Huangmei Opera and the "Flower Drum Lantern" Dance are also historic gifts from Anhui. The best of the "four stationery treasures of Chinese writing" - writing brush, ink stick, ink stone and paper - are made in Anhui.

Based on such tradition and history, modern Anhui's culture and tourism industries are blossoming, growing at 30 percent every year.

The Publicity Department of the Anhui Provincial CPC Committee has signed a deal with Agriculture Bank of China to cooperate in the development of cultural industries by providing 20 billion yuan in credit over the next five years, the biggest credit support in China for the sector.

Anhui Publication Group and Anhui Book Distribution Group have been rewarded as "Excellent Enterprises of National Culture Reform".

Both two companies are listed in the top 500 enterprises in the culture industry in China and rank second and third in the industry in the province.

With more than 80 million users, Anhui Satellite Television was recently named one of the 10 most influential Internet TV channels.

"Flying Stone" on Yellow Mountain

The fourth Expo Central China 2009 will be held in Hefei, Anhui province, from April 26 to 28 with the theme of "innovation, cooperation, rising up and win-win."

The trade show highlights business opportunities in the heartland of China - the provinces of Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei and Hunan, which together have an area of 1.03 million sq km and a population of 361 million.

A Central China Business Summit at the expo will explore opportunities in capital restructuring and relocation of coastal industries inland in keeping with a 2006 central government plan to promote development of the region.

With a favorable climate and resources, the economy of Central China is based on agricultural products, energy, raw materials and equipment manufacturing.

Among the six provinces, Anhui - close to the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang as well as Shanghai - has advantages to make it the highlight of the expo.

By Lu Hongyan and Yang Cheng

Editor: Liu Fang