Anhua County overview 安化

About Anhua County

The tea-horse paths around Gaocheng show the overland side of a trade that also depended on boats, while living tea production gives the history a present-day context. This is a county-wide theme rather than one enclosed scenic stop. Choose a village-and-tea visit with a confirmed host, distinguishing a public shop tasting from access to a working factory or a scheduled craft demonstration.

The Anhua area was anciently known as Meishan (梅山), the heartland of a distinct Meishan culture. Its indigenous peoples fought the state of Chu in the Spring and Autumn period before coming under Chu control in the Warring States period, and later belonged to Changsha Commandery under the Qin and to Yiyang County from the Western Han to the mid-Northern Song. Anhua County was established in 1072, taking a name meaning 'return to peace and virtue' (归安德化).

Anhua lies in the northern part of the Xuefeng Mountains, in the middle reaches of the Zi River (资水), close to the geographic centre of Hunan. It borders Taojiang and Ningxiang to the east, Lianyuan and Xinhua to the south, Xupu and Yuanling to the west, and Taoyuan and Changde's Dingcheng District to the north, covering 4,950.25 square kilometres, the third-largest county in Hunan. Mountains cover 82 percent of the county, and the Zi River's Zhexi (柘溪) section holds Hunan's first large hydropower station, forming the Zhexi Reservoir.

Anhua has historically influential figures including the Qing-dynasty viceroy Tao Shu (陶澍) and the calligrapher Huang Ziyuan (黄自元). It remains a core area of Meishan culture (梅山文化) and is known as a hometown of badminton, having produced several badminton players and world champions.

What to look for

• The tea-horse-route landscape around Gaocheng Village.
• Anhua dark tea and the connection between mountain production and trade.

Location & getting there

Getting to Anhua County

For the tea-horse-route area, arrange transport to Gaocheng Village in Jiangnan Town, Anhua. Dongping is the county seat and a separate base; do not assume a county-centre arrival places you beside the old trail.