Taihe County 太和县

Setting and landscape

The county is mostly sloping plain. Yingquan District (颍泉区) of Fuyang lies to the south, Jieshou (界首) to the west, Dancheng (郸城) in Henan to the northwest, Qiaocheng District (谯城区) of Bozhou to the north, and Guoyang (涡阳) and Lixin (利辛) counties to the east.

History

In the Spring and Autumn period the area was Lushang (鹿上), where Song, Qi and Chu met in 639 BC. Xinqi (新郪) was a Warring States stronghold, and Juyang (钜阳) served briefly as a late Chu capital. Under Cao Wei the general Deng Ai (邓艾) dug canals here for military farms, and from the Sui to the Song the county lay on the Huai–Ying grain-transport route. Wanshou County (万寿县), created in 973, was renamed Taihe (泰和) in 1119; re-established in 1304, it took its present name (太和) and moved its seat to today's town.

What to see

The Diandingzi site (殿顶子遗址) in Juyang village, Gongji town (宫集镇), is known locally as the 'Chu King's City'. Surveys and excavations by Henan University under a 2019 agreement found a square city 5.1 kilometres around, with a wall and inner and outer moats, dated to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, probably connected with the Chu capital Juyang. The Taihe County Museum (太和县博物馆) moved into a new building in 2020 and became a national second-grade museum in 2024.

Taihe qingyin (太和清音) singing is traced to a Taoist master and zither player south of the Quan River at the turn of the Yuan and Ming, and entered the provincial heritage list in 2006. Fentai suona (坟台唢呐) shawm bands borrow from local opera and folk song, giving the saying "for Anhui suona look to Taihe, for Taihe suona look to Fentai". The Taihe lion lantern dance (太和狮子灯) is performed by Hui Muslim dancers who leap onto tables and walk on plum-blossom posts.

Food and local products

The broth is considered the soul of Taihe banmian, whose making is on the Fuyang municipal heritage list. Taihe toon sprouts (太和贡椿) are best picked before Grain Rain (谷雨) and are pickled so they keep through the year. Other local foods include steamed flower buns (花馍) shaped as longevity peaches or pomegranates, Laochui five-spice beef (老炊五香牛肉) made by "three saltings, six washes and nine kneadings", and liulimo (琉璃馍), a sweet, crisp traditional dish. Lixing platycodon root (李兴桔梗) is a national geographical-indication product.

Getting oriented

Taihe East Station (太和东站) is on the Shangqiu–Hangzhou high-speed line, Taihe North on the Luohe–Fuyang Railway and Santangji on the Beijing–Kowloon Railway.

Highlights

• Diandingzi site 殿顶子遗址: Square Spring and Autumn–Warring States walled city 5.1 km around, probably linked with the Chu capital Juyang.
• Taihe County Museum 太和县博物馆: New building opened in 2020; named a national second-grade museum in 2024.
• Taihe qingyin 太和清音: Singing tradition traced to the turn of the Yuan and Ming; on the Anhui provincial heritage list since 2006.
• Taihe banmian 太和板面: Mutton noodles slapped out on an iron board; the making technique is on the Fuyang municipal heritage list.
• Taihe toon sprouts 太和贡椿: Chinese toon shoots, best before Grain Rain and pickled to keep all year.