Anlu 安陆市

Setting and landscape

The land steps down from north to south: low mountains and high hills in the north-west and north-east, shallow hills over most of the city, and the alluvial plain of the Fu River (府河) in the south. The highest peak, Taipingzhai (太平寨), reaches 517 metres in the north-west. The Fu River, a major tributary of the Yangtze, runs for 49.7 kilometres through the city. Neighbours are Xiaochang County (孝昌县) to the east, Yunmeng (云梦县) and Yingcheng (应城市) to the south, Jingshan (京山市) to the west, and Suizhou's Zengdu District (曾都区) and Guangshui (广水市) to the north.

History

Under the Zhou the area was the state of Yun (郧国), and in the Warring States period it became a county of Chu. From 201 BC Anlu was the seat of Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡). The Tang renamed Anlu Commandery (安陆郡) as Anzhou (安州) in 621, and in 1119 the Song raised it to De'an Prefecture (德安府), which governed five counties from Anlu. Li Bai's ten years in Anlu left 106 poems. During the war against Japan, Li Xiannian (李先念), Chen Shaomin (陈少敏) and others founded two anti-Japanese base areas in Anlu, at Zhaojiapeng (赵家棚) and Baizhao Mountain, as well as the New Fourth Army's 5th Division. The county became a city in September 1987 and has belonged to Xiaogan since 1993.

What to see

The Baizhao Mountain Li Bai Cultural Tourism Area (白兆山李白文化旅游区), a 4A scenic area, lies 15 kilometres west of the city in Yandian (烟店镇). The mountain, also called Bishan (碧山), appears in records from AD 573. Li Bai made it the centre of his Anlu years: he married and raised children here, studied and wrote, and many sites connected with him survive.

At Wangyizhen (王义贞镇), the Qianchong ancient ginkgo area (钱冲古银杏) protects one of the two ginkgo communities in China still growing in a natural state. The Xiaogan city government counts 59 trees over 1,000 years old and 1,486 over 500 years. Li Xiannian's forces fought here for three years and founded the first anti-Japanese base in central Hubei, and many revolutionary relics are kept.

Food and local products

Anlu ginkgo, the vegetable baihuacai (白花菜) and Nanxiang radish (南乡萝卜) are protected national geographical-indication products. The city also promotes Anlu rice noodles (安陆米粉) and Shendan egg products (神丹蛋品).

Getting oriented

Central Wuhan is 100 kilometres away. Anlu West station is on the Wuhan–Xi'an high-speed railway (武西高铁), and Anlu station is on the Hankou–Danjiangkou railway (汉丹铁路).

Highlights

• Baizhao Mountain Li Bai Cultural Tourism Area 白兆山李白文化旅游区: 4A scenic area 15 km west of the city; centre of Li Bai's ten years in Anlu.
• Qianchong ancient ginkgo area 钱冲古银杏: One of China's two natural ancient ginkgo communities, with 59 trees over 1,000 years old.
• Taipingzhai 太平寨: Highest peak in Anlu at 517 metres.
• Nanxiang radish 南乡萝卜: National geographical-indication product.