Wuhu 芜湖市

Setting and landscape

The land falls from south-west to north-east, mixing plain and hills with a dense web of water: the Qingyi, Shuiyang (水阳江), Zhang (漳河) and Yuxi (裕溪河) rivers cross it, and lakes such as Longwo (龙窝湖) and Kuihu (奎湖) lie between them. The city government sums up its setting as 'half hills, half water'.

History

In the Spring and Autumn period the state of Wu named it Jiuzi for the many doves in its lakes and grasses; the name Wuhu refers to lakes overgrown with weeds. Wuhu County dates from 109 BC under the Han. The Ming rebuilt the town wall in 1581, but its trading streets spread far beyond it along the Qingyi River to the Yangtze, a stretch known as the Ten-Li Long Street (十里长街). Wuhu opened as a treaty port in 1876, and after Li Hongzhang (李鸿章) had the Zhenjiang rice market moved here in 1877 it became one of China's four great rice markets.

What to see

Wuhu Ancient City (芜湖古城), in central Jinghu District (镜湖区), keeps eight municipal- and provincial-level protected relics, including the old government office's front gate, and more than 50 historic buildings; the city government calls it the best-preserved old town on the Yangtze's south bank. Zheshan (赭山) has two peaks, the higher 86 m, and holds Guangji Temple (广济寺), founded in the Tang, whose main hall is a Qing building.

In Fanchang (繁昌), the Renzidong site (人字洞遗址), found in 1998 and a national key protected site since 2006, is described by the city as the earliest human cultural site yet found in Eurasia, and the Fanchang Kiln (繁昌窑) national archaeological park presents a celadon and white-porcelain kiln of the Five Dynasties and Northern Song. Maren Mountain (马仁奇峰), a AAAA scenic spot, has a glass bridge, glass walkways and evergreen nanmu forest.

Food and local products

Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles (芜湖虾籽面) are hand-cut noodles in a broth made with the roe of Yangtze freshwater shrimp, topped with roe that has been steamed, sun-dried and slowly roasted. Wuwei smoked pressed duck (无为板鸭) goes through soaking, marinating, scalding, smoking and braising over about four hours. Wuhu iron painting (芜湖铁画), in which pictures are forged from wrought iron, dates from the Kangxi reign of the Qing; its forging craft entered the first national intangible heritage list in 2006.

Getting oriented

The government sits in Jiujiang District (鸠江区). Three Yangtze bridges, the Beijing–Fuzhou, Nanjing–Anqing and Shangqiu–Hefei–Hangzhou high-speed railways and Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport (芜宣机场) connect the city.

Highlights

• Wuhu Ancient City 芜湖古城: Old town in central Jinghu District with eight protected relics and more than 50 historic buildings.
• Guangji Temple on Zheshan 赭山与广济寺: Temple founded in the Tang on the two-peaked hill; its main hall is a Qing building.
• Renzidong site 人字洞遗址: Early human site in Fanchang, found in 1998 and listed as a national key protected site in 2006.
• Fanchang Kiln National Archaeological Park 繁昌窑: Celadon and white-porcelain kiln site of the Five Dynasties and Northern Song.
• Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles 芜湖虾籽面: Hand-cut noodles in a Yangtze shrimp-roe broth, topped with dried, roasted roe.
• Wuhu iron painting 芜湖铁画: Forged wrought-iron pictures dating from the Kangxi reign; national intangible heritage since 2006.