Huizhou is a historical region in southeastern China. It corresponds to the central part of Anhui province (Huangshan Shi and Jixi County) plus Wuyuan County in northeastern Jiangxi province.
Huizhou is a mountainous region, with its own distinct culture as well as spoken Chinese form, known as Huizhou and recognized as one of the main subdivisions of spoken Chinese. Huizhou is also well-known for the scenic Huangshan Mountains.
Since the Ming dynasty, the merchants of Huizhou, collectively known in Chinese as Huishang were renowned for their economic prowess. For centuries, limited farmland in Huizhou area drove local people to go all out for survival, bringing about the legendary success of Hui merchants who dominated Chinese business world up until the 19th century. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, they formed a formidable political force both regionally and nationally.The huge amount of wealth accumulated by Hui merchants transformed into numerous townships, markets, docks and villages, most of them remain intact sheltered by the hilly terrains. |
