The birthplace of Huaiyang cuisine lies on the north-south boundary. Can Huai’an, the capital of the canal, be considered the south or the north?

This is the Institute of Travel and History of Xing Zhe Lao Zhang. As we all know, the dividing line between my country’s north and south is the “Qinling-Huaihe” line. The north of this line belongs to the north in the “geographical sense”, and the south is the south. Is this really the case? Not exactly. Many cities near the demarcation line are dismissed by the “owners”. Friends from the south say they are north, and those from the north say they are south. This is quite controversial. The cities in the north and south of the Qinling Mountains are easy to define. The Qinling Mountains stretch for more than 200 kilometers from the north to the south, which clearly separates the south and the north, making these places very different in terms of climate, products, and living habits. However, the cities on both sides of the Huai River are not clear. There is actually no difference between the north bank and the south bank with only one river. The food that people eat and the crops grown in the fields are basically the same, and there is no way to divide the south from the north. People used to say that the easiest way to distinguish between the north and the south is to look at the farmland. The north grows wheat, the northerners eat pasta, and the southern grows rice for rice and rice noodles. In fact, when you walk in more places, you will find that there is really no obvious difference. For example, in Jiangsu Province, although people in the northern and southern cities of Jiangsu do not recognize that northern Jiangsu is the south. However, what I have seen after walking several times in person recently is that wheat is grown in most parts of Jiangsu, until the southern part of Suzhou, Wuxi and other places close to Zhejiang. This is a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, but it also produces wheat and rice. Moreover, pasta is also the staple food of Jiangsu people. Almost half of the most popular morning tea is made of flour. Generally speaking, our country is too vast. The “buffer zone” between the north and the south is very large. The cities on both sides of the Huai River can be defined as either the south or the north. It doesn’t matter much, don’t you think? To give another example, Yangzhou is recognized as a water town and an ancient cultural city in the south of the Yangtze River. It has a long history. In ancient times, it was the south of the Yangtze River in the dreams of literati, inkmen and dignitaries. But in fact, Yangzhou is on the north bank of the Yangtze River. The broad “Jiangnan” refers to eastern my country. In the area on the south bank of the Yangtze River, who can say that Yangzhou is not Jiangnan? Huai’an is also a city with “no south and no north”. It is located in the north of Jiangsu, on the bank of the Huai River, mostly on the north bank of the Huai River and part on the south bank. In ancient times, the Yellow River once passed through Huai’an and entered the sea. Later, the Yellow River “diverted to the north”. There is also the old course of the Yellow River in Huai’an. Huai’an is a famous cultural city with a history of more than 2,200 years. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through the city. It is one of the “four metropolises” along the Grand Canal in history. The other three are Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. Huai’an was built by the canal. Xing is known as the “Canal Capital of China” due to the prosperity of the canal economy. Another world-renowned business card of Huai’an is cuisine. Huaiyang cuisine is one of China’s four major cuisines. “Huai” is Huai’an and “Yang” represents Yangzhou. These two cities are the main birthplaces of Huaiyang cuisine. The newly developed Huaiyang cuisine in “Junction” has both north and south flavors, and can satisfy the tastes of the people in the north and south at the same time. Therefore, since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Huaiyang cuisine has been one of the main cuisines of state banquets. The history of Huaiyang cuisine also developed along the Grand Canal. It began in the Spring and Autumn Period, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Hangou, ordered by Wu Wangfucha, was one of the earliest man-made canals in China. The Hangou was a canal connecting Yangzhou and Huai’an. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was connected and prosperous. It reached its peak during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Qianlong period, there were four major cuisines. Emperor Qianlong liked to go down the canal to the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, it can be said that the Grand Canal promoted economic development and promoted food inherited. Food and canal are part of culture. Huai’an has flourished culture since ancient times. There are too many celebrities, such as Han Xin, Liang Hongyu, Wu Chengen, Guan Tianpei and other literati and military generals. In modern times, there is Zhou Enlai, the greatest prime minister. These historical celebrities are all Huai’an. It left historical relics and became a precious cultural landscape. So, have you been to Huai’an? What is your impression of this city? Welcome to leave a message. For more exciting content, please pay attention to me: Xing Zhe Lao Zhang [Author’s profile]: Traveler Lao Zhang, motorcycle travel enthusiast, contemporary Xu Xiake, measures the earth with his footsteps, and shares his travel experience at any time. Welcome to follow, like, and comment, and feel free to let us know!