Goodmorning/evening,ladiesandgentlemen.It'smypleasuretointroducemyselftoday.Mynameis().IamfromHefei.Thereisalottotalkaboutmyhometown.Ilookedituponline.AndIfoundthefollowinginformationaboutHefei.

　　Itisaprefecture-levelcityandthecapitalofAnhuiprovince,China.Itisthepolitical,economic,andculturalcentreofAnhui.Locatedinthecentralportionoftheprovince,itbordersHuainantothenorth,Chuzhoutothenortheast,ChaohutothesoutheastandLu'antothewest.

　　ThenameHefeiwasfirstgiventothecountysetupintheareaundertheHandynastyinthe2ndcenturyBC.Duringthe4thtothe6thcenturyAD,thiscrucialborderregionbetweennorthernandsouthernstateswasmuchfoughtover;itsnameandadministrativestatuswereconsequentlyoftenchanged.DuringtheSui(581–618)andTang(618–907)periods,itbecametheseatofLuprefecture—atitleitkeptuntilthe15thcentury,whenitbecameasuperiorprefecturenamedLuzhou.

　　In3rdcenturyAD,thefamousThreeKingdomsbattle,BattleofHefei,wasfoughtatwhatiscurrentlyLeisureFord(逍遥津)inHefei.GeneralZhangLiaooftheKingdomofWeicommanding800pickedcavalrydefeatedthe200,000-manarmyoftheKingdomofWu.SeveraldecadesofwarringinHefeibetweenWuandWeifollowedthisbattle.

　　ThepresentcitydatesfromtheSongdynasty(960–1126),theearlierHefeihavingbeensomedistancefarthernorth.Duringthe10thcentury,itwasforawhilethecapitaloftheindependentWukingdom(902–938)andwasanimportantcenteroftheSouthernTangstate(937–975).

　　After1127itbecameacenterofthedefensesoftheSouthernSongdynasty(1126–1279)againsttheJin(Jurchen)invaders,aswellasaflourishingcenteroftradebetweenthetwostates.WhentheChineseRepublicwasfoundedin1911,thesuperiorprefecturewasabolished,andthecitytookthenameofHefei.

　　ThecitywasknownasLuzhou(庐州;pinyinLúzhōu)duringtheMingandQingDynasties(after14thcenturyto19thcentury).HefeiwasthetemporarycapitalforAnhuifrom1853to1862.ItwasrenamedasHefeiCountyin1912.FollowingtheChinesevictoryintheSecondSino-JapaneseWarin1945,HefeiwasmadethecapitalofAnhui.

　　BeforeWorldWarII,Hefeiremainedessentiallyanadministrativecenterandtheregionalmarketforthefertileplaintothesouth.Itwasacollectingcenterforgrain,beans,cotton,andhemp,aswellasacenterforhandicraftindustriesmanufacturingcloth,leather,bamboogoods,andironware.

　　Theconstructionin1912oftheTianjin–Pukourailway,farthereast,forawhilemadeHefeiaprovincialbackwater,andmuchofitsimportancepassedtoBengbu.In1932–36,however,aChinesecompanybuiltarailwaylinkingHefeiwithYuxikou(ontheYangtzeoppositeWuhu)tothesoutheastandwiththeHuaiRiveratHuainantothenorth.WhilethisrailwaywasbuiltprimarilytoexploittherichcoalfieldinnorthernAnhui,italsodidmuchtorevivetheeconomyoftheHefeiareabytakingmuchofitsproducetoWuhuandNanjing.

　　AlthoughHefeiwasaquietmarkettownofonlyabout30,000inthemid-1930s,itspopulationgrewmorethantenfoldinthefollowing20years.Thecity'sadministrativerolewasstrengthenedbythetransferoftheprovincialgovernmentfromAnqingin1949,butmuchofitsnewgrowthderivedfromitsdevelopmentasanindustrialcity.Acottonmillwasopenedin1958,andathermalgeneratingplant,usingcoa