Tongling

Tongling, whose name means 'copper hill,' sits on the south bank of the Yangtze in southern Anhui and has been a copper-mining and smelting center for over 3,000 years. It remains one of China's key nonferrous-metals bases and displays its heritage in bronze-themed sculptures throughout the city. Tongling white ginger is a nationally protected geographic-indication product. The historic riverside settlement of Datong preserves old streets and a former customs house. Nearby Phoenix Mountain is known for its peony fields and Buddhist sites.