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Huoqiu, a county with a rich history in Liu'an, Anhui province, has attracted a great deal of investment in its urban renewal and scenic spots construction projects over recent years.
Known as the "No.1 ancient pond in the world" and "Relics of Chu Culture", the Shuimen Pond was originally built by Sun Shu'ao, the prime minister of the Chu Empire in the Spring and Autumn Period, and it thus has a history of over 2600 years. The area possesses 46 small islands with different sizes and shapes. Over 60 million yuan ($9.62 million) were invested into this project, and tourism development contracts of 300 million yuan ($48.08 million) have been signed. Already, a five-star business service center, a Chu Culture museum, a Sun Shu’ao memorial square and a Watergate park have been built and the area has become an AAAA-level tourist attraction.
Even before the development of the Shuimen Pond, Huoqiu county had built a scenic spot based on the Linhuai gang flood control project. This is the largest water conservancy project along the Huaihe River, and is one of the three largest water conservancy projects in China. (The other two are the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and the Xiaolangdi dam of the Yellow River.) It was approved as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction in August, 2011.
In addition, Huoqiu county was one of the three national leisure agriculture and rural tourism demonstration spots in Anhui in 2013.
With regards tourism development, Huoqiu county officials have combined attracting investment with improving the environment, and they have also been focusing on improving residents’ livelihoods. A large number of scenic spots were developed separately and then integrated into multiple tourist routes. Huoqiu county has now become a bright spot in Anhui's tourism.
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