Ningguo 宁国市

History

In 208 Sun Quan (孙权) split the southern part of Wanling County (宛陵县) to create Ningguo County. It became a county-level city on 11 March 1997. When the Gangkouwan Reservoir (港口湾水库) was built, the whole of the former Dong'an township (东岸乡) was moved in August 2000 to the Juntian Lake farm (军天湖农场) in Xuanzhou and set up as Tianhu town (天湖镇), still part of Ningguo. Yunti She Ethnic Township (云梯畲族乡) is the only She (畲族) ethnic township in Anhui.

What to see

Xialin Jiutian Silver Falls (夏霖九天银瀑), a 4A scenic area 29 kilometres from the city, sits on the Anhui–Zhejiang border at the northern foot of the Tianmu range, among gorges, waterfalls and bamboo-covered hills. Two main routes run through it: Lovers' Valley (情人谷) on the left to Shimen (石门), and Wolong Valley (卧龙谷) on the right to Guanyin Falls (观音瀑). Small villages such as Waishiqiao (外石桥) and Pingshanwu (平山坞) keep whitewashed walls and dark tiles.

Chujiatan (储家滩), 16 kilometres from the city in Longge village (龙阁村), is a 2.4-kilometre river bend of clear water reflecting the hills; it was named a Xuancheng wetland park in 2015, and villagers there sell tea, mushrooms, bamboo crafts and fire-dried fish. The Qianqiu She Culture Park (千秋畲族文化园), a 3A area 49 kilometres from the city, includes Qianqiu Pass (千秋关), the azaleas of Tanggong Mountain (汤公山) and river rafting.

Food and local products

Fire-dried fish with pan-stuck cornbread (火烘鱼锅贴) uses small wild sharpbelly (白条鱼) or black carp (青鱼) from local rivers and lakes, only three to four cun (寸, roughly 10 to 13 centimetres) long, dried over charcoal until golden and crisp, then stir-fried with yellow wine, vinegar, soy sauce and chopped chilli. Cornmeal cakes pressed around the pan brown underneath and soak up the sauce.

Xuan stone (宣石), a mainly white ornamental rock, comes from the hills around Nanji (南极), Wanjia (万家), Zhongxi (中溪) and Hule (胡乐). The Ming garden manual Yuanye (园冶) records it as a product of Ningguo, and the winter rockery of the Ge Garden (个园) in Yangzhou is built from it. Ningguo hickory nuts (宁国山核桃) are a national geographical indication product.

Highlights

• Xialin Jiutian Silver Falls 夏霖九天银瀑: 4A mountain scenic area of gorges and waterfalls at the northern foot of the Tianmu range.
• Chujiatan 储家滩: 2.4 km river bend named a Xuancheng wetland park in 2015.
• Qianqiu She Culture Park 千秋畲族文化园: 3A area in Anhui's only She ethnic township, with Qianqiu Pass.
• Xuan stone 宣石: White ornamental stone used for the winter rockery of the Ge Garden in Yangzhou.
• Fire-dried fish with pan-stuck cornbread 火烘鱼锅贴: Charcoal-dried small fish braised with cornmeal cakes around the pan.