Ma'anshan borders Chaohu to the northwest, Wuhu to the southwest, and Nanjing to the east.Ma'anshan is a young industrial city nestled in lush terrain-half mountainous and half water-in eastern Anhui,on the border with Jiangsu Province.Fifty years ago,it was still a desolate fishing village,with some 50 families living by the side of the lower reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River.
The name Ma'anshan means "Horse Saddle Mountain" in Chinese. According to legend, the name came to be when the Western Chu hegemon Xiang Yu was fleeing from the Battle of Gaixia. Rather than be captured, the defeated general killed himself at the area now known as Ma'anshan after ensuring that his beloved horse would be ferried across the river to safety. Upon seeing his master die, the grief-stricken horse leapt into the river and was drowned. As a tribute, the boatman buried the horse's saddle on a nearby hill, giving Ma'anshan its name.
There is a memorial to the famous Chinese poet, Li Bai (a.k.a. Li Po c.700-762), just west of Ma'anshan. Li Bai is said to have drowned at Ma'anshan after attempting to embrace a reflection of the moon.
China's first poetry festival was to be held in Ma'anshan from October 25-30 2005. The theme of the festival, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Writers Association, and the Anhui provincial government, is "Poetic China, Harmonious China."
