The topography in Anhui is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. Mountains and hills make up two thirds of the total area. The climate belongs to semi-humid monsoon of warm temperate and subtropical humid monsoon. Annual temperature is between 14 C and 17 C, so the best time to visit these scenic areas is in autumn.

Anhui was the first region of southern China settled by Han Chinese, who moved south in the 3rd century BC. Although rich in agricultural potential, Anhui was economically backward in the past because of frequent floods and droughts. History records 8,614 natural disasters from AD 960 to 1949, including flood, drought, insects, wind, frost, and hail.

Today Anhui is one of the most important agricultural provinces in China. The major staple crops are rice, wheat, beans, maize, sorghum and sweet potatoes. Cash crops include cotton, tobacco, peanuts, sesame, rapeseed, tea, hemp, silk, fruits, tung oil, and raw lacquer.

The main mineral deposits of the Anhui province are coal, iron ore, and copper ore.

Anhui is a major source of coal of southern China. Its industries are metal making, power, mechanical engineering, petrochemical, textiles, food processing, and papermaking.

Transportation in this Anhui province depends to a great extent on its railways, but roads and waterways are also quite convenient.

Anhui has abundant tourist resources with beautiful landscape, many places of historic interest, and rich folk customs. The most famous scenic wonders include Mt. Huangshan, Mt. Jiuhua, Mt. Tianzhu, Mt. Langya, and Mt. Qiyun, all of which are national scenic spots. In 1990, U NESCO put Mt. Huangshan on the list of the World Cultural and Natural Heritages. Other tourist attractions are the Xin'an River, Taiping Lake , and the Water Park on Chaohu Lake.