Bengbu () is a city in northern Anhui Province, China. Its population was 3,296,408 registered residents at the 2020 census. 1,968,027 lived in the built-up area made of four Bengbu urban districts and Fengyang County in Chuzhou Prefecture, largely being conurbated. Its name means "Clam Wharf" in Chinese, echoing its former reputation as a freshwater pearl fishery. Administration The prefecture-level city of Bengbu administers seven county-level divisions, including four districts and three counties. These are further divided into 74 township-level divisions, including 36 towns, 19 townships and 19 subdistricts. Geography Bengbu is located in the southeast of the North China Plain, on the Huai River. The built up urbanized area is divided into two parts: greater Bengbu on the south bank of the river and little Bengbu on the north bank. Dragon Lake is on the East side of the urbanized area. On the other side of the lake is the university district, containing four institutions of higher learning. Climate The area has a four-season humid subtropical climate with strong monsoon influences (Köppen climate classification Cwa), cool, sometimes cold, winters, and hot and humid summers. The area lies in a climatic transition zone, as it is on the Qin Ling−Huai River boundary between the climatic regimes of northern and southern China. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . A majority of the annual precipitation occurs from June to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 44% in March to 56% in August, the city receives 2,168 hours of bright sunshine annually. History In ancient times, the Dongyi peoples inhabited this area and were collectively known as the Huaiyi after the Huai River. During the late Western Zhou Period and the early Spring and Autumn period, the Dongyi became increasingly sinicized. During the late Spring and Autumn period, the once-powerful Dongyi state of Xu was pressured from all directions and destroyed through a series of wars with its neighbors, such as the Chu State and the Wu State. Another Dongyi State was the small Zhongli State, which was a part of the Huaiyi Confederation led by the State of Xu. Tombs belonging to the royalty of the Zhongli State were discovered in excavations between 2005 and 2008 near Fengyang. Eventually, the Huaiyi peoples were assimilated. Bengbu has always been a hub of water and land communications in Anhui province,