Tongling Datong

　　Introduction  　   Datong, situated at the border of the ancient states of Wu and Chu, was part of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period and is a millennium-old Jiangnan town.       Datong boasts picturesque landscapes, bordering the Yangtze River, adjacent to the Qingtong River, near Tianmu Lake, and backed by the Longshan Mountain. Its unique geographical location endowed it with a glorious history, and it is now a historical and cultural preservation district of Anhui Province. It boasts a wealth of cultural heritage, including over twenty historic sites such as the Dashige (the First Gate of Jiuhua Mountain), the Tian Guan Mansion, the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church, and its bell tower. Numerous historical figures such as Zhu Yuanzhang, Hong Xiuquan, Sun Yat-sen, and many literati have visited and lingered here, leaving behind countless poems and verses. Architectural features from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as fireproof gables, upturned eaves, carved window frames, and riverside stilted buildings, can still be seen today. Local specialties like oil-sugar steamed cake, glutinous rice water seeds, oven-baked crisp cakes, fried hairy tofu, Datong tea tofu, and small-ground sesame oil have long been highly praised. Today’s Datong is even more vibrant, graced with beautiful scenery embraced by river and water, serving as the southwestern gateway of Tongling and a key passage to the “Two Mountains and One Lake” region.

　　 Tongling City, Anhui Province