Anhua County 安化县

Setting and landscape

Mountains make up 82 percent of the county, with 63 peaks above 1,000 metres. The Zi River crosses the whole county; at Zhexi (柘溪) it is dammed by the Zhexi hydropower station, described as Hunan's first large hydropower plant, whose reservoir spreads over 85 square kilometres. The county government lists tillite rocks more than 600 million years old, which it says hold 85 percent of the world's reserves, and national-level nature reserve, forest, wetland, geological and rocky-desert parks. Liubuxi (六步溪) is a national nature reserve.

History

The area was anciently called Meishan. It came under Chu in the Warring States period, and the county was founded in 1072 under the Northern Song, its name meaning to turn to peace and be transformed by virtue. The Qing governors-general Tao Shu (陶澍) and Luo Raodian (罗绕典) and the calligrapher Huang Ziyuan (黄自元) grew up here; Tao Shu's tomb park and a Wenwu (civil and military) temple (文武庙) survive. The county government calls Anhua the starting point of the Ten Thousand Li Tea Road.

What to see

Yuntai Mountain (云台山) is a 4A scenic area whose summit is a 9-square-kilometre basin reaching 998.17 metres, called the plain on the mountain; it has the Longquan Cave (龙泉洞), a glass walkway and suspension bridge, a hilltop tea garden viewpoint and a folk-culture village, and is known for sunrise over a sea of cloud. The Anhua Tea Horse Road scenic area (安化茶马古道景区), also 4A and about 3.9 square kilometres, recreates tea-trading streets and has a 700-metre miniature tea-horse trail through Guanshan Gorge (关山峡谷).

Food and local products

Qujiang bopian (渠江薄片) tea from Anhua was a Tang tribute, and in the Ming Wanli reign Anhua dark tea was made official tea for sale to the northwest. In 1821 merchants began stamping it into cylinders of 100 liang, raised in 1863 to 1,000 liang, the origin of Anhua qianliang tea (安化千两茶). Its making ends with 55 days of sun and night dew, and the technique entered the national intangible heritage list in 2008. Cured pork and leicha (擂茶), a pounded tea, are other local products.

Highlights

• Anhua qianliang tea 安化千两茶: Dark tea stamped into 1,000-liang cylinders since 1863; making technique on the national intangible heritage list since 2008.
• Yuntai Mountain 云台山: 4A scenic area with a 9-square-kilometre summit basin and a hilltop tea garden.
• Anhua Tea Horse Road scenic area 安化茶马古道景区: 4A area with recreated tea-trading streets and a trail through Guanshan Gorge.
• Zhexi Reservoir 柘溪水库: Reservoir of 85 square kilometres on the Zi River behind the Zhexi dam.