Chinese Name: Xuancheng (xun chng sh)

Population: 450,000

Area: 12,340 square kilometers (4,765 square miles)

Nationalities: Han

Administrative Division: 1 district (Xuanzhou); 5 counties (Langxi, Guangde, Jingxian, Jingde, Jixi); 1 county-level city (Ningguo)

Seat of the City Government: No.31, Aofeng Dong Lu, Xuzhou District, Xuancheng City

Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0563-3203970
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184

Bank of China Xuancheng Branch: No.22, Aofeng Dong Lu, Xuanzhou District, Xuancheng City

China Post Xuancheng Branch: No.10, Huancheng Xi Lu, Xuanzhou District, Xuancheng City

Location:Xuancheng City is situated in the southeastern region of Anhui Province, neighboring Huangshan to the south, Chizhou to the west and Wuhu to the north. To the east, it is bordered by Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.

History: As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD), Danyang Shire was established on this region with Wanling (presently Xuanzhou District) as its capital city. Since then, Xuanzhou has been the political, economic and cultural center of administration for two thousand years. However, the name of Xuzhou was changed during the Sui Dynasty (581-618).

Physical Features: The terrain of Xuancheng is varied and complicated, basically sloping downward from the south to the north. Its landform can be approximately divided into five types: Mountain, hill, valley and basin, hillock and plain. The south and southeast regions belong to ranges of Tianmu Mountain, while the southwest and west regions are respectively parts of ranges of Mt. Huangshan and Mt. Jiuhua.

Climatic Features:The city enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate, enjoying four distinct seasons and abundant precipitation. Of the four seasons, summer is the longest. Its annual average temperature falls round 15.6C (60.1F). Most of the rainfall occurs in summer. The plum rain season lasts from mid-June to early July.

When to Go: Xuancheng is favorable for traveling all the year round, especially in May, July, August and October.

Special Local Products: Xuan Paper, Xuan Writing Brush, Hui Ink; bamboo shoot, Xuan pawpaw, Chinese gooseberry, hickory nut, chestnut, Shuidong honey jujube, tea; crab, whitebait and Chinese paddlefish of Nanyi Lake.

Attractions:
Jixi County: Jixi is a well-known cultural town famous for brick, stone and wood carving art in the Hui (short for Anhui) style of architecture, Hui Ink, Hui (Anhui) Cuisine, and old residential houses of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) style.

Scenic Spots in Jixi: Ancestral Temple of the Hu Family, Zhangshan Grand Canyon, Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve.

Other Scenic Spots: Enlong World Wood House Village in Ningguo City, Jingting Mountain, Taiji Cave.

Tourist Tips:
1. Xuancheng-Hangzhou and Wangan (Anhui-Jiangxi) railways meet in Xuancheng City. Train rides from Xuancheng Railway Station in Diezhang Dong Lu to Nanjing and Hangzhou take a bit more than four hours. Furthermore, trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Kunming, Hefei, Huangshan and many other cities are all available in the station.

2. Xuanzhou is 298 kilometers (185 miles) from Shanghai, about four hours drive, and 206 kilometers (128 miles) from the capital city of Anhui, Hefei, which is about three hours drive from Xuancheng. The Xuancheng Bus Station can be found in No.9, Meixi Lu in the southern area of the city proper.