Location: Huaian (淮安) is in the north of Jiangsu Province and the east of Jianghuai Plain.
Population: 4,803,400
Area: with an area of 10,072 square kilometers
Nationalities: There are about 48 nationalities in Huaian city.
History: About 5000 to 6000 years ago, there were traces of ancient Chinese in the area. After Qin united the other six kingdoms, county system was pushed. The cut of the Grand Canal accelerated the prosperity of Huaian area in Sui and Tang Dynasty. The prosperity constituted to Ming and Qing Dynasty.
Climate: Bordered by Huai River, the southern region enjoys a northern subtropics moist monsoon climate while the northern region has a north temperate semi humid monsoon climate. The annual mean temperature is 14.1℃-14.8℃, descending from south to north. Generally, the highest temperature is in July and the lowest in January. It has an average precipitation of 906mm-1007mm, mainly concentrating in summer.
Transportation: Huaian is served by the Xinyi-Changxing Railway, which has a station in Huaiyin District.
The city is also served by nearbyHuaian Lianshui Airport. Currently the airport is only used by China Eastern airlines offering flights to Beijing-Capital, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shanghai-Pudong, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, and Xi'an. The airport is located 22 km from Central Hua'an in Lianshui county.
Specialties: Due to the nice ecological condition, Huaian has advantage in all kinds of farm products.
Local Food: Huaian is the cradle of Huaiyang Cuisine. Pingqiao bean curd is Huaian specialty.
Attractions: Mingzu Mausoleum- Mingzu Mausoleum(明祖陵)is located on the west side of Hongze Lake in Xuyi County, Huaian, Jiangsu province. Actually it was the cenotaph and real tomb of the forefather and grandfather ofEmperor Taizhu(Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of Ming Dynasty). Roughly 30 years were taken for establishment of Mingzu Mausoleum. Characterized by its long time of construction and the magnificence of layout, Mingzu Mausoleum came out top. Basically, it was built under the guide of the size of Mausoleum of Tang and Song Dynasties.
Zhenhuai Tower- Zhenhuai tower(Zhen Huai Lou, 镇淮楼)is located in the center of Huaian, and becomes the symbolic architecture of ancient Huaian city. The length from east to west is 36 meters and the width is 26 meters from north to south. Local people widely call it Gulou or Drum Tower. Currently, it plays the role of Exhibition Hall of Chuzhou District Museum, and it is also close to the Citizen Park.

