Get to know Hefei
Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Anhui
- Chinese name
- 合肥市
- Local areas
- 9 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 11,434.25 km²
- Population · 2022 census
- 9,465,881
- Administrative seat
- Shushan District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The Jianghuai watershed (江淮分水岭) crosses the prefecture, dividing Huai drainage to the north from Yangtze drainage to the south. One traditional explanation of the city's name is that two rivers, today's Nanfei (南淝河) and Dongfei (东淝河), joined in summer floods. Chaohu Lake, one of China's five great freshwater lakes and a national scenic area, is known as the 'eight-hundred-li Chaohu' and is prized for its whitebait, dried shrimp and crabs.
History
The name Hefei first appears in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (史记), and by 122 BC Hefei was a county of Jiujiang Commandery (九江郡). In the Southern Song the city was on the front line against the Jin. It was Anhui's temporary capital from 1853 to 1862, received the provincial government in 1945 and was formally made the capital in 1952; county-level Chaohu and Lujiang (庐江) joined it in 2011. Luju opera (庐剧), named after old Luzhou, has its middle branch centred on Hefei and entered the first national intangible heritage list in 2006, as did Chaohu folk songs (巢湖民歌).
What to see
Lord Bao Park (包公园) holds the tomb of Bao Zheng (包拯), the Northern Song official whose name stands for upright justice, and the Lord Bao Temple (包公祠), where he studied as a youth. Xiaoyaojin Park (逍遥津公园) is a Three Kingdoms battlefield, and Cao Cao (曹操) drilled his troops at the Jiaonu Terrace (教弩台). The former residence of the late-Qing statesman Li Hongzhang (李鸿章) on Huaihe Road (淮河路) and the Cao Wei New City site (合肥曹魏新城遗址) are national key cultural relics. The Memorial Museum of the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign (渡江战役纪念馆) faces Chaohu Lake from the southern end of the Binhu New Area (滨湖新区). Sanhe (三河) in southeastern Feixi County (肥西县), named for the three rivers that meet there, became a national historic and cultural town in 2007 and a 5A scenic area in 2015; the Taiping army routed the Xiang Army here.
Food and local products
Luzhou cuisine (庐州菜) grew out of local farm cooking and leans towards soy-sauce, sweet and spicy flavours; its best-known dishes include Cao Cao chicken (曹操鸡), Lord Bao fish (包公鱼), Li Hongzhang's hodgepodge (李鸿章大杂烩) and Luzhou roast duck (庐州烤鸭). The 'four famous pastries' (四大名点), made for over 200 years, are sesame cakes (麻饼) filled with green plum, candied tangerine and osmanthus, crisp baked cakes (烘糕), cunjin candy (寸金) and thin sesame-coated baiqie (白切). Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺) are a well-known snack, and Sanhe rice wine (三河米酒) is a national geographical-indication product.
Sources for this guide
美丽丰饶——巢湖_安徽省人民政府 · Anhui Provincial People's Government
合肥四大名点_安徽省人民政府 · Anhui Provincial People's Government
合肥市渡江战役纪念馆_安徽省人民政府 · Anhui Provincial People's Government
合肥市 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
庐剧 - 中国非物质文化遗产网·中国非物质文化遗产数字博物馆 · China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
巢湖民歌 - 中国非物质文化遗产网·中国非物质文化遗产数字博物馆 · China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
Hefei - Wikipedia · Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0
三河镇 (肥西县) - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-30.
Explore Hefei
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Hefei 合肥
Chaohu Lake 巢湖
Anhui Museum 安徽博物院
Lord Bao Park 包公园
Sanhe, Feixi County 三河古镇
Xiaoyaojin Park 逍遥津公园
Three Kingdoms Ruins Park 三国新城遗址公园
Dashu mountain 大蜀山
Zi Peng mountain 紫蓬山
Anhui Hall of Fame 安徽名人馆
Anhui Art Museum 安徽省美术馆
Memorial Museum of the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign 渡江战役纪念馆
Chaohu Lake Shoreline 巢湖滨湖岸线
Laoshan Island 姥山岛
Yinping Mountain 银屏山
Changlinhe Ancient Town 长临河古镇
Yaohai District 瑶海区
Luyang District 庐阳区
Shushan District 蜀山区
Baohe District 包河区
Changfeng County 长丰县
Feidong County 肥东县
Feixi County 肥西县
Lujiang County 庐江县
Chaohu 巢湖市
Places to explore around Hefei
A garden courtyard in the Lord Bao cultural park in Hefei (合肥包公园). Photograph date recorded by the source: Taken on 16 October 2010.Hefei合肥
Hefei offers two different introductions to Anhui: the archaeological collections of Anhui Museum and the lakeside memorial landscape of Lord Bao Park. The museum’s bronzes connect the province with early states around the…
Read the place guide →
Zhongmiao Temple on the shore of Chaohu Lake, June 2019.Chaohu Lake巢湖
Chaohu’s broad freshwater surface forms a contrasting landscape south of Hefei. Around Zhongmiao, a lakeside temple looks towards Laoshan Island, where Wenfeng Pagoda rises above the wooded slopes. This shore-and-island pairing…
Read the place guide →
The front of Anhui Museum’s new Shushan building in Hefei, December 2017.Anhui Museum安徽博物院
Anhui Museum’s Shushan branch connects the province’s early settlements with the bronze-working cultures of the Yangtze and Huai regions. The large Zhuke ding, often called the Chu Great Ding, is a defining object in the…
Read the place guide →
A bridge, water and willow-lined banks in Lord Bao Park, Hefei; 26 October 2019.Lord Bao Park包公园
Lord Bao Park commemorates Bao Zheng through buildings set around a central lake. In the shrine, the main hall’s statues and inscribed plaques present the official’s later reputation for upright judgment. The tomb complex gives…
Read the place guide →
Chaoyang Tower in Sanhe Ancient Town, Feixi County, March 2011.Sanhe, Feixi County三河古镇
Sanhe developed where the Fengle, Hangbu and Xiaonan rivers meet, and its old streets still reveal that water-borne trading layout. The lanes lead between bridges, shopfronts and former merchants’ premises. Liu Tong Xing Long…
Read the place guide →
The lake and pavilions of Xiaoyaojin Park · 逍遥津公园 Photograph date recorded by the source: 26 October 2019, 14:50.Xiaoyaojin Park逍遥津公园
Xiaoyaojin occupies the remembered setting of an old river crossing in central Hefei. Its association with the Three Kingdoms battle is marked by an equestrian statue of Zhang Liao, but the everyday scene is a lake park with…
Read the place guide →
Entrance to Three Kingdoms Ruins Park, Hefei · 合肥三国新城遗址公园入口 Photograph date recorded by the source: 1 May 2015, 11:15:10.Three Kingdoms Ruins Park三国新城遗址公园
This park preserves the remains of the fortified settlement built by Cao Wei outside old Hefei. Surviving wall foundations and excavated features reveal the military site beneath the later landscape. A weapon-casting kiln…
Read the place guide →
Dashu Mountain seen across the water at sunset, Hefei · 合肥大蜀山湖畔夕景 Photograph date recorded by the source: 9 September 2018, 17:43:02.Dashu mountain大蜀山
Dashu is an isolated wooded hill on Hefei’s western side, standing apart from the much flatter city around it. The summit television tower is a useful landmark, and clear weather opens views across the expanding urban landscape…
Read the place guide →
Rock face and garden at Zipeng Mountain · 紫蓬山岩壁与绿地 Capture date not established by the retained file page.Zi Peng mountain紫蓬山
Zipeng’s forest paths link a lakeside setting with Buddhist sculpture and Xilu Temple above it. The Foyuan area places large Buddhist figures against the hillside, giving the climb a different scale from the trees and water…
Read the place guide →
Anhui Hall of Fame and its approach, Hefei · 合肥安徽名人馆 Photograph date recorded by the source: 11 June 2019.Anhui Hall of Fame安徽名人馆
Anhui Hall of Fame introduces the province through people associated with its intellectual, political and artistic history. The displays progress from early ancestors and thinkers through later scholarly movements and modern…
Read the place guide →
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Anhui Art Museum安徽省美术馆
Anhui Art Museum translates the region’s landscape-painting tradition into a large contemporary building. Black eaves, white screens and changing shadows recall Huizhou houses without reproducing them literally. Inside, a tall…
Read the place guide →
Yangtze River Crossing Campaign Memorial Museum and sculpture, Hefei · 合肥渡江战役纪念馆与总前委群雕 Photograph date recorded by the source: 3 August 2022, 09:46.Memorial Museum of the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign渡江战役纪念馆
The Hefei memorial commemorates the 1949 campaign across the Yangtze, which led to the capture of Nanjing during the Chinese Civil War. The main building projects forward in an angular, boat-like form, making the architecture…
Read the place guide →
Chaohu Lake Shoreline · 巢湖滨湖岸线Chaohu Lake Shoreline巢湖滨湖岸线
Baohe's shore of Lake Chaohu brings open water into Hefei's urban landscape, with lakeside lawns, wetland scenery and views of the city skyline.
Read the place guide →
Laoshan Island island in Chao Lake, seen from the water with its pagoda visible on the hilltop · 巢湖姥山岛，湖面远眺，山顶文峰塔清晰可见 Source-recorded photograph date: 2019-06-11.Laoshan Island姥山岛
Largest island in Chaohu Lake, near Hefei, crowned by a 51-metre stone pagoda finished in 1878 with plaques by Li Hongzhang.
Read the place guide →
Yinping Mountain (银屏山), Chaohu. Photograph: "安徽省巢湖市银屏山-奇花牡丹 - panoramio".Yinping Mountain银屏山
Chaohu's highest peak (508 m), known for a centuries-old wild white peony on a cliff, a 1,200-metre karst cave and a summit pavilion.
Read the place guide →
The memorial archway marking the entrance to the old street of Changlinhe ancient town, Feidong County · 长临河古镇长临老街牌坊，肥东县 Source-recorded photograph date: 2024-03-15 16:08:30.Changlinhe Ancient Town长临河古镇
Changlinhe is a historic market town beside Lake Chaohu in southern Feidong, with an old commercial quarter arranged around two streets meeting in a T.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Hefei local specialties
合肥市特色美食 · 10 specialties to discover
Feixi chicken soup 肥西老母鸡汤AI illustration · AI 示意图
The liquid is savory and rounded, with tender but sometimes firmer-textured hen meat and a light layer of chicken fat.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Sanhe rice-flour dumplings 三河米饺AI illustration · AI 示意图
The wrapper has a crisp shell with a softer, slightly chewy inner layer. Hot filling and frying oil make a newly cooked dumpling richer than a steamed one.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Wushan seasoned goose 吴山贡鹅AI illustration · AI 示意图
Expect firm, savory meat and a skin that carries much of the seasoning. Its substantial texture rewards smaller bites.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Luzhou Roast Duck 庐州烤鸭AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Luzhou Roast Duck (庐州烤鸭) is a traditional roast duck of Hefei (合肥), the Anhui city whose old name is Luzhou (庐州), cooked whole in a jar-shaped oven over fruitwood charcoal.
Read the dish guide →
Li Hongzhang Mixed Braise 李鸿章杂烩
Li Hongzhang Mixed Braise (李鸿章杂烩) is a Hefei (合肥) dish of chicken braised with sea cucumber, fish maw and other costly ingredients, named after Li Hongzhang (李鸿章), who was from Hefei.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Cao Cao chicken 曹操鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图
The skin becomes soft and flavorful, and the meat should separate readily from the bones. It is a rich savory poultry dish rather than a crisp roast.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Xiatang Sesame Flatbread 下塘烧饼Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Xiatang Sesame Flatbread (下塘烧饼) is a filled, sesame-topped bread baked on the inside of an upturned iron pot, from Xiatang (下塘) town in Changfeng County (长丰县) under the city of Hefei (合肥).
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Luzhou Soup Dumplings 庐州小笼包Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Luzhou Soup Dumplings (庐州小笼包) is listed among the local specialties of Hefei, Anhui. It is grouped here with regional dishes & banquets; retain the complete Chinese name when comparing local menus.
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
All dish names · 全部菜名 (10)
More dishes from across Anhui are in the Anhui food guide.
Counties & districts in Hefei
9 areas belong directly to Hefei.
9 areas
Yaohai District 瑶海区
Yaohai District (simplified Chinese: 瑶海区; traditional Chinese: 瑤海區; pinyin: Yáohǎi Qū) is one of four urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, East China.
Explore the area →DistrictLuyang District 庐阳区
Luyang District (simplified Chinese: 庐阳区; traditional Chinese: 廬陽區; pinyin: Lúyáng Qū) is one of four urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, East China.
Explore the area →DistrictShushan District 蜀山区
Shushan District (simplified Chinese: 蜀山区; traditional Chinese: 蜀山區; pinyin: Shǔshān Qū) is one of four urban districts and the municipal seat of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital of Anhui…
Explore the area →DistrictBaohe District 包河区
Baohe District (simplified Chinese: 包河区; traditional Chinese: 包河區; pinyin: Bāohé Qū) is one of four urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, East China, located on…
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Changfeng County 长丰县
Changfeng County (simplified Chinese: 长丰县; traditional Chinese: 長豐縣; pinyin: Chángfēng Xiàn) is a county of Anhui Province, East China, under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the…
Explore the area →CountyFeidong County 肥东县
Feidong County (simplified Chinese: 肥东县; traditional Chinese: 肥東縣; pinyin: Féidōng Xiàn) is a county of Anhui Province, East China, under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital…
Explore the area →CountyFeixi County 肥西县
Feixi County (simplified Chinese: 肥西县; traditional Chinese: 肥西縣; pinyin: Féixī Xiàn) is a county of Anhui Province, East China, under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hefei, the capital of…
Explore the area →CountyLujiang County 庐江县
Lujiang County (simplified Chinese: 庐江县; traditional Chinese: 廬江縣; pinyin: Lújiāng Xiàn) is a county of Anhui Province in East China.
Explore the area →County-level cityChaohu 巢湖市
Chaohu is a county-level city of Anhui Province, China. Situated on the northeast and southeast shores of Lake Chao, from which the city was named, Chaohu is under the administration of the prefecture-level…
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 合肥市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Hefei and Chaohu Lake are about 45 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Anhui →More in Anhui
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 合肥市 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against Hefei — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 三河镇 (肥西县) — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Hefei · 江上清风1961 · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Chaohu Lake · 钉钉 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Anhui Museum · 白色瑰宝 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Lord Bao Park · xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Sanhe, Feixi County · JtWang · CC BY-SA 3.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Xiaoyaojin Park · xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Three Kingdoms Ruins Park · Tianyamm2 · Tianyamm2 — 合肥三国新城遗址公园.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Dashu mountain · Virgil Guo · Virgil Guo — Dashushan.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Zi Peng mountain · JtWang · CC BY-SA 3.0. The exact downloaded source bytes are separately retained and hashed. Prepared JPEG is proportionally reduced to a maximum 720-pixel long edge; full frame retained, no subject alteration. Final website rendition: full frame retained, proportionally resized to at most 720 pixels and converted to WebP. No additional retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Anhui Hall of Fame · 钉钉 · 钉钉 — 安徽名人馆.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Memorial Museum of the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign · HenryMakerCH · HenryMakerCH — The_Yangtze-crossing_Campaign_Memorial_Museum_Front_with_Sculpture.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Chaohu Lake Shoreline · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Laoshan Island · 钉钉 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Yinping Mountain · LuChangJiang_鲁昌江 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Photo: Changlinhe Ancient Town · FradonStar · CC BY 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.