Sanhe Ancient Town

Sanhe Ancient Town

Sanhe Ancient Town is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and a patriotic education base.

Sanhe Town is located in Feixi County, Hefei City, more than 30 kilometers from downtown Hefei. It gets its name from the three rivers — Fengle River, Hangbu River, and Xiaonan River — that flow through it, and it boasts a history of over 2,500 years. As far back as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the town had already taken shape. Historically, the site witnessed the battle between the states of Wu and Chu. In 1858, the Taiping Army also fought fiercely here, leaving behind numerous historical relics such as city walls and the Heavenly King’s Courtyard.

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Sanhe Town

Sanhe Town is also a typical water town, with a scenic charm that rivals that of Zhouzhuang in southern Jiangsu. At the same time, it boasts a rich collection of cultural sites, forming the unique “Eight Antiques” landscape of the Jianghuai region: ancient rivers, ancient bridges, ancient dikes, ancient streets, ancient houses, ancient teahouses, and ancient battlefields. The food culture of Sanhe Town is well developed — locals, both men and women, can cook a few signature dishes. As a result, Sanhe’s local cuisine is famous far and wide, and many restaurants in Hefei bear the name “Sanhe.” However, to truly savor Sanhe’s delicacies, one must visit Sanhe Town itself. Any reasonably sized restaurant there serves authentic local dishes that are truly unforgettable.

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Sanhe Town is located at the southern end of Feixi County, at the junction of Feixi, Shucheng, and Lujiang counties. The Fengle River and Hangbu River converge here and flow eastward via the Xin River for about 15 kilometers before entering Chaohu Lake. It is 40 kilometers north of Hefei, 24 kilometers from Shangpai Town, 32 kilometers south of Lujiang County, and 30 kilometers west of Shucheng County. Geographic coordinates: 117°14′ to 117°16′ east longitude, 31°30′ to 31°32′ north latitude. Total area: 2.9 square kilometers, with an urban area of 1.5 square kilometers. It governs 4 residential committees, 2 administrative villages (Yangpo and Xiaguai), and had a total population of 15,796 in 1985, including 11,611 non-agricultural residents.

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

This area was originally a high shoal in Chaohu Lake, anciently known as Quezhu, Quewei (Zhu), or Que’an, among other names. Later, due to sedimentation, it gradually became land. In the late Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was called Sancha River. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it became Sanhe Town (see the article “Historical Changes of Sanhe Town” in the Appendix). From the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Qing dynasty, it belonged to Hefei County under Luzhou Prefecture. On January 25, 1949, it was liberated and designated as Sanhe City (county-level). In April 1950, the city was abolished and replaced by a district under Feixi County. In 1956, Sanhe Town (district-level) was re-established, reporting directly to the county.

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Feixi Sanhe Ancient Town

Sanhe has long been a vital hub for water and land transport on the western shore of Chaohu Lake and is the largest port in the county. Water routes via the Fengle and Hangbu Rivers connect upstream to Shucheng and Lu’an counties and downstream to Chaohu Lake and the Yangtze River; land routes link to Hefei, Shangpai, Lujiang, and Shucheng. Since the 1980s, dozens of state-run and private buses have traveled daily between Sanhe and Shangpai, as well as Hefei, shifting the primary mode of passenger transport from water to road. In 1985, a highway bridge crossing the Fengle River north of the town was completed and opened to traffic, allowing vehicles to enter the town and gradually increasing road freight volume.

Sanhe Town has the classic appearance of a water town. “Rivers encircle both banks, three islets stand in the middle, and three waterways run through them, all connected by bridges” (from the Qing-era Anhui General Records). Streets stretch along both sides of the river, totaling approximately 3 kilometers in length. Most buildings date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The street center is paved with bluestone slabs, giving it an elegant and rustic charm, though the streets are rather narrow. In the 1970s, 5,800 square meters of cement pavement were laid on Zhong Street and Nan Street, and some roads were widened and renovated. In 1985, an ancient street was restored on Nan Street, and a new street was built in Yangpo Weir north of the town. After the 1970s, over 20 new buildings were constructed in town, including major structures such as the Sanhe Middle School teaching building, the supply and marketing building, and the cinema. A waterworks was established, with over 8,000 meters of pipelines laid. In the winter of 1979, the Hangbu River was artificially diverted east of the town, reducing flooding, but the old course became heavily polluted and urgently needs remediation.

After the Tang and Song dynasties, the lakeside and riverside wetlands around Sanhe gradually saw the development of polder fields stretching for dozens of miles, turning the area into a land of fish and rice. Sanhe Town early on became a bustling commercial hub dominated by the rice market. The Jiaqing-era Hefei County Annals recorded: “Sanhe lies at the border of three counties, a convergence point for grain storage. Three rivers formed by the confluence of waters from Shu, Lu, and Liu are broad, with branching tributaries crisscrossing — enough to hide tens of thousands of boats.” According to 1933 statistics, the Sanhe Port exported an average of one million dan of rice per year, the highest among all ports on Chaohu Lake. In addition, timber, firewood, and charcoal from the mountains of western Shucheng were transported down the Hangbu River and gathered here. Daily goods from downstream regions (Shanghai, Nanjing) were also wholesaled here and distributed to the countryside, making Sanhe an important commodity distribution center on the western shore of Chaohu Lake and the eastern foothills of the Dabie Mountains — hence the saying “There’s no end to what you can buy in Sanhe.” The Shucheng County Annals of the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty noted: “Sanhe Town is a hub of commerce and a major city in the southern part of Lu Prefecture.” In the summer of 1938, Japanese forces occupied Sanhe for 86 days, committing arson, killings, and looting, causing great devastation to the town. Later, driven back by anti-Japanese resistance forces, the Japanese withdrew from Sanhe, leading to an influx of residents from occupied cities like Hefei and Wuhu. The town’s population swelled to 70,000–80,000, markets operated day and night, creating an abnormal “prosperity” dubbed “Little Nanjing.” After the victory of the War of Resistance in 1945, residents returned to their original homes. From 1946 onward, as the civil war intensified, military rations were levied in Sanhe. Coupled with inflation, Sanhe’s commerce suffered a heavy blow and gradually declined. It wasn’t until its liberation in January 1949 that recovery began. According to 1950 surveys, the town had 1,067 shops of various kinds.

In 1956, the state implemented socialist transformation of private industry and commerce, organizing them into cooperatives. Rice distribution came under state monopoly. After 1979, private commerce, the rice trade, and handicrafts were revived. By 1985, there were 450 state-owned, collective, and private commercial outlets, with total retail sales of social goods exceeding 60 million yuan.

Industry before liberation included textiles, cigarettes, rice milling, and food processing. After the 1950s, over 30 factories were built, including larger ones such as a distillery, feather fan factory, cotton mill, towel factory, instrument factory, pharmaceutical factory, rice mill, printing factory, shipyard, felt factory, paper mill, tool factory, and machine needle factory. Nearly 100 types of products were manufactured, 20 of which were exported. Notable products included Chaohu sweet wine, feather fans, Red Peony brand towels, and Wan Gong brand pliers.

The town has one full high school, one junior high school, four elementary schools, and two kindergartens. Sanhe Middle School, founded in 1941 and originally named Feinan Middle School, is one of the earliest secondary schools in the county. In the 1970s, a teaching building with 24 classrooms was built — the largest in the county. Cultural facilities include a cultural center, a Lu Opera troupe, a cinema, a film team, and a radio station. Medical institutions consist of one town hospital with 150 medical staff and 100 beds, as well as nine community- and village-run clinics.

Sanhe Town is a famous ancient battlefield. During the Spring and Autumn period, it was a contested area between the states of Wu and Chu. The Battle of Que’an mentioned in Zuo Zhuan (Duke Zhao, Year 5) took place here. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was a strategic stronghold where many major battles occurred. At the end of the Ming dynasty, Zhang Xianzhong’s peasant rebel army captured Sanhe and seized over 300 large ships, establishing a naval force. In the late Qing dynasty during the Xianfeng era, the Taiping Army captured Sanhe and used it as a key stronghold in northern Anhui. They built a large fortress surrounded by nine battlements to store grain, ammunition, and supplies for Tianjing and Luzhou. In November 1858 (October of the eighth year of Xianfeng), young Taiping generals Chen Yucheng and Li Xiucheng annihilated over 6,000 Qing troops here, including the fierce Hunan Army commander Li Xubin and Zeng Guofan’s brother Zeng Guohua. This event is known as the “Great Victory of Sanhe.” Historical relics: Former sites such as Que Pavilion, King Temple, Iron Buddha Temple, the Memorial Temple of Li Zhongwu (Li Xubin), and the Eternal Stage no longer exist. Existing relics include several ancient streets, remnants of the Taiping Army’s city walls, the Temple of the City God, ancient steles, and the Sancounty Bridge. In 1951, two bronze cannons from the Taiping Army were unearthed in Sanhe Town and are now housed in the Nanjing Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Exhibition Hall.

Sanhe Town: Located in central Anhui, Sanhe Town is in the southwestern part of Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui, under the jurisdiction of Hefei. It borders Chaohu and Lu’an cities, faces Chaohu Lake to the east, and is traversed by the Fengle, Hangbu, and Xiaonan rivers. It lies on the golden tourism route between the national 5A-level scenic spots Huangshan and Jiuhuashan. The Hefei-Tongling Highway runs through the town, while the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and Hefei-Tongling-Huangshan Expressway pass nearby, offering convenient transportation and superior location advantages. The town covers an area of 70 square kilometers, governs 19 villages and 7 residential committees, and has a population of 72,000. The Sanhe Ancient Town scenic area spans 4.71 square kilometers and has a population of over 30,000. …… More details about Sanhe Town++

Further Reading:

· 29th Batch of National 5A-Level Tourist Attractions (October 2015)