More about Hefei

Hefei literally means “junction of the rivers” because it is located between the East Fei River and the South Fei River. Hefei was a quiet market town of only about 30,000 in the mid-1930s, but its population grew more than tenfold in the following 20 years. In 1949, the provincial capital was moved to Hefei from Anqing, but much of its new growth was derived from its development as an industrial city.

Hefei has its own football (ie. soccer) team called Anhui Jiufang who in the 2007-08 season were promoted from the Chinese Football Association Yi League to the Chinese Football Association Jia League which is the second highest tier of Chinese football.

In 2007, Hefei experienced a 19% GDP growth and major industries were automotive, machinery, household electronics and product, manufacturing, food processing, chemicals, tires, IT and software, and biotechnology. Its key agricultural products include freshwater fish/lobsters, cotton, pork, dairy, poultry, and vegetables. The average annual wage for on-the-job workers in 2008 was 30,603 yuan (approximately $4,500 USD).

With several universities in Hefei, it is an important base for science and education in China. It has three national laboratories, more than 190 scientific research institutions and 30 universities including:

• Anhui University (with four branches around the city)
• Hefei University
• University of Science and Technology of China
• Hefei University of Technology
• Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Anhui Medical University
• Anhui Agricultural University

Places of interest in Hefei (all on my checklist of things to see!)

• Leisure Ford, a public park sitting on the ancient site of the Battle of Hefei.
• Temple of Lord Bao, built in 1066 near the tomb of Lord Bao.
• Hui Garden, opened to the public in September 2001.
• Children's Welfare Institute (a.k.a. "Social Welfare Institute"), children's orphanage
• Anhui Laomingguang Stadium, the home ground of Anhui Jiufang, but also used for other public sporting events.

There are also a small number of mosques in the city for those who live here of the Hui Chinese minority culture. The people of this minority are Muslim.

Famous people from Hefei include:

• Bao Zheng (999 - 1062), Northern Song Dynasty bureaucrat and judge whose name has become synonymous with judicial wisdom and uprightness.
• Chen Ning Yang, (b. 1922), 1957 Nobel Physics Prize laureate, one of the two earliest Chinese to receive the prize.
• Hongzhang (1823 - 1901), prominent late Qing Dynasty bureaucrat and diplomat.
• Yang Yuanqing (1964 - ), Chairman of Board of Lenovo.
• Liu Mingchuan (1836 - 1896). Statesman during the late Qing dynasty, first governor of Taiwan.
• Jin Jing (1981- ), paralympic fencer.

Hefei's annual average temperature is about 15.7 °C (60 °F). Its annual precipitation is about 1,000 mm (39 in). It snows irregularly in the winter. In the months of June, July, August, and often September, daily temperatures can reach highs of 37 °C (99 °F) with high humidity levels being the norm. The coldest temperatures in the winter average 0° C (32° C).

Hefei has sister city relationships with many cities around the world, including the city I went to college in and lived in for 10 years: Columbus, Ohio!

References

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/

http://plumbot.com/Hefei.html

http://weather.msn.com/