28-May-2005 -- 31 N – 119 E Anhui (安徽), China

Visit Date: May 28, 2005

This is the 2nd Line-hunting trip in this part of China for the group in May. On both occasions all confluence hunters met at Nanjing airport to start the trip. Last trip we went north for a few points in Jiangsu. For this trip we have our eyes on the confluence points in southern Anhui (the part below Yangtze River).

The real reason for the trip has to do with the fact that, we were all heading to Huangshen city, near the famous Yellow Mountain in Anhui for a conference. The route from Nanjing to Huangshen has 3 confluence points that can be reached with a total detour of less than 100 km.

We departed Nanjing airport by 9.30 am, after crossing the Jiangsu-Anhui border and reached the general vicinity of the first confluence point by 11 am.

The main agriculture production of this area turns out to be tea. There were rolling hills of tea plants, and many small tea processing factories. We reached the village nearest to the confluence point after 2 km drive off the main highway. The remaining walking distance to the point was 450 meters.

We were hoping this point located in a tea plantation, but this turned out not to be the case, except there were some tea plants in nearby hills. The field we walk through to reach the confluence point was in the middle of harvesting muster seed plants. The seed is used for oil, and some farmers were processing the seeds in the field .

This confluence point located in the middle of recently harvested muster seed plants. According to the farmers, they will plant rice next by flooding the field. It would be a much harder track to reach the exact point when the field turns into rise paddy.

The name of the village is called Chiu Chun, it is part of the Hon Lin township. We stopped at local tea factory on the way out of the township and learned a bit about the procedure in making green tea.

After lunch in a near by town alone the highway, around 1.30 pm we proceed toward the 2nd confluence point of the day – 31N 118E.

Suitable name for this confluence point: “Tea and Muster Seed”

Rating of this hunt:

Degree of Challenge: 1 –drive-up to the point (Scale: 1= very easy - drive to the point; to 5= a death march – glad it is over)

Scenery: 3– tea plantations and muster seed production makes an interesting mix (Scale: 1= not interesting at all; 5= take your breath away)

Culture-social factors: 3–rural central China community (Scale: 1=dull; 5= most stimulating)