center of the defenses of the Southern Song dynasty (1126–1279) against the Jin (Jurchen
Jurchens
The Jurchens were a Tungusic people who inhabited the region of Manchuria until the 17th century, when they adopted the name Manchu...
) invaders, as well as a flourishing center of trade between the two states. When the Chinese Republic was founded in 1911, the superior prefecture was abolished, and the city took the name of Hefei. The city was known as Luchow or Liu-tcheou ' onMouseout='HidePop("49215")' href="/topics/Pinyin">p
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
Luzhou) during the Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
Dynasties (after 14th century to 19th century). Hefei was the temporary capital for Anhui from 1853 to 1862. It was renamed as Hefei County in 1912. Following the Chinese victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1945, Hefei was made the capital of Anhui.
Before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hefei remained essentially an administrative center and the regional market for the fertile plain to the south. It was a collecting center for grain, beans, cotton, and hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
, as well as a center for handicraft industries manufacturing cloth, leather, bamboo goods, and ironware.
The construction in 1912 of the Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
–Pukou railway, farther east, for a while made Hefei a provincial backwater, and much of its importance passed to Bengbu
Bengbu
Bengbu , formerly known as P'engpu and Peng-pu, is a prefecture-level city with a population of 3,164,467 at the last census in northern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China...
. In 1932–36, however, a Chinese company built a railway linking Hefei with Yuxikou (on the Yangtze opposite Wuhu) to the southeast and with the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
at Huainan
Huainan
Huainan is a prefecture-level city with 2,334,000 inhabitants in central Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu’an to the southwest, Fuyang to the west, Bozhou to the northwest, Bengbu to the northeast and Chuzhou to the east.Its...
to the north. While this railway was built primarily to exploit the rich coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
field in northern Anhui, it also did much to revive the economy of the Hefei area by taking much of its produce to Wuhu and Nanjing.
Although Hefei was a quiet market town of only about 30,000 in the mid-1930s, its population grew more than tenfold in the following 20 years. The city's administrative role was strengthened by the transfer of the provincial government from Anqing
Anqing
Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....
in 1949, but much of its new growth derived from its development as an industrial city. A cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
was opened in 1958, and a thermal generating plant, using coal from Huainan, was established in the early 1950s. It also became the seat of an industry producing industrial chemicals and chemical fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s. In the late 1950s an iron and steel complex was built. In addition to a machine-tool works and engineering and agricultural machinery factories, the city has developed an aluminum industry and a variety of light industries. There are several universities based in the city.
Geography
Hefei is located 130 kilometres (81 mi) west of NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. Chaohu Lake, a lake 15 km (9 mi) southeast of the city, is one of the largest fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
lakes in China. However, the lake has unfortunately been polluted with nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
and phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
in recent decades.
Climate
Hefei features a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa) with four distinct seasons. Hefei's annual average temperature is 15.8 °C (60.4 °F). Its annual precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is just under 1000 millimetres (39 in), being heavier from May through August. Winters are damp and cold, with January lows dipping just below freezing and a January average of 2.6 °C (36.7 °F). The city sees irregular snowfalls that rarely turn significant. Springs are generally relatively pleasant if somewhat erratic. Hefei’s summers are oppressively hot and humid, with a July average of 28.1 °C (82.6 °F). In the months of June, July, August, and often September, daily temperatures can reach or surpass 37 °C (99 °F) with high humidity levels being the norm. Fall in Hefei sees a gradual cooling and drying.
Usually in May and June, air quality in Hefei diminishes. The city is blanketed by a sweet-smelling smog caused by the smoke generated as farmers outside the city burn their fields in preparation for planting the next crop.
Demographics
The majority of the population in Hefei is Han ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
. There are a small number of Hui Chinese living in the city, which is why there are few mosques in the city. There are over five million people in the city, of which some are migrant workers from other parts of Anhui.
Administration
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
of Hefei administers 7 county-level divisions, including 4 districts and 3 counties.
- ■ Yaohai-quYaohai DistrictYaohai District is a district of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Hefei city. The district has a surface of 142.9 km² and a population of 902,830 inhabitants.-External links:*...
(瑶海区) - ■ Luyang-quLuyang DistrictLuyang District is a district under the administration of Hefei city in Anhui Province， People's Republic of China. It makes up the main part of the old city area of Hefei...
(庐阳区) - ■ Shushan-quShushan DistrictShushan District is a district of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Hefei city. The district has a surface of 261.36 km² and a population of 1,022,321 inhabitants.-References:...
(蜀山区) - ■ Baohe-quBaohe DistrictBaohe District is a district of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Hefei city. The district has a surface of 294.94 km² and a population of 817,686 inhabitants.-References:...
(包河区) - ■ Changfeng-xianChangfeng CountyChangfeng County is a county in Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, under the administration of Hefei city. The county has a surface of 1,922.24 km² and a population of 629,535 inhabitants.-References:...
(长丰县) - ■ Feidong-xianFeidong CountyFeidong County is a county to the east of Hefei, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. The county has a surface of 2,215.53 km² and a population of 861,960 inhabitants.-Notable people:...
(肥东县) - ■ Feixi-xianFeixi CountyFeixi County is a county of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Hefei city. The county has a surface of 2,053.19 km² and a population of 858,895 inhabitants.-References:...
(肥西县)
| Location | Area | Population | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaohai District | 142.90 | 902,830 | 6,317 |
| Luyang District | 139.32 | 609,239 | 4,373 |
| Shushan District | 261.36 | 1,022,321 | 3,912 |
| Baohe District | 294.94 | 817,686 | 2,772 |
| Built up area | 838.5 | 3,352,076 | 3,998 |
| Changfeng County | 1,922.24 | 629,535 | 328 |
| Feidong County | 2,215.53 | 861,960 | 389 |
| Feixi County | 2,053.19 | 858,895 | 418 |
| Hefei | 7,029.48 | 5,702,466 | 811 |
Gallery
Economy
The GDP per capita was ¥41,543 (ca. US$6,082) in 2009.Before the Chinese civil war
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
Hefei was a town whose main industry was agriculture. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the capital of Anhui was moved from Huaining to Hefei. To assist the development of the city, many talented people were sent in from other parts of the country. Modern-day Hefei has machinery, electronics, chemistry, steel, textile, and cigarette industries, among others.
Despite being the Provincial Capital of Anhui, Hefei still exudes an air of poverty. Migrants from all over Anhui converge on the city looking for opportunities which do not actually exist for many of them. This constant influx keeps wages low. However, new industrial development in special economic zones ringing the city has resulted in new manufacturing jobs for technical school and college graduates.
In the summer of 2005, the municipal government implemented changes designed to beautify
Beautification
Beautification is the process of making visual improvements to a person, place or thing. With regard to a town, city or to an urban area, this most often involves planting trees, shrubbery, and other greenery, but frequently also includes adding decorative or historic-style street lights and other...
the city by demolishing thousands of illegally built structures, and clearing away long established marketplaces in many parts of the city. Overnight, longstanding businesses housed in flimsy structures that once lined many streets were gone. The impact on the local economy could be seen immediately as hundreds, if not thousands, of low paid workers no longer had employment.
On the other hand, these actions removed many unlicensed food stalls which had contributed to the spread of diseases that struck the city in the past. These changes also removed many unlicensed buildings that posed a fire hazard in the city. While it is undeniable that some people were forced to make sacrifices for the beautification of the city, the changes ensured that most of the residents in the city have a better environment.
Hefei has been identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit
Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist Intelligence Unit is part of the Economist Group.It is a research and advisory company providing country, industry and management analysis worldwide and incorporates the former Business International Corporation, a U.S. company acquired by the parent organization in 1986...
in the November 2010 Access China White Paper as a member of the CHAMPS
CHAMPS
CHAMPS is an acronym that represents the top 20 emerging cities in China. It was coined in October 2010 by Stephen Joske, Director, China Forecasting, for the Economist Intelligence Unit...
(Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Hefei, Anshan, Maanshan, Pingdingshan
Pingdingshan
Pingdingshan , also known as the Eagle City, with approximately 5.2 million inhabitants is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province, People's Republic of China.-Geography:...
and Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
), an economic profile of the top 20 emerging cities in China.
Transportation
Anqing
Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....
) and is a natural center of transportation, being situated to the north of Lake Chao
Lake Chao
Chao Lake, or Chao Hu, , is a lake located at the juncture of Chaohu and Hefei cities in Anhui Province, China. It is the largest lake in Anhui and one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. Laoshan Island is situated within the lake. About 5 million people live near the lake, and use it...
and standing on a low saddle crossing the northeastern extension of the Dabie Mountains, which form the divide between the Huai
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
and Yangtze river
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
s. From Hefei there is easy water transport via the lake to the Yangtze River opposite Wuhu.
Important land routes run through Hefei — east-west from Pukou (opposite Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
in Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) to Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
(in Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
) and north-south from Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
(in Jiangsu) and Bengbu
Bengbu
Bengbu , formerly known as P'engpu and Peng-pu, is a prefecture-level city with a population of 3,164,467 at the last census in northern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China...
to Anqing
Anqing
Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....
(both in Anhui).
There are also two train stations in Hefei, the new one was built a few years ago and the old one is no longer used by the public.
In 2008 the thoroughfare Chang Jiang Lu (Chang Jiang Road) (长江路) is undergoing a renovation project to widen the roads and to create a bus route in the center of the road, with bus stations at islands that are connected to the sidewalks by skyways. The First Ring Road is also undergoing construction, with traffic lights being replaced by overpasses and ramps built to connect the First Ring Road and all major intersecting roads. Both projects are intended to ease the traffic Hefei now experiences at rush hour.
Hefei Luogang International Airport
Hefei Luogang International Airport
Hefei Luogang International Airport is the main airport serving Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, China. The airport was built in 1977 and now a new airport, Hefei Xinqiao International Airport, is being built in Feixi County and will replace Luogang as Hefei's main airport when...
provides scheduled passenger service to major airports in China and some international cities as well. The domestic destinations include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Harbin, etc. The international destinations include Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei (Taoyuan International Airport and Songshan Airport), Seoul (Incheon International Airport) and Singapore (Changi International Airport). The new Hefei Xinqiao International Airport is currently under construction and supposed to start operation in May, 2012.
- China National Highway 312China National Highway 312China National Highway 312 , also referred to as Route 312 or The Mother Road, is an important highway that runs east-west across the breadth of People's Republic of China. It begins at the port city Shanghai and ends at Khorgas in the Ili River valley, on the border with Kazakhstan. In total it...
Subway
The plan of "Hefei Subway line 1" has been recently approved by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in July,2010. Hefei Subway will be a rapid transit rail network that serves both urban and rural areas of Hefei Municipality. As planned,it will cover a total distance of 24 kilometers starting from Hefei Railway Station. It is currently under construction and is expected to be finished by the end of 2014.Bus Rapid Transit
There are two major lines of BRT in Hefei.The 1st line ranges from the square of municipal government to the Binhu New Area(simplified Chinese:"滨湖新区"）.It connects the old urban district to the Binhu New Area.Research
Hefei plays an important role in scientific research in China. It has three national laboratories, second only to Beijing:The National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (国家同步辐射实验室), the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale (微尺度物质科学国家实验室), both of which are under the University of Science and Technology of ChinaUniversity of Science and Technology of China
The University of Science and Technology of China is a national research university in Hefei, People's Republic of China. It is a member of the C9 League formed by nine top universities in China...
, and the National Laboratory for Nuclear Fusion (Tokamak) Research (磁约束核聚变国家实验室), under the Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences, Institute of Plasma Physics, which itself is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
.
Hefei is the location of EAST
EAST
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak is an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, in eastern China. The experiment is being conducted by the Hefei-based Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of...
, an experimental superconducting tokamak
Tokamak
A tokamak is a device using a magnetic field to confine a plasma in the shape of a torus . Achieving a stable plasma equilibrium requires magnetic field lines that move around the torus in a helical shape...
magnetic fusion energy reactor.
Universities
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaThe University of Science and Technology of China is a national research university in Hefei, People's Republic of China. It is a member of the C9 League formed by nine top universities in China...
(USTC) (中国科学技术大学) - Hefei University of TechnologyHefei University of TechnologyHefei University of Technology , formerly translated as Hefei Polytechnic University, is a major university in China, with particular strength in engineering. The university is a member of Project 211 and is affiliated to the National Ministry of Education...
(HFUT) (合肥工业大学) - Anhui UniversityAnhui UniversityAnhui University is located in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, China. Founded in 1928 in Anqing, named 'National Anhui University' in 1946 and moved to Hefei in 1958, Anhui University is now supported by the government under Project 211. The university currently has approximately 27,000...
(AHU) (安徽大学) - Anhui Agricultural UniversityAnhui Agricultural UniversityAnhui Agricultural University is a Chinese institution of higher learning located in the urban area of Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui Province, China...
(AHAU) (安徽农业大学) - Anhui Medical UniversityAnhui Medical UniversityAnhui Medical University is a key national university in Hefei, Anhui province, China.-History:The university was originally established as the Shanghai Southeastern Medical College on May 29, 1926. It relocated from Shanghai to Hefei and was renamed Anhui Medical College in 1949...
(AHMU) (安徽医科大学) - Anhui University of Traditional Chinese MedicineAnhui University of Traditional Chinese MedicineAnhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a comprehensive public university based in Hefei, Anhui province, China. The university provides programmes in traditional Chinese medicine as well as in the fields of technology, engineering, management and economics.- History :The university...
(AHTCM) (安徽中医学院) - Anhui Institute of Architecture and Industry (AIAI) (安徽建筑工业学院)
- Hefei Normal UniversityHefei Normal UniversityHefei Normal University is located in the capital city of Anhui Province——Hefei, birthplace of Bao Zhen and one of the four national science and education base cities. Founded in 1955, HNU is a full-time normal undergraduate university under the supervision of Anhui Province.HNU attaches great...
(HNU) (合肥师范学院) - Hefei UniversityHefei University' is an institution of higher learning in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, the People's Republic of China. It was founded in 1980, after the merger of former Hefei Union University, Hefei Education College and Hefei Normal School.Hefei University has 16 departments, 5 centers of research together...
(HFU) (合肥学院)
Sport
Hefei has its own football team called Anhui JiufangAnhui Jiufang
Anhui jiufang is a defunct Chinese football club from Hefei, Anhui. The club is owned by Anhui Jiarun Group with 15,000,000 RMB registered capital...
(安徽九方),who in the 2007-08 season were promoted from the Chinese Football Association Yi League
Chinese Football Association Yi League
China League Two is the third tier league of the People's Republic of China. The league is under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association. Above the League Two is the premier league - the Chinese Super League and the League One.League Two has two groups, northern and southern...
to the Chinese Football Association Jia League
Chinese Football Association Jia League
The China League One is the second tier professional league for Chinese football clubs. The league is under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association. Above the League One is Chinese Super League....
which is the second highest tier of Chinese football.
Sites of interest
- Xiaoyao Ford, a public park sitting on the ancient site of the Battle of Xiaoyao FordBattle of Xiaoyao FordThe Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, also known as the Battle of Leisure Ford, Battle of Hefei, and Hefei Campaign, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Quan between 215 and 217 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history over the control of Hefei...
. - Temple of Lord Bao, built in 1066 near the tomb of Lord Bao.
- Li Hongzhang'sLi HongzhangLi Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
Former Residence (李鸿章故居), built in the late 19th century and fully restored by the 1990s. - Hui Garden (徽园) (Opened to the public in September 2001)
- Children's Welfare Institute (a.k.a. "Social Welfare Institute"), children's orphanage
- Anhui Laomingguang StadiumAnhui Laomingguang StadiumAnhui Laomingguang Stadium or Anhui Provincial People's Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Hefei, Anhui, China. It is currently used mostly for football matches and athletics events. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 people.Mostly used by Anhui Jiufang....
, the home ground of Anhui JiufangAnhui JiufangAnhui jiufang is a defunct Chinese football club from Hefei, Anhui. The club is owned by Anhui Jiarun Group with 15,000,000 RMB registered capital...
, but also used for other public sporting events.
Twin towns — sister cities
Hefei is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Kurume, Japan (May 20, 1980) Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone (March 20, 1984) Bujumbura
Bujumbura
-Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...
, Burundi (July 7, 1986) Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, United States (November 17, 1988) Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
, Denmark (April 22, 1989) Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
, Spain (April 4, 1998) Wonju
Wonju
Wonju is the most populous city in Gangwon province, South Korea.Wonju is a city approximately east of Seoul and the capital can be reached within 1hr 30minutes by bus or train. Wonju is home to three major universities which attract many students from Seoul and elsewhere. They provide facilities...
, South Korea (June 20, 2002) Darebin
City of Darebin
The City of Darebin is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of , and as of 2009, has a population of 139,608...
, Australia (October 29, 2003) Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, United Kingdom (December 26, 2003)
Notable people
- Bao Zheng (999–1062), Northern Song Dynasty bureaucrat and judge whose name has become synonymous with judicial wisdom and uprightness.
- Chen Ning Yang, (b. 1922), 1957 Nobel Physics Prize laureate, one of the two earliest Chinese to receive the prize.
- Li HongzhangLi HongzhangLi Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
(1823–1901), prominent late Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
bureaucrat and diplomat. - Duan QiruiDuan QiruiDuan Qirui was a Chinese warlord and politician, commander in the Beiyang Army, and the Provisional Chief Executive of Republic of China from November 24, 1924 to April 20, 1926. He was arguably the most powerful man in China from 1916 to 1920.- Early life :Born in Hefei as Duan Qirui , his...
(1865–1936), the Provisional Chief Executive of Republic of ChinaPresident of the Republic of ChinaThe President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
(in Beijing) from November 24, 1924 to April 20, 1926. - Yang YuanqingYang YuanqingYang Yuanqing is the current chief executive officer of Lenovo.-Lenovo:In 1989, Yang joined Legend, as Lenovo was then known, as a salesman. Since then, Yang has moved up the ranks quickly. A mere 12 years later, at the age of 37, he moved to the top as president and CEO. Yang Yuanqing was...
(b. 1964), Chairman of Board of Lenovo. - Liu MingchuanLiu MingchuanLiu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty. He adopted a style name of Xingsan . Liu became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang as he emerged as an important Huai Army officer...
(1836–1896). Statesman during the late Qing dynastyQing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, first governor of TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. - Jin JingJin JingJin Jing is a Chinese female Paralympic fencer. She was a torchbearer carrying the Olympic torch amid political protests during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay in Paris, France...
(b. 1981), paralympic fencer.