Taihu County 太湖县

Setting and landscape

The county measures about 64 kilometres east to west and 23 kilometres north to south. Qianshan (潜山) and Huaining (怀宁) lie to the east, Wangjiang (望江) to the south, Susong (宿松) to the southwest and Yuexi (岳西) to the north. Its name refers to a large lake: old records mention a big lake and five smaller ones, and all of them have since silted up into dry land.

History

The county was founded in 448 under the Liu Song dynasty as Taihu Zuo County (太湖左县), "zuo" marking a county among the southern peoples then called manzuo. It was renamed Jinxi (晋熙) in 583 and took back the name Taihu, without "zuo", in 598; the county seat is still in Jinxi Town (晋熙镇).

Taihu calls itself a home of top imperial scholars: its candidates took first place in the palace examination three times, in the Yuan and again in 1796 and 1829. The Buddhist leader and calligrapher Zhao Puchu (赵朴初), the poet Zhu Xiang (朱湘) and the Huangmei opera actress Ma Lan (马兰) all came from the county.

What to see

Huating Lake (花亭湖) is a national scenic area, a 4A scenic area and a national wetland park. The planned area covers 257 square kilometres, about 72 of them water, and is split into zones for the lake itself, Xifeng Cave (西风洞), Fotu Temple (佛图寺), Lion Mountain (狮子山) and Longshan (龙山), plus the Tangwan hot springs (汤湾温泉). Among its 63 historic sites are the Erzu Chan Hall (二祖禅堂), the Tang-era Haihui Temple (海会寺) and the tomb pavilion of the Tang chancellor Di Renjie (狄仁杰).

Xifeng Chan Temple (西风禅寺), first built in the Tang and originally called Lion Hermitage (狮子庵), is a brick-and-timber complex facing west and a teaching site of the Fifth Patriarch of Chan. Other sites include the Five-Thousand-Year Cultural Park (五千年文博园), the site of the Liujiafan meeting (刘家畈会议旧址) of the Liu–Deng army, and the Zhao Puchu Culture Park (赵朴初文化公园).

Food and local products

Huating Lake bighead carp (花亭湖鳙鱼) average more than 2.5 kilograms, and the fish is the base of the local casserole fish head (花亭湖砂锅鱼头). Tianhua Gujian (天华谷尖) is a national geographical-indication product; Erzu Chan tea (二祖禅茶) and the Taihu Six-White pig (太湖六白猪) are other local products.

Highlights

• Huating Lake 花亭湖: National scenic area and wetland park of 257 square kilometres with Chan temples among its 63 historic sites.
• Xifeng Chan Temple 西风禅寺: Tang-founded temple, a teaching site of the Fifth Patriarch of Chan.
• Huating Lake bighead carp 花亭湖鳙鱼: Large lake fish used for casserole fish head.
• Tianhua Gujian 天华谷尖: National geographical-indication product.