Bengbu is a city in northern Anhui Province, China. Its metropolitan area consists of four urban districts, and has nearly one million residents, though the Prefecture-level city under its jurisdiction had 3,164,467 registered residents at the 2010 census. Its name means "Oyster Wharf" in Chinese, echoing its former reputation as a freshwater pearl fishery.
Bengbu is located in the southeast of the North China Plain, on the Huai River. The built up urbanized area is divided into two parts: greater Bengbu on the south bank of the river and little Bengbu on the north bank. Dragon Lake is on the East side of the urbanized area. On the other side of the lake is the university district, containing four institutions of higher learning.
Climate
The area has a four-season humid subtropical climate with strong monsoon influences, cool, sometimes cold, winters, and hot and humid summers. The area lies in a climatic transition zone, as it is on the Qin Ling−Huai River boundary between the climatic regimes of northern and southern China. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is. A majority of the annual precipitation occurs from June to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 44% in March to 56% in August, the city receives 2,168 hours of bright sunshine annually.
History
In ancient times, the Dongyi peoples inhabited this area and were collectively known as the Huaiyi after the Huai River. During the late Western Zhou Period and the early Spring and Autumn period, the Dongyi became increasingly sinicized. During the late Spring and Autumn period, the once-powerful Dongyi state of Xu was pressured from all directions and destroyed through a series of wars with its neighbors, such as the Chu State and the Wu State. Another Dongyi State was the small Zhongli State, which was a part of the Huaiyi Confederation led by the State of Xu. Tombs belonging to the royalty of the Zhongli State were discovered in excavations between 2005 and 2008 near Fengyang. Eventually, the Huaiyi peoples were either pushed south or assimilated. Bengbu has always been a hub of water and land communications in Anhui province, and a major distribution centre for the Huai basin. In 1948, during the Chinese Civil War, the CommunistPeople's Liberation Army won a decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces near Bengbu, in the Huaihai Campaign.
Economy
Industry
Bengbu is now a famous food city in Anhui province. Food-related industries account for 44% of the city's industrial production. The city's other industries include engineering works, textiles, glass making, chemicals, and electronics. The light textile holds an important position in the industrial structure.
Agriculture
Bengbu is teeming with oil, vegetables, meat and aquatic products. Bengbu is a large producer of peanuts. The pomegranates from Huaiyuan, have a high reputation in China. In Wuhe, the crabs are also famous.
The city is on the Jinghu Railway, with hourly direct trains to Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities. Bengbu South Railway Station is served by the high-speed Beijing-Shanghai Railway. Bengbu Airport, which was relocated from the city's central urban area around the turn of the 21st century, is now operated only as a military airport. A new commercial airport is under construction in the district north of the Huai river. Construction on the Bengbu Metro started in 2019 and is due to be completed in 2023.
