In today's world, Anhai has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide spectrum of the public. Whether due to its impact on society, its historical relevance or its influence in the professional field, Anhai has captured the attention of many people around the world. This article seeks to explore different aspects related to Anhai, from its origins and evolution to its current state and possible future implications. Through a detailed analysis, the aim is to provide the reader with a complete and enriching vision of Anhai, and to encourage reflection and debate around this topic of global importance.
Anhai
安海镇 | |
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Surviving White Pagoda (center) of Shuixin Chan Temple (right), with the adjacent old residential neighborhood (left) demolished, to make way for new development (such as seen in the background) | |
Coordinates (Anhai town government): 24°43′00″N 118°28′34″E / 24.7166°N 118.4761°E | |
Country | People's Republic of China |
Province | Fujian |
Prefecture-level city | Quanzhou |
County-level city | Jinjiang |
Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
Anhai | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Chinese | 安海 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Anhai[a] is a town in southern Fujian province or Minnan, People's Republic of China. It is located in the far southern suburbs of the Quanzhou metropolitan area and is separated by Weitou Bay (simplified Chinese: 围头湾; traditional Chinese: 圍頭灣; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ûi-thâu-oân) from Kinmen, which is controlled by the Republic of China on Taiwan. Administratively, Anhai is part of Jinjiang County-level City, which in its turn is subordinated to Quanzhou.
The highest point in the town's administrative area is Mount Língyuán (simplified Chinese: 灵源山; traditional Chinese: 靈源山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lêng-goân-soaⁿ) at 305 metres (1,001 ft).
Anhai was known as Anping (Chinese: 安平; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: An-pêng) during the Song dynasty. The famous Song-era Anping Bridge crosses a tidal estuary to the west of town, connecting Anhai with its western neighbor, the town of Shuitou, which administratively belongs in Nan'an. Shuixin Chan Temple is located by the eastern end of the bridge.
Anhai was an important port during the Ming and early Qing periods. The 19th-century researchers writing for the Hakluyt Society thought Anhai was the port of "Tansuso" visited by Martín de Rada, but later research identified Tansuso as Zhongzuosuo (Chinese: 中左所; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-chó-só͘), which is in modern Xiamen, some 40 km (25 mi) to the west.[3] Anhai regained importance in the later 19th century when sand bars created by the Jin and Luo rivers blocked the principal harbor for Quanzhou; the city retained its size and importance to local trade but maritime commerce was redirected to Anhai.[2]