Anqing

upright=1.35|thumb|"Anhui". Johan Nieuhof|Nieuhof: '' L'ambassade de la Compagnie Orientale des Provinces Unies vers l'Empereur de la Chine'', 1665 Anqing (, also Yicheng, Nganking and formerly Hwaining, now the name of Huaining County) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Anhui province, People's Republic of China. Its population was 4,165,284 as of the 2020 census, with 728,501 living in the built-up (or metro) area made up of three urban districts. Anqing is famous as the birthplace of Chen Duxiu, one of the founding fathers of the Chinese Communist Party, who served as the first General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1921 to 1928. Huangmei opera, a renowned Chinese opera style, originated in the city of Anqing. This captivating art form gained immense popularity since the 1950s, largely attributed to the exceptional talents of local actors and actresses from Anqing. Huangmei opera is a significant cultural treasure that defines the rich heritage of the city of Anqing.

==Etymology== During the Song dynasty, the Eight Counties of Anqing were known as Shuzhou, along with the ancestral name of Tong'an, and were under the jurisdiction of the Deqing Army. In 1147, the Deqing Army was renamed, combining the last characters of Tong'an and Deqing to create Anqing, naming the army and later the settlement. Anqing itself means "peaceful and auspicious'. Anqing's other name of "Yicheng" was named by the Eastern Jin scholar Guo Pu, describing the location of Anqing as "suitable for a city."