Bengbu

Meaning of the name of "Bengbu"
"Clam Wharf"
Population 449,245 (1990 estimate)
Location
120 km north of Hefei, on the Huai River. It is divided into two parts: greater Bengbu on the south bank of the river and little Bengbu on the north bank.

History
Bengbu has always been a hub of water and land communications in Anhui province, and a major distribution centre for the Huai basin. The name echoes its former reputation as a center of the freshwater pearl fishery.

In 1948 the Communist People's Liberation Army won a decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Guomindang (GMD) forces near Bengbu, in the battle of Huai Hai.

Bengbu is now a famous food city in Anhui province. Food-related industries account for 44 percent of the city's industrial production. The city's other industries include engineering works, textiles, glass making, chemicals, and electronics.

Food
Bengbu is one of the centers of the Yanhuai cuisine, one of the three noted cuisines of Anhui province. The dishes tend to be salty and slightly hot, with thick soups. One of the famous dishes is Fuliji (braised chicken) , whose 13 herbs and spices give it a rich aroma.