# Hong'an County

Hong'an County (simplified Chinese: 红安县; traditional Chinese: 紅安縣; pinyin: Hóng'ān Xiàn), formerly named Huang'an County (黄安县; 黃安縣; Huáng'ān Xiàn; Hwangan), located to the north of provincial capital Wuhan, is a county under jurisdiction of Huanggang, Hubei province, People's Republic of China.
Hong'an is famous for being the birthplace of many generals in the People's Liberation Army originally hailed from it. In the early 1950s, there were over 200 generals from Hong'an, far more than any other county in China. It earned Hon'an the nickname "County of the Generals".
The former military leader and national President of China, Li Xiannian (1909–1992), was born in Hong'an.

## History

In 845 BC, Marquis Wen (文侯) Huang Meng (黃孟) (aka Huang Zhang; 黃璋) moved the capital of the State of Huang from Yicheng to Huangchuan (present-day Huangchuan, Henan). Huang Xi's descendants ruled the State of Huang until 648 BC when it was destroyed and conquered by the State of Chu. The Marquis of Huang, Marquis Mu (穆侯) Huang Qisheng (黃企生), fled to the state of Qi. The people of Huang were forced to relocate to Chu. They settled in the region of present-day Hubei province, in a region known as the Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡) during the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). There are many places in this region today that were named after Huang e.g. Huanggang, Huangpi, Huangmei, Huangshi, Huang'an (now Hong'an), Huangzhou etc. A large number of the people of Huang were also relocated to regions south of the Yangtze River.
During the Chinese Civil War, Huang'an County (as it was then known) was a stronghold of the Chinese Communist Party. It was in Huang'an where in November 1927 Communist guerrillas founded the first peasants' government that would eventually evolve into the future Eyuwan soviet. It was also the location where Communist General Xu Haidong founded the Seventh Red Army with a handful of recruits. From the core of Huang'an, Macheng, and Guangshan counties, the Eyuwan Soviet would gradually expand to become the second-largest soviet republic in China, with over one million inhabitants. The Red Army units based in Eyuwan recruited heavily from Huang'an, and many natives of the county went on to serve in high ranks of the People's Liberation Army. In the early 1950s, over 200 PLA generals hailed from Huang'an. Two of these men, Dong Biwu and Li Xiannian, both would go on to serve as President of the People's Republic of China.

## Geography
### Administrative divisions

Hong'an County administers 13 township-level divisions:
| # | Name | Chinese (S) |
| Towns |||
| 1 | Chengguan | 城关镇 |
| 2 | Qiliping | 七里坪镇 |
| 3 | Huajiahe | 华家河镇 |
| 4 | Ercheng | 二程镇 |
| 5 | Shangxinji | 上新集镇 |
| 6 | Gaoqiao | 高桥镇 |
| 7 | Mi'ersi | 觅儿寺镇 |
| 8 | Baliwan | 八里湾镇 |
| 9 | Taipingqiao | 太平桥镇 |
| 10 | Yongjiahe | 永佳河镇 |
| Township |||
| 11 | Xinghua | 杏花乡 |
| Other Areas |||
| 12 | Huolianfan Tea Farm | 火连畈茶场 |
| 13 | Tiantaishan Scenic Area | 天台山风景区管理处 |

## Climate

Climate data for Hong'an, elevation 74 m (243 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.6 (67.3) | 27.4 (81.3) | 30.5 (86.9) | 33.6 (92.5) | 36.5 (97.7) | 37.9 (100.2) | 39.7 (103.5) | 39.0 (102.2) | 37.8 (100.0) | 34.4 (93.9) | 29.3 (84.7) | 22.1 (71.8) | 39.7 (103.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.2 (52.2) | 16.1 (61.0) | 22.5 (72.5) | 27.0 (80.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 32.5 (90.5) | 32.4 (90.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 23.3 (73.9) | 16.9 (62.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 21.6 (70.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.2 (37.8) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.7 (51.3) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.9 (71.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 28.2 (82.8) | 27.6 (81.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 17.6 (63.7) | 11.1 (52.0) | 5.3 (41.5) | 16.5 (61.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) | 2.3 (36.1) | 6.6 (43.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 17.5 (63.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.1 (75.4) | 19.5 (67.1) | 13.4 (56.1) | 6.9 (44.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 12.5 (54.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.2 (15.4) | −7.8 (18.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 6.9 (44.4) | 11.6 (52.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.4 (50.7) | 0.4 (32.7) | −4.6 (23.7) | −16.2 (2.8) | −16.2 (2.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 38.3 (1.51) | 49.2 (1.94) | 76.9 (3.03) | 106.1 (4.18) | 133.3 (5.25) | 204.9 (8.07) | 251.1 (9.89) | 136.7 (5.38) | 66.3 (2.61) | 62.0 (2.44) | 48.6 (1.91) | 24.9 (0.98) | 1,198.3 (47.19) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 8.2 | 9.0 | 11.0 | 10.6 | 11.5 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 10.0 | 7.7 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 6.5 | 114 |
| Average snowy days | 4.4 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 9.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 80 | 81 | 80 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 71 | 75 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 102.5 | 103.1 | 131.4 | 153.9 | 164.8 | 152.3 | 191.8 | 201.2 | 162.8 | 149.8 | 132.6 | 119.9 | 1,766.1 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 32 | 33 | 35 | 40 | 39 | 36 | 45 | 49 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 38 | 40 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||