Erlong Hui Ethnic Township in Dingyuan County, Chuzhou

Erlong Hui Ethnic Township (二龙回族乡) is under the jurisdiction of Dingyuan County (定远县), Chuzhou City (滁州市), Anhui Province (安徽省). It is situated between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, with the following boundaries: to the east, it borders Cangzhen (仓镇) and Daqiao Town (大桥镇); to the south, it faces Feidong County (肥东县) across the water from Hefei City (合肥市); to the west, it adjoins Zhangqiao Town (张桥镇) and Lianjiang Town (连江镇). The township’s government is 80 kilometers south of Hefei, the provincial capital, and 32 kilometers from Dingyuan County’s town center. The administrative area covers 41.4 square kilometers. As of the end of 2019, the registered population of Erlong Hui Ethnic Township was 15,316.

Historical Development

During the Warring States period, the area of Erlong Hui Ethnic Township was part of the Chu State. In the first year of the Yongle era (1403) of the Ming Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of the Nanjing Fengyang Prefecture. By the sixth year of the Kangxi era (1667) in the Qing Dynasty, it was part of the Fengyang Prefecture of Anhui Province. In 1928, it was under the Huai-Su Circuit of Anhui Province. In April 1930, it belonged to the Fifth Special District. In March 1949, the Erlong People’s Government was established. From 1954 to 1955, Erlong was divided into two townships: Erlong Township and Hexi Township. At the end of 1955 and early 1956, the two townships merged into Erlong Township. In 1958, it was renamed Erlong Commune, which was later merged into Daqiao Commune. At the end of 1960 and the beginning of 1961, it was re-established as a separate Erlong Commune. In 1964, it was changed to the Four Clean-up Commune. In 1966, the name was restored to Erlong Commune. In 1982, Erlong Hui Ethnic Township was officially established.

Administrative Divisions

By the end of 2011, Erlong Hui Ethnic Township was divided into five village committees: Gangzhen (岗镇), Zhongtang (中汤), Sansu (三苏), Xiaogang (小岗), and Hongwei (红卫), with 112 village groups. As of June 2020, the township still governs these five administrative villages. The township government is located in Gangzhen Village.

Geographic Environment

Location

Erlong Hui Ethnic Township is situated between the Yangtze-Huai River Water Divide, bordered to the east by Cangzhen and Daqiao Town; to the south, it faces Feidong County across the river from Hefei; and to the west, it is adjacent to Zhangqiao Town and Lianjiang Town. The township is 80 kilometers south of Hefei and 32 kilometers from Dingyuan County’s town center. The area is 41.4 square kilometers.

Topography

The township is located on the ridge of the Yangtze-Huai River Water Divide and is characterized by hilly terrain, with the western part being hilly and the eastern part being low-lying river valley areas.

Hydrology

Erlong Hui Ethnic Township has three main rivers flowing through it:

• Southern Chi River Basin (支流): Flows from the southern part of Sansu Village’s Laosheng Group, moving northeast with a river length of about 10 kilometers.
• Central Caiqiao River: Flows from Gangzhen Village’s group, moving west to east, with a river length of about 6 kilometers.
• Northern Maqiao River: Originates from the northern part of Hongwei Village, moving south with a river length of about 4.5 kilometers. The Southern Chi River Basin is the primary river, with the Caiqiao River and Maqiao River intersecting at Xiaogang Village and Daqiao Town, respectively.

Natural Disasters

The major natural disasters in Erlong Hui Ethnic Township include drought, heavy rain, strong winds, frost, hail, low temperatures, and lightning strikes. Windstorms occur throughout the year, often causing crop lodging and significant yield reduction.

Natural Resources

By 2011, Erlong Hui Ethnic Township had 28,000 mu (1,866 hectares) of arable land, including 25,000 mu (1,667 hectares) of paddy fields.

Population

By the end of 2011, the total population of Erlong Hui Ethnic Township was 15,600, with 5,400 residing in urban areas, resulting in an urbanization rate of 34.6%. The floating population was 7,200. The gender distribution was 8,100 males (51.9%) and 7,500 females (48.1%). The age distribution was 2,300 people under 14 years (14.7%), 9,700 people aged 15-64 (62.2%), and 3,600 people aged 65 and above (23.1%). By the end of 2019, the registered population was 15,316.

Transportation

By the end of 2011, Erlong Hui Ethnic Township had roads such as Gongyuan Road passing through it. For travel to Erlong Hui Ethnic Township:

• By Car: From Hefei, drive south for about 80 kilometers. The route is well-marked, and the drive takes approximately 1.5 hours.
• By Public Transportation: Buses from Hefei to Dingyuan County are available, and from Dingyuan, local transportation can be used to reach Erlong Township.

History and Culture

Origin of the Name

Erlong Hui Ethnic Township is named after its terrain, which resembles two giant dragons. In February 1940, Tan Zhenlin, the political commissar of the Second Division of the New Fourth Army, observed the terrain and noted that it looked like “two dragons playing with pearls.” He suggested that the area be named “Erlong” (Two Dragons).

Honors

On December 26, 2017, Erlong Hui Ethnic Township was recognized by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission as a model area for national unity and progress. On December 24, 2019, it was included in the list of national model towns for rural governance.