Xuancheng sits in south-east Anhui with a very clear outline. It borders Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which has long made it both a gateway and a crossroads. It is a city that looks outward, but still keeps a strong local centre of gravity.
宣城位于安徽东南部，轮廓非常清晰。它与江苏、浙江接壤，这也让它长期既像门户，也像交汇点。这是一座注视外部世界的城市，但依然保持着很强的地方重心。
The city covers 12,313 square kilometres and has a population of about 2.5 million. It has one district, two county-level cities and five counties. Forests cover 59.34 percent of its land, which helps explain why Xuancheng is often described in terms of mountains, water, paper and quiet landscapes.
宣城总面积12,313平方公里，常住人口约250万。它下辖1个区、2个县级市和5个县。全市森林覆盖率达59.34 percent，这也解释了为什么人们常把宣城和山、水、宣纸以及安静的风景联系在一起。
According to Xuancheng municipal government material and local cultural history, the city has a settlement history of more than 4,000 years and has been under formal administration since the Qin Dynasty. It became a prefecture-level city in 2000. That is a late administrative change for a place with such a long civic memory.
根据宣城市政府资料和地方文化史料，宣城已有4000多年人类活动史，自秦代起就已纳入正式行政管理。它在2000年才升格为地级市。对一座城市记忆如此深厚的地方来说，这个行政变化其实来得很晚。
Xuan Paper Gives Xuancheng Its Strongest Claim
宣纸让宣城有了最鲜明的名片
Xuancheng is best known across China as the home of Xuan paper, Xuan brushes and Xuan inkstones. Jing County is especially important here. The three crafts are not just museum pieces; they remain part of local production, apprenticeship and public identity.
宣城在中国最有名的身份，是宣纸、宣笔和宣墨之乡。泾县在这其中尤其重要。这三项传统工艺并不只是博物馆里的展品；它们仍然参与地方生产、师徒传承和公共认同。
That matters because Xuan paper is not a niche object. It is central to Chinese calligraphy and painting. The city’s name travels with the art, which gives Xuancheng a cultural reach far beyond Anhui. Few places can say their best-known product has shaped an entire artistic language.
这很重要，因为宣纸并不是小众物件。它是中国书法和绘画的核心材料之一。艺术走到哪里，宣城的名字也就跟到哪里，这让它的文化影响力远远超出安徽。很少有地方能说，自己的代表产品塑造了一整套艺术语言。
Xuancheng also has a strong literary face. Jingting Mountain, on the northern side of the city, has been praised by poets for centuries. Li Bai visited more than once, and the mountain’s long link with verse still gives the city a rare kind of name recognition.
宣城还有很强的文学气质。位于市区北部的敬亭山，几百年来一直被诗人反复吟咏。李白多次登临，这座山与诗歌的长期联系，至今仍为宣城带来一种少见的辨识度。
Taohuatan, in Jing County, adds another layer. It is not just a place that appears in literary memory; it is also a real landscape that has kept its value over time. Xuancheng’s tourism strength lies in that mix of craft, text and place.
泾县的桃花潭则提供了另一层意义。它不只是文学记忆中的一个名字，也是一处长期保有价值的真实山水。宣城的旅游吸引力，就来自这种工艺、文字和地点的叠加。
Forests, Rail And A More Connected South Anhui
森林、高铁与更通达的皖南
Xuancheng’s landscape is one of its biggest assets. The city is heavily forested and slopes from south to north, with mountains, hills, valleys and plains all within the same administrative area. That variety has helped shape a city that feels broad rather than crowded.
宣城的地形是它最重要的资产之一。这里森林覆盖率很高，地势自南向北缓缓下降，同一行政区内既有山地、丘陵、河谷，也有平原。这种多样地貌让宣城显得开阔，而不是拥挤。
The economy has grown around that landscape. Forestry, tourism, paper-making, tea and local manufacturing all sit within the city’s wider economic story. Xuancheng does not rely on one single pillar. It spreads its weight across several sectors, which makes it steadier than it first appears.
经济也围绕这种地貌展开。林业、旅游、造纸、茶叶和地方制造业共同构成了宣城的经济故事。宣城并不依赖单一支柱，而是把重量分散在多个部门上，这让它比表面看上去更稳。
Transport has changed the city quickly. The Xuancheng-Jixi high-speed railway opened in October 2024; it is 111.6 kilometres long, was built for 350 km/h and includes Xuancheng, Ningguo South and Jixi North stations. For south-east Anhui, that is a serious shift, not a small upgrade.
交通正在快速改变这座城。宣绩高铁已于2024年10月开通，全长111.6公里，设计时速350 km/h，设宣城、宁国南和绩溪北三站。对皖南东南部来说，这不是小修小补，而是一次实实在在的升级。
The older rail network still matters too. Xuancheng has long been served by the Anhui-Jiangxi Railway, and the new line has made the whole region easier to move around. Ningguo and Jixi are now closer to the city’s centre of gravity than before, which matters for business, travel and daily life.
老铁路网络同样重要。宣城长期由皖赣铁路服务，而新高铁让整个区域的流动更加便利。宁国和绩溪如今都比过去更贴近这座城市的重心，这对商务、旅游和日常生活都很重要。
Xuancheng’s appeal lies in this balance. It is rooted in tradition, but it is not trapped by it. The city still thinks in terms of paper, poems and mountains; at the same time, it is learning how to move faster and reach further.
宣城的吸引力就在这种平衡里。它扎根传统，却没有被传统困住。它仍然在纸、诗和山水中思考，同时也在学习如何更快地移动、更远地抵达。
That is why Xuancheng feels durable. It has a clear identity, a deep craft base and a transport future that is now much easier to see. In a province full of strong stories, this one is quietly, distinctly its own.
这也是为什么宣城显得很耐看。它有清晰的身份、深厚的工艺基础，还有一条如今已经更容易看见的交通未来。在安徽这样故事很多的省份里，它的故事安静，却非常属于自己。
