Huaian (淮安)

1. Introduction

Huai'an City, abbreviated as Huai, formerly known as Huaiyin, and historically referred to as Huai Prefecture, Chu Prefecture, Shanyang, and Dongyang, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. It was officially included in the Yangtze River Delta integration plan in 2019 and is located in the central-northern part of Jiangsu Province. The city borders Suqian City to the northwest, Lianyungang City to the northeast, Yancheng City to the east, Yangzhou City to the southeast, and Chuzhou City of Anhui Province to the southwest. Situated in the heart of the Lixiahe Plain within the Jianghuai Plain of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the terrain is generally flat, with slightly higher elevations in the southwestern part and a few hilly areas. The region features an intricate network of rivers and lakes, including Hongze Lake in the southwest and Gaoyou Lake in the southeast. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through the urban area, while the Northern Jiangsu Main Irrigation Canal, Huai River, and Inner Canal flow through the territory. Key water conservancy projects such as the Sanhe Sluice and Gaoliangjian Inlet Sluice are also located here. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 1 Xiangyu South Road, Huai'an District (which also falls within the Eco-Cultural Tourism Zone).

Huai'an is a National Historical and Cultural City of China. Located at the confluence of the Huai River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it has long served as a hub for water transport and grain transportation, as well as a crucial north-south thoroughfare. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was known as one of the four major cities along the Grand Canal, alongside Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou, earning the titles "Capital of the Grand Canal" and "Gateway to Nine Provinces." Huai'an has been recognized by the United Nations as a Creative City of Gastronomy and is the primary birthplace of Huaiyang cuisine.

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2. History

2.1 Qin and Han Dynasties

Legend has it that Yu the Great once tamed the floods within this region, "making the Huai River forever peaceful."

In 486 BC, King Fuchai of Wu, aiming to advance northward into the Central Plains, excavated the Han Ditch from Hancheng (present-day Yangzhou) to Mokuo (present-day Hexia, Huai'an), connecting the Huai River and the Yangtze River. This brought about Huai'an's first period of prosperity during the Qin and Han dynasties.

Huai'an was established as a county during the Qin Dynasty, boasting a history of over 2,200 years. At that time, the region saw the establishment of Huaiyin County (around present-day Mokuo and Hexia in Huai'an District), Xuyi County, and Dongyang County (from the northwest of present-day Tianchang City, Anhui Province to Maba in Xuyi County). The Western Han Dynasty further established Huaipu County (present-day Lianshui County), among others. Huaiyin City was situated opposite the confluence of the Si River into the Huai River, while Mokuo to its east served as the starting point connecting the Huai River to the Yangtze River canal, giving it a crucial transportation position.

During the Qin and Han periods, many notable figures emerged from this area: Han Xin, the great general who assisted Liu Bang in establishing the Han Dynasty; and Mei Sheng, Mei Gao, and Chen Lin (one of the Seven Scholars of the Jian'an period).

2.2 Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties

Huai'an was located on the front line of the confrontation between the North and South, with prolonged warfare leading to scenes described as "a thousand miles of the long Huai, a thousand miles of barren land."

At the end of the Jin Dynasty, Zu Ti constructed Shanyang City, known today as the Old City, with each side measuring 1,600 meters.

In the seventh year of the Yongming era of the Southern Qi Dynasty (489 AD), "the area east of Zhidu and Pofu, along with one hundred miscellaneous households downstream from the Huaiyin garrison, was carved out to establish Huai'an County."

During this period, the most outstanding poet, Bao Zhao, was a native of Lianshui.

2.3 Sui and Tang Dynasties

In the first year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (581 AD), Chu Prefecture was established, with its seat in Shouzhang County (west of the Western Han Ditch, around the Hexia area). In the twelfth year, the seat was moved to Shanyang County (present-day Huai'an District). It was abolished early in the Daye era.

In the eighth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (625 AD), it was re-established by renaming Dongchu Prefecture. The seat remained in Shanyang County. Its jurisdiction roughly corresponded to the area south of the Huai River in present-day Jiangsu Province, east of Xuyi County, and north of Baoying County and Yancheng City. During the Tianbao and Zhide eras, it was once renamed Huaiyin Commandery.

In the early Sui Dynasty, the Grand Canal was excavated.

In the early Tang Dynasty, with the opening of the salt flats in the Lianghuai region, Lianshui became one of the four major salt fields in the country.

Chu Prefecture (seat in Shanyang, present-day Huai'an District) and Si Prefecture (seat in Linhuai, now at the bottom of Hongze Lake) became two famous cities along the canal route. Among them, Chu Prefecture was the most prominent metropolis in the southeast after Yangzhou, praised by the poet Bai Juyi as "the foremost prefecture southeast of the Huai River."

During the Tang Dynasty, Japanese ships could depart from the Huai River estuary at Lianshui (now part of Huai'an, Jiangsu), sail north along the Yellow Sea, cross the Yellow Sea eastward via the Korean Peninsula to reach Japan.

2.4 Song and Yuan Dynasties

During the Northern Song Dynasty, it belonged to the Huainan East Circuit. Its jurisdiction was slightly reduced.

The Huai River served as the boundary between the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin state.

During the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, Han Shizhong and his wife Liang Hongyu resisted the Jin in Chu Prefecture for ten years, with only thirty thousand troops, yet the Jin dared not invade.

In the first year of the Shaoding era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1228 AD), Chu Prefecture was renamed Huai'an Army.

With the Jin army's southern expeditions, Huai'an frequently suffered from warfare, leading to depopulation and desolation. Consequently, Huai'an Army was changed to Huai'an Prefecture. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was further changed to Huai'an Route, with its seat still in Shanyang.

2.5 Ming and Qing Dynasties

During the Ming and Qing periods, Huai'an was a crucial hub for the three major southeastern administrative affairs: river management, grain transport, and salt administration. The imperial court established two governor positions here: the Southern River Governor and the Grain Transport Governor. The city's prosperity reached its peak, with the prefectural city, Hexia Town, Banzha Town, and Qingjiangpu forming a massive belt-shaped city stretching for dozens of miles. Along with Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, it was known as one of the "Four Great Cities" along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Huai'an Prefecture in the Ming Dynasty was one of only two prefectures north of the Yangtze River in present-day Jiangsu. Its jurisdiction basically corresponded to the areas of today's Huai'an, Yancheng, Suqian, Lianyungang, and the eastern part of Xuzhou City. In the Qing Dynasty, Haizhou was separated from Huai'an Prefecture as a directly-administered department, and part of its territory was allocated to the newly established Xuzhou Prefecture, resulting in a reduced scope. It administered six counties: Shanyang (present-day Huai'an District), Qinghe (present-day Huaiyin District), Andong (present-day Lianshui), Taoyuan (present-day Siyang), Yancheng, and Funing (newly established from the eastern part of Shanyang County).

In 1761, because Qinghe County's seat was destroyed by floods, Qingjiangpu Town of Shanyang County was transferred to Qinghe to serve as its new county seat.

2.6 Republic of China Period

In 1914, several counties in this region were renamed due to having duplicate names with other counties: Shanyang County was changed to Huai'an County, Qinghe County to Huaiyin County, Andong County to Lianshui County, and Taoyuan County to Siyang County.

After the establishment of the Republic of China, prefecture-level administrative institutions were abolished, while the circuit (Dao) was retained. Qingjiangpu became the seat of the Huaiyang Circuit, formally replacing Huai'an Prefecture City as the administrative center. The Huaiyang Circuit included the former Huai'an Prefecture and Yangzhou Prefecture, administering a total of 13 counties: Huaiyin County, Huai'an County (present-day Huai'an District), Lianshui County, Yancheng County, Funing County, Siyang County, Jiangdu County, Dongtai County, Gaoyou County, Yizheng County, Baoying County, Tai County, and Xinghua County.

In 1937, with the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Jiangsu Provincial Government relocated from Zhenjiang to here, until it was captured by the Japanese army in March 1939.

2.7 People's Republic of China Period

2.7.1 Huaiyin Special District, Huaiyin Region

• In December 1948, the Chinese People's Liberation Army occupied Huaiyin and Huai'an towards the end of the Huaihai Campaign. On April 21 the following year, the Huaiyin Special District was established under the jurisdiction of the Northern Jiangsu Administrative Office, including 10 counties: Huaiyin, Huaibao, Siyang, Shuyang, Guanyun, Suqian, Suining, Xin'an, Pi Sui, and Lianshui. The regional administrative office was located in Huaiyin County.
• On December 18, 1950, Qingjiang City was established from the urban area of Huaiyin County. The regional administrative office was set up in Qingjiang City.
• Administrative changes in Huaiyin Special District during the 1950s:
  • Suining, Pi Sui, and Xinyi counties were transferred to Xuzhou Special District.
  • Huai'an County was transferred from Yancheng Special District.
  • Sihong County was transferred from the Su County region of Anhui Province; Xuyi County was transferred from the Chu County region of Anhui Province.
  • In 1956, Hongze County was established from parts of Huaiyin, Sihong, and Xuyi counties, with its seat in Gaoliangjian Town.
  • In 1957, Guannan County was established from parts of Guanyun and Lianshui counties.
  • In 1958, Huaiyin County and Qingjiang City were temporarily merged into Huaiyin City. In 1964, the original status was restored.
• In 1966, Huaiyin Region administered 1 city (Qingjiang City) and 12 counties: Guanyun, Guannan, Shuyang, Suqian, Siyang, Lianshui, Huaiyin, Huai'an, Hongze, Sihong, Xuyi, and Jinhu.
• In 1975, Huaiyin County moved its seat to Wangying Town.

2.7.2 Huaiyin City

• In 1983, Qingjiang City was renamed Huaiyin City again, upgraded to a prefecture-level city, administering Qinghe and Qingpu districts and 11 counties: Guannan, Shuyang, Suqian, Siyang, Lianshui, Huaiyin, Sihong, Huai'an, Hongze, Xuyi, and Jinhu. Guanyun County was transferred to Lianyungang City.
• In 1987, Suqian and Huai'an counties were changed to county-level cities.
• In 1996, Suqian City was upgraded to a prefecture-level city, administering Shuyang, Siyang, and Sihong; Guannan County was transferred to Lianyungang City. Huaiyin City then had 5 counties: Huaiyin, Lianshui, Jinhu, Hongze, and Xuyi; Huai'an City (county-level); and Qinghe and Qingpu districts.

2.7.3 Huai'an City

• On December 21, 2000, Huaiyin City was renamed Huai'an City, still based in Qinghe District; the former county-level Huai'an City was changed to Chuzhou District, based in Huaicheng Town; the former Huaiyin County was changed to Huaiyin District, based in Wangying Town.
• On December 30, 2011, Chuzhou District was renamed Huai'an District of Huai'an City. Starting from May 16, 2015, the Huai'an People's Government Office relocated from No. 140 West Jiankang Road, Qinghe District, Huai'an City, to No. 1 South Xiangyu Road, Ecological New City, Huai'an District. On June 8, 2016, Huai'an City's Qinghe District and Qingpu District were abolished, and Huai'an City's Qingjiangpu District was established; Hongze County was abolished, and Huai'an City's Hongze District was established.

3. Geography

The vast majority of Huai'an City's territory consists of the expansive Jianghuai Plain (Lixiahe Plain), characterized by extremely flat terrain. Only Xuyi County features some hilly topography, with the highest point in Tieshan Temple Forest Park approaching an elevation of 200 meters.

Huai'an City is rich in rivers and lakes. Its major rivers include the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Huai River. The city borders China's fourth-largest freshwater lake, Hongze Lake, to the west, and has lakes such as Gaoyou Lake and Baima Lake to the south.

Straddling both banks of the Huai River, the character of Huai'an's people combines strength with gentleness, and its talents are versed in both literary and martial arts. Except for Huaiyin District, most of the rest of Lianshui County is located south of the Huai River (representing Huaiyang culture).

In 2008, Huai'an constructed the "Marker of the China North-South Geographical Boundary Line" on the ancient course of the Huai River (the Old Huai River Channel) in the northern part of the urban area.

3.1 Climate

Huai'an City is situated on the northern edge of the northern subtropical zone. The average temperature of the coldest month is 1.6°C, the annual average temperature is 15.1°C, and the annual precipitation is 993 mm.

Huai'an City Meteorological Data (1991-2020)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Avg. High (℃ / °F) | 6.1 (43.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 14.6 (58.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 25.7 (78.3) | 29.6 (85.3) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.6 (87.1) | 26.9 (80.4) | 22.0 (71.6) | 15.3 (59.5) | 8.1 (46.6) | 19.9 (67.9) | | Daily Mean (℃ / °F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.1 (39.4) | 9.2 (48.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 20.5 (68.9) | 24.7 (76.5) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 22.1 (71.8) | 16.5 (61.7) | 10.1 (50.2) | 3.4 (38.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | | Avg. Low (℃ / °F) | -1.9 (28.6) | 0.3 (32.5) | 4.5 (40.1) | 10.0 (50.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 18.5 (65.3) | 12.2 (54.0) | 5.9 (42.6) | -0.2 (31.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | | Avg. Precipitation (mm / in) | 24.4 (0.96) | 33.0 (1.30) | 34.2 (1.35) | 47.0 (1.85) | 70.6 (2.78) | 131.9 (5.19) | 252.1 (9.93) | 194.7 (7.67) | 90.9 (3.58) | 44.7 (1.76) | 44.3 (1.74) | 24.8 (0.98) | 992.6 (39.09) |

4. Administrative Divisions

Huai'an City administers 4 municipal districts and 3 counties.

• Municipal Districts: Qingjiangpu District, Huai'an District, Huaiyin District, Hongze District
• Counties: Lianshui County, Xuyi County, Jinhu County

Additionally, Huai'an City has established the following economic management zones: National-level Huai'an Economic and Technological Development Zone, Huai'an Industrial Park, Huai'an Ecological and Cultural Tourism Zone, and Suhuai High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------| | 320800 | Huai'an City | Huái'ān Shì | 10,029.54 | 4,556,230 | Huai'an District | 223000 | 38 | 57 | | 320803 | Huai'an District | Huái'ān Qū | 1,452.30 | 785,272 | Huaicheng Subdistrict | 223200 | 3 | 13 | | 320804 | Huaiyin District | Huáiyīn Qū | 1,307.24 | 748,791 | Changjianglu Subdistrict | 223300 | 4 | 9 | | 320812 | Qingjiangpu District | Qīngjiāngpǔ Qū | 443.05 | 1,010,704 | Chengnan Subdistrict | 223000 | 18 | 2 | | 320813 | Hongze District | Hóngzé Qū | 1,273.41 | 285,097 | Fuliangdong Subdistrict | 223100 | 3 | 6 | | 320826 | Lianshui County | Liánshuǐ Xiàn | 1,678.50 | 829,699 | Liancheng Subdistrict | 223400 | 4 | 12 | | 320830 | Xuyi County | Xūyí Xiàn | 2,497.31 | 607,211 | Xucheng Subdistrict | 211700 | 3 | 10 | | 320831 | Jinhu County | Jīnhú Xiàn | 1,377.73 | 289,456 | Licheng Subdistrict | 211600 | 3 | 5 |

5. Economy

After 2000, South Korean capital Hankook Tire entered Huai'an. Since 2007, Taiwanese-funded enterprises such as Foxconn, Darfon Electronics, and Hongsheng Luggage have successively invested and built factories here, making the city a new gathering area for Taiwanese investment.

In 2011, the city's gross regional product reached 169 billion yuan; the per capita gross regional product was 35,181 yuan (based on the resident population), which converted to 5,447 US dollars at the exchange rate, slightly above the national average. The per capita disposable income of urban residents was 20,260 yuan, and the per capita net income of farmers was 8,645 yuan. Both the economic aggregate and per capita economic level rank in the upper-middle range nationally and within the northern Jiangsu region.

6. Transportation

6.1 Water Transport

Huai'an is situated at the confluence of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Huai River, and it is a city that prospered due to water transport. Similar to Yangzhou, its status has diminished in modern times as the role of the Grand Canal has declined.

6.2 Highways

The G2 Beijing-Shanghai Expressway (Beijing-Shanghai), G25 Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway (formerly known as the Nanjing-Huai'an-Lianyungang Expressway), G2513 Xuzhou-Suqian-Huai'an-Yancheng Expressway, National Highways 205, 233, 343, Provincial Highways 236, and 327 intersect here, forming a radial expressway network centered on the city and creating a ring road around the urban periphery. The expressway density reaches 3.48 kilometers per 100 square kilometers.

6.3 Railway

• China High-Speed Railway: Xinchang Railway
• China High-Speed Railway: Lianyungang-Zhenjiang Railway
• China High-Speed Railway: Xuzhou-Yancheng Railway
• China High-Speed Railway: Nanjing-Huai'an Intercity Railway
• Huai'an Tram

6.4 Aviation

Huai'an Lianshui Airport is located 22 kilometers northeast of the city, within Chenshi Town, Lianshui County. It commenced operations on September 26, 2010, and currently offers domestic routes to cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. International routes to South Korea and Thailand were launched in 2015.

7. Education

Huai'an is home to several higher education institutions. Among them, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an College of Information Technology, Jiangsu Food & Pharmaceutical Science College, and Jiangsu Vocational College of Finance & Economics are all located in the Higher Education Park in the southern part of the city (locally commonly referred to as the "University Town"); Huaiyin Normal University is situated in the Huaiyin District in the northern part of the city. Huai'an also hosts the Huai'an Campus of Nanjing Forestry University.

Huai'an has seven national-level exemplary high schools, including Jiangsu Huaiyin High School (formerly Jiangbei University Hall, founded in 1902), Jiangsu Qingjiang High School, Jiangsu Huaizhou High School, Jiangsu Huai'an High School, Jiangsu Xuyi High School, Jiangsu Jinhu High School, and Jiangsu Lianshui High School. Provincial-level key high schools include Huai'an Qingpu High School (founded in 1952, formerly known as Chengmin Middle School and Dongfanghong Middle School), the Affiliated High School of Huaiyin Normal University, Hongze County High School, Hongze County No. 2 High School, Chuzhou High School, Huaihai High School, Xuyi County Maba High School, Jinhu County No. 2 High School, and Lianshui County Zhengliangmei High School.

Key primary schools in Huai'an include Huai'an Experimental Primary School (formerly Changzheng Primary School, founded in 1908), the First Affiliated Primary School of Huaiyin Normal University (formerly the Affiliated Primary School of Huaiyin Normal University, founded in 1959), and Huai'an Renmin Primary School (formerly Renhe Primary School, founded in 1940).

In 2009, the city had a total of 986 schools of various types, with 974,000 enrolled students and 60,000 faculty and staff. Among these: 271 kindergartens of considerable scale, with 152,000 children enrolled; 455 primary schools, with 306,000 enrolled students; 204 regular secondary schools, with 321,000 enrolled students; 43 secondary vocational schools, with 113,000 enrolled students; 2 regular undergraduate institutions and 4 higher vocational colleges, with 79,000 enrolled students; and 7 special education schools, with 2,000 enrolled students.

8. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 4,556,230. Compared with the 4,801,662 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a total decrease of 245,432 people over the ten years, a decline of 5.11%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.52%. Among them, the male population was 2,278,713, accounting for 50.01% of the total population; the female population was 2,277,517, accounting for 49.99% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 100.05. The population aged 0–14 was 806,559, accounting for 17.7% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,711,152, accounting for 59.5% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,038,519, accounting for 22.79% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 748,077, accounting for 16.42% of the total population. The urban resident population was 2,992,223, accounting for 65.67% of the total population; the rural resident population was 1,564,007, accounting for 34.33% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, the permanent resident population of Huai'an City was 4.5531 million, a decrease of 9,100 from the previous year. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 3.0429 million, with an urbanization rate of 66.83% for the permanent resident population. The annual birth rate was 4.78‰, and the death rate was 3.82‰. The registered population at the end of the year was 5.5111 million.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 4,541,366, accounting for 99.67%; the ethnic minority population was 14,864, accounting for 0.33%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 251,375, a decline of 5.24%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.14 percentage points; the ethnic minority population increased by 5,943, a growth of 66.62%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.14 percentage points.

9. Religion

In Huai'an City, among the religious sites and statistically recorded religious adherents, Protestant Christianity holds an absolute majority (800 sites, 180,000 adherents), followed by Buddhism (40 sites, 40,000 adherents) and Islam (5 sites, 6,000 adherents). The number of Catholic adherents has dwindled to only 38. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, Huai'an served as a significant missionary base for the Southern Presbyterian Mission. Notable missionaries included Absalom Sydenstricker, father of Pearl S. Buck, and L. Nelson Bell, father-in-law of Billy Graham. Since the 1990s, several large churches capable of accommodating thousands of people have been successively built in the city. These include the Huai'an Christian Church with a floor area of 3,685 square meters and the Sheng'en Church with a floor area of 10,100 square meters, the latter claimed to be the largest Christian church in Asia. Prominent Buddhist temples open to the public in Huai'an include Ciyun Temple, Wensi Temple, and Nengren Temple (in Lianshui County).

10. Culture

• Famous Historical and Cultural City of China

Huai'an is the Canal Capital. It served as the administrative seat of prefectures, commanderies, and circuits for a long time. It is the birthplace of Huaiyang cuisine, a place where talents and luminaries have gathered and emerged throughout history. The city experienced several periods of prosperity in the past, leading to its designation as one of the second batch of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities of China.

The ancient city of Huai'an has a unique structure. The Old City, built by Zu Ti during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, measures 1,600 meters on each of its four sides. During the Northern Song Dynasty, a New City was constructed 1,000 meters north of the Old City, with each side measuring 1,000 meters. In the Ming Dynasty, to defend against Japanese pirates, a Connecting City (also called a "Jia City") was built between the two existing cities. It only had east and west walls, each 700 meters long. The Old City, New City, and Connecting City stand side by side, forming a magnificent and unique layout among ancient Chinese cities.

The Old City is the core of the three cities. Its walls are ten meters high, featuring four gate towers, three corner towers, and three water gates. Inside, streets and alleys crisscross, and markets and residential blocks are densely packed. The Zhenhuai Tower stands at the city center.

• Canal Capital

The Huai'an section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was first excavated during the Spring and Autumn period. Historically, it served five major central functions: the command center for water transport, the manufacturing center for grain transport ships, the grain storage center, the distribution center for Huaipei salt, and the management center for waterway regulation. Hence, it is called the Canal Capital.

• Home of Huaiyang Cuisine

Due to its significant historical status, Huai'an became one of the main birthplaces of Huaiyang cuisine.

During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, the Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer recorded: "Huai'an's food and drink are luxurious and exquisite, with hundreds of varieties in the markets, surpassing those south of the Yangtze."

During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer noted: "North of the Yangtze River, Huai'an hosts the most sumptuous banquets with rare delicacies. When common folk entertain honored guests, they set out a feast covering a square zhang, with musicians and various performances, a hundred precious dishes, a single banquet costing several taels of gold."

Famous dishes and snacks include: Pingqiao Tofu, Wenlou Soup Dumplings, Crab Roe Soup Dumplings, Qingong Meatballs, etc. Huai'an is particularly renowned for its preparation of Long Fish (ricefield eel), featuring the so-called "Whole Eel Banquet," which includes dishes like Soft Pocket Long Fish, Stir-fried Butterfly Slices, Blanched Tiger Tail, Braised Saddle Bridge, and Simmered Navel Gate.

Famous local specialties include: Lianshui Dried Radish, Lianshui Chicken Cake, Gaogou Bundled Trotters, Huai'an Tea San (fried dough twists), Hongze Lake Hairy Crab, Xuyi Lobster, etc.

• Huai Opera

Huai Opera is a local opera originating from the Jianghuai region in Jiangsu Province, China. It is primarily popular in Yancheng, Huai'an, Taizhou, Yangzhou, and has some influence in Shanghai, Anhui, and other provinces and cities, as well as in the Taiwan region. Its singing style is simple and unadorned. The dialect used in Huai Opera is based on the phonological system of the Jianhu dialect, which belongs to the Jianyan sub-dialect of the Hongchao cluster of Jianghuai Mandarin.

Huai Opera has developed the following 20 rhyme categories:

There are 14 tonal rhyme categories: Pa Sha, Po Suo, Tu Shu, Chou Shou, Qiao Shao, Kai Huai, Qi Xi, Tan Shan, Tian Xian, Chen Sheng, Qin Xin, Chui Hui, Chang Shang, Peng Song. In practice, "Chen Sheng" and "Qin Xin" are often used interchangeably. Among these 14 tonal rhymes, characters with Yin Ping and Yang Ping tones are specifically used for the closing lines of lyrics and are called "lower rhymes"; characters with Shang Sheng and Qu Sheng tones are used for the opening lines and are called "upper rhymes."

There are 6 entering tone rhyme categories: Huo Tuo, Huo Po, Liu Zu, Hei Te, La Ta, Xi Tie. Entering tones are not divided into upper or lower and are customarily called "single-character rhymes." Currently, there are 16 public Huai Opera troupes distributed in cities and counties such as Yancheng, Huai'an, Taizhou, Yangzhou, Jianhu, Funing, Sheyang, Binhai, Dafeng, Lianshui, Xinghua, Taixing, Baoying in Jiangsu Province, as well as in Shanghai. The Jiangsu Provincial Huai Opera Troupe is based in Yancheng City.

• Huai Storytelling
• Huai Embroidery

10.1 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Zhou Enlai's Former Residence
• Hongze Lake Levee
• Huai'an Prefectural Government Office
• Former Site of the Jiangsu-Anhui Border Region Government
• Ming Ancestral Tombs (Xuyi)
• Sizhou City Ruins
• Wentong Pagoda
• Moon Pagoda
• Qingliangang Site
• First Mountain Inscriptions

10.2 National-Level Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Huai Opera
• Chuzhou Shifan Gong and Drum Music
• Huaihai Opera

10.3 Dialect

The local dialect belongs to the Hongchao cluster of Jianghuai Mandarin. The Huai'an dialect is a representative point of the Huai (An)-Yang (Zhou) dialect group in Jiangsu Province.

11. Sister Cities

Huaian City currently has a total of 16 sister cities, categorized as 4 in Asia, 9 in Europe, and 3 in the Americas:

Asia

• Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan (October 29, 1995)
• Wanju County, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea (April 22, 1999)
• Kibichuo Town, Okayama Prefecture, Japan (October 1, 2004)
• Beersheba, Israel

Americas

• Yorba Linda, United States (March 5, 1998)
• St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada (June 12, 2012)
• Cuenca, Ecuador (April 20, 1993)

Europe

• Vénissieux, Rhône-Alpes, France (July 2, 1988)
• Gomel City, Gomel Region, Belarus (June 19, 1997)
• Province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy (September 27, 2000)
• Kolpinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia (September 8, 2003)
• Sassnitz, Germany (June 9, 2007)
• Płock, Poland (July 8, 2010)
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
• Fiumicino, Province of Rome, Lazio, Italy
• Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia (October 24, 2012)

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Legend has it that Yu the Great tamed the floods here, wishing for the eternal peace of the Huai River.

Huai'an District

Qingjiangpu District

Han Chinese population accounts for 99.67%; ethnic minority populations account for 0.33%

Cedar

Rose