Welcome to Anhui, gateway to China’s past and future

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(Article by John Goodrich, video and photos by Zhou Yiqiu)

Anhui is a contrast of old and new, China's past, present and future. A microcosm of the country’s innovative future sits alongside programs to protect and reinvigorate centuries-old crafts, culture and architecture.

CGTN Digital visited the eastern Chinese province to discover new drivers of the Chinese economy, fresh ideas to combat poverty, and traditions kept alive by local craftsmen.

A creative past

Anhui is dotted with wonderfully preserved and restored ancient buildings and communities, including Hongcun Village and Tunxi Old Street within the Huangshan mountain region.

Hongcun Village is the perfect location to film a short clip introducing Anhui, mixing natural beauty with classic architectural styles.

Scene from Hongcun village

CGTN Digital was fortunate to film a pre-performance livestream from within the Huangmei Opera house in Anqing, going backstage to introduce one of China’s five great opera forms.

WATCH: A unique behind-the-scenes look at Huangmei Opera

Huangmei Opera

A behind-the-scenes look at Huangmei Opera

Tunxi Old Street meanwhile attracts tourists from across the world to witness traditional Chinese crafts, including the production of ink, ink stones, and brushes for traditional Chinese calligraphy.

COMING SOON: The Anhui craftsmen keeping traditional brush-making alive

Traditional brush-making in Anhui

The craftsmen on Tunxi Old Street are keeping alive the ancient brush-making process, spending hours trimming and smoothing weasel hair to hand-craft the perfect brush.

Thriving micro-projects

Hundreds of millions of people in China have risen above the poverty line in the past three decades, aided by a combination of economic growth, government-sponsored action, and successful micro-projects.

One such program is a mushroom growing facility high in Huangshan, sited on a mountainside unsuited to heavy industry or major infrastructure development.

COMING SOON: A mushroom farm transforming lives in Huangshan mountains

A mushroom project is thriving in Anhui

With backing from a state-owned enterprise, the company is playing a small part in tackling two of China’s key policy goals: poverty alleviation and environmental protection.

Around 40 jobs have been created, offering training and employment to locals who use recycled mulberry wood and local produce to create mushroom-growing kits.

An innovative future

Anhui’s fast-growing capital of Hefei houses the China Science and Technology University, one of the world’s leading research institutions.

The city is also developing an incubator as a rival to the tech hub of Shenzhen in south China. CGTN Digital was honored to broadcast a livestream from iFlyTek, a world-leading AI company focused on voice recognition and synthesis.

WATCH: The latest tech from one of the world’s leading AI companies

Inside one of the world’s leading AI companies

Innovation is crucial to China’s continued growth and development, and iFlyTek was able to provide practical examples of areas in which AI is already beginning to change our lives.

China is at the forefront of quantum communications, and scientists from the China Science and Technology University have conducted headline-grabbing research in recent months. CGTN Digital interviewed a leading quantum physicist who was able to effectively disentangle some of the complexities of his work.

COMING SOON: Interview with one of China’s leading quantum physicists

One of China’s leading quantum physicists speaking to CGTN

Inside the quantum physics lab in China Science and Technology University

Modern cuisine and venues

Anhui is also renowned for its fine, locally-sourced food, and we were given a masterclass in local cooking by chef Zhong.

From rare black mushrooms plucked from the side of a cliff to fermented fish and stinky black tofu, Anhui has a host of delicacies to offer.

COMING SOON: Learn how to cook Anhui-style with a local chef

Fermented fish is one of the delicacies in Anhui

Chefs cooking up a feast in Anhui

We also ventured deep below ground to explore a converted air raid shelter in Wuhu, introducing viewers to a regeneration project that could act as a blueprint for cities across China.

WATCH: Delve underground to experience a unique regeneration project

The underground network of tunnels has been repurposed as a wine cellar and restaurant, revealing a fascinating story about smart regeneration as well as China’s booming wine industry.

Anhui has many tales to tell, but the converted wine cellar in Wuhu epitomized a theme running through the province: the successful co-existence of history and modernity, pointing to a flourishing future.