Bengbu (Pearl City) is a mid-sized city in northern Anhui Province, China. Its name means "Oyster Wharf" in Chinese, echoing its former reputation as a freshwater pearl fishery. The prefecture-level city of Bengbu administers seven county-level divisions, including four districts and three counties. Bengbu is located in the southeast of the North China Plain, on the Huai River. The built up urbanized area is divided into two parts: greater Bengbu on the south bank of the river and little Bengbu on the north bank. Dragon Lake is on the East side of the urbanized area. On the other side of the lake is the university district, containing four institutions of higher learning.
In ancient times, the Dongyi peoples inhabited this area and were collectively known as the Huaiyi after the Huai River. Bengbu has always been a hub of water and land communications in Anhui province, and a major distribution centre for the Huai basin.
Bengbu has a four-season humid subtropical climate with strong monsoon influences, cool, sometimes cold, winters, and hot and humid summers. The area lies in a climatic transition zone, as it is on the Qin Ling−Huai River boundary between the climatic regimes of northern and southern China. The annual mean temperature is 15.43 °C (59.8 °F) and the city receives 2,036 hours of bright sunshine annually.
Bengbu is now a famous food city in Anhui province. Food-related industries account for 44% of the city's industrial production. The city's other industries include engineering works, textiles, glass making, chemicals, and electronics. The light textile holds an important position in the industrial structure. Bengbu is teeming with oil, vegetables, meat and aquatic products. Bengbu is a large producer of peanuts. The pomegranates from Huaiyuan (a county of Bengbu), have a high reputation in China.
The city is on the Jinghu Railway, with hourly direct trains to Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities.
The new Bengbu South Railway Station is served by the high-speed Beijing-Shanghai Railway.
Population: 3.18 million
Temperature: average15.43 °C (59.8 °F)
