Hanshan County 含山县

Setting and landscape

The land falls from north-west to south-east. The south-east belongs to the alluvial plain of the lower Yangtze, where polders along the Yuxi River (裕溪河) and Chu River (滁河) systems, crossed by dense ditches and canals, are the county's main grain land. The centre and north-west are low hills with gentle slopes and wide valleys, most summits around 300 m; the highest is the main peak of Cangshan (苍山) at 481 m. The Yuxi River separates the county from Wuwei (无为) to the south.

History

Hanshan County was created in 623 under the Tang from the western part of Liyang County (历阳县). The Qing gazetteer Da Qing Yitongzhi (大清一统志) derives the name from a mountain 30 li west of the town whose massed peaks look as if they are holding something in the mouth (含). The town was given a moat in 1512 and brick walls in 1558. The county was moved from the former Chaohu prefecture to Ma'anshan on 22 August 2011.

What to see

The Lingjiatan site (凌家滩遗址) lies in Lingjiatan village, Tongzha town (铜闸镇), on the north bank of the middle Yuxi River. The Ma'anshan government dates it to about 5,800 to 5,300 years ago. This large late Neolithic settlement had an altar, a clan cemetery and sacrificial pits, and its finds include jade ritual objects such as human figures and an eagle. Ranked among the ten major Chinese excavations of 1998, it is now a national key protected site and a national archaeological site park.

Baochan Mountain (褒禅山), once called Huashan (华山), takes its name from the Tang monk Huibao (慧褒), who lived and was buried there. Wang Anshi (王安石) toured Huayang Cave (华阳洞) on its slope in 1054 with his younger brothers and friends and wrote Record of a Trip to Baochan Mountain (游褒禅山记); the scenic area is rated 4A. Taihu Mountain (太湖山), nicknamed the Little Jiuhua north of the Yangtze (江北小九华), is another 4A area with a national forest park. The old Zhaoguan pass (昭关), 7.5 km north of the county town, is tied to the tale of Wu Zixu (伍子胥) getting through it.

Getting oriented

The county seat is Huanfeng town (环峰镇). Nanjing's Pukou District (浦口区) is about 70 km to the east and Feidong County (肥东县) of Hefei about 80 km to the west; He County (和县) adjoins it to the east. The Shangqiu–Hangzhou high-speed line calls at Hanshan South (含山南站).

Highlights

• Lingjiatan site 凌家滩遗址: Late Neolithic settlement about 5,800 to 5,300 years old with an altar, cemetery and jade ritual objects.
• Baochan Mountain and Huayang Cave 褒禅山华阳洞: 4A scenic area; Wang Anshi's 1054 visit produced Record of a Trip to Baochan Mountain.
• Taihu Mountain 太湖山: 4A area nicknamed the Little Jiuhua north of the Yangtze, with a national forest park.
• Zhaoguan pass 昭关: Old pass 7.5 km north of the county town, tied to the story of Wu Zixu.