Xuancheng

Xuancheng, city, southeastern Anhui sheng (province), China. It is the natural centre of the basin north of the Huang Mountains and lies on the route from Nanjing (Jiangsu province) and Wuhu south to Shexian and to Jiangxi province.

A settlement was founded on the present site in 590. In 592 Xuancheng became the name of the county, and under the Tang dynasty (618–907) the prefecture was also named Xuan. In the late 8th century it became the seat of a provincial governor, who was made a military governor in 892, Ningguo being the name of his command. In 1166 Xuan became a superior prefecture with the name Ningguo, and it retained this name until 1912, when the superior prefecture was abolished and the city became the seat of Xuancheng county. In 1987 the city of Xuanzhou was established to replace Xuancheng county, and in 2000 Xuanzhou was merged with Xuancheng prefecture to form the present city.

Xuancheng is a regional market for rice, as well as for other grains and oilseeds. The surrounding area also produces silk and green tea; much of the tea is processed in Wuhu. The city is famous throughout China for its Xuan paper—a special type used for painting—made from the bark of the blue sandalwood tree, which is grown locally. Xuancheng is linked with Wuhu by road. In the 1980s two new railway lines were built—one southward from Wuhu via Xuancheng into Jiangxi province and the other eastward from Xuancheng to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province—thus making the city a railway hub for southeastern Anhui. Pop. (2002 est.) 236,680; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 866,000.