1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ngan-hui

NGAN-HUI (An-hwei or Gan-Hwuy), an eastern province of China, which, together with Kiang-su and Kiang-si, forms the vice-royalty of Kiang-nan. It is bounded N. by Ho-nan, E. by Kiang-su and Cheh-kiang, S. by Kiang-si and W. by Hu-peh and Ho-nan. It covers an area of 48,461 sq. m., and contains a population of 23,600,000 Its principal city is Ngan-kʽing on the Yangtsze Kiang, besides which it numbers seven prefectural cities. One district city, Ho-fei, is noted as having been the birthplace of Li Hungchang (1822–1901). The southern half of the province, that portion south of the Yangtsze Kiang, forms part of the Nan-shan, or hilly belt of the south-eastern provinces, and produces, besides cotton, coal and iron ore, large quantities of green tea. There are also considerable forest areas. Nganhui is one of the most productive provinces of China. Over the whole of its southern portion tea is largely grown, notably in the districts of Hui-chow Fu, Tung-liu, Ta-tung and. Wu-hu. The Yangtsze Kiang is the principal river of the province, and is of great importance for foreign commerce, supplying direct water communication between some of the principal tea-growing districts and the neighbourhood of Hang-chow. The only other river of importance is the Hwai-ho (see China: The Country). Wu-hu on the Yangtsze Kiang is the only open port in this province. From this port a railway runs S.E. to Wen-chow—an open seaport in Cheh-kiang province.