Sihong County 泗洪县

Setting and landscape

The county is mostly plain and low ridge land with a few scattered hills. The north is a plain laid down by old floods of the Yellow River (黄泛平原), while ridges and flats alternate in the south and southwest. Land is highest in the west and southwest and lowest toward the south and southeast; the highest point is only 62.8 metres above sea level. The climate sits on the transition between the northern subtropical and warm temperate zones.

History

The county government traces the area's importance to the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods, when the capital of the state of Xu (徐国) moved here and the area became Xu's political centre. In October 1940 the Communist Party set up its northeastern Anhui (皖东北) prefectural committee and administration, and several anti-Japanese base counties were created on today's territory. A Sihong County first appeared in June 1947 but was dissolved that November; the present county was formally established on 29 April 1949. In March 1955 it was transferred from Anhui to Jiangsu, and since 1996 it has belonged to Suqian.

What to see

The Hongze Lake Wetland scenic area (洪泽湖湿地景区) is rated 5A. It covers 5.2 square kilometres between the Grand Canal to the north, the Huai River (淮河) to the south and Hongze Lake to the east, within the experimental zone of the 750,000-mu Hongze Lake Wetland national nature reserve. Its five zones include a reed maze, a Hongze Lake fish hall (鱼族馆) and a lotus garden called Qianheyuan (千荷园); lotus and reed are the main plants, and the county says some 500,000 migratory birds winter in the reed beds.

The Shuanggou liquor culture area (双沟酒文化旅游区), rated 4A, occupies about 2.8 square kilometres in Shuanggou town. It combines a working modern distillery with the old town: sights include an underground store of liquor vats called the "sea of liquor" (地下酒海), Shuanggou Old Street (双沟老街) and the Zhu family distillery workshop (朱家槽坊).

Food and local products

Shuanggou baijiu (双沟酒) is distilled in Shuanggou town, and the county government says water drawn from deep under the Hongze Lake wetland is used for both the Shuanggou and Yanghe (洋河) liquors. From the lake come hairy crab (洪泽湖大闸蟹), whitefish (白鱼) and fish-head dishes, and in autumn water caltrop ripens in the wetland. Other local specialities listed on Chinese Wikipedia are Tiangang Lake whitebait soup (天岗湖银鱼羹), Guiren mung-bean cakes (归仁绿豆饼) and Fengshan tofu sheets (峰山百叶).

Highlights

• Hongze Lake Wetland scenic area 洪泽湖湿地景区: 5A scenic area of 5.2 square kilometres on the lake, with reed maze, lotus garden and wintering birds.
• Shuanggou liquor culture area 双沟酒文化旅游区: 4A industrial tourism area in Shuanggou town with an underground vat store and an old street.
• Shuanggou baijiu 双沟酒: Baijiu distilled in Shuanggou town and listed among the county's specialities.
• Tiangang Lake whitebait soup 天岗湖银鱼羹: Local speciality listed among Sihong's products on Chinese Wikipedia.