Xuancheng Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 宣城市 (xuān chéng shì)
Population: 2,789,000
Area: 12,340 square kilometers (4,765 square miles)
Location: in the southeast of Anhui, eastern China
Administrative Division: 1 district (Xuanzhou); 5 counties (Langxi, Jingxian, Jingde, Jixi); 2 county-level cities (Ningguo, Guangde)
Area Code: 0563
Zip Code: 242000
GDP (2018): CNY 131.72 billion (USD 19.90 billion)
 

Xuancheng 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 with Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Xuancheng is famous for producing excellent Xuan paper with a balanced ink absorption and good durability which is a unique handicraft for Chinese calligraphy and painting. Xuan paper also enjoys the reputation of longevity paper and national treasure for the thousand-year lifespan.  It used to be the imperial tribute since Tang Dynasty (618- 907). Depending on manual operation, the production of the soft and tough Xuan paper requires more than 100 processes and takes more than 300 days. Its making craft has been listed in the UN intangible cultural heritage list. Xuancheng also produces other three "Chinese Four Treasures of Study": writing brushes, ink sticks, and ink stones.

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. It can't be missed for a Xuancheng travel.

Scenic Spots in Jixi: Longchuan Scenic Area, Zhangshan Grand Canyon, Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve.

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

1. Located 21 km (13 mi) to the city center of Xuancheng, Wuhu Xuancheng Airport, or Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport has direct flights to most major domestic cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu,  Sanya and Xi'an.

2. Xuancheng-Hangzhou and Wangan (Anhui-Jiangxi) railways meet in the city. Train rides from the 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.

3. 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. The Bus Station can be found in No.9, Meixi Lu in the southern area of the city proper.

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.   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: Its terrain is varied and complicated, basically sloping downward from the south to the north. Landform of Xuancheng 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.

 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.