Anshan

Ānshān (鞍山) is the third largest prefecture level city in Liaoning province of China. Situated in the central area of the province, it is about 92km south of Shenyang, the province's captital. Anshan is on the boundery between the Mountains of Eastern Liaoning and the plains of West. The area contains the famous Qianshan park. The city's name is derived form the shape of a nearby mountain (in Chinese shān 山) that resembles the shape of a horse's saddle (Ān 鞍). Anshan is home to the Angang Iron and Steel company, one of the largest steel producers in China.

Transportation

Anshan has no public airport and no river or sea port so the only routes in or out are by land. The nearest airport is Shenyang Taoxian International Airport (SHE), about 90km to the north. The city is beside the Shanda highway (沈大高速公路) which runs between Shenyang and Dalian (the two larger cities of Liaoning province). This is a privately funded eight-lane tolled highway and was the first road of its kind in China. Anshan is also connected to the Chinese rail network with rail routes to Beijing, Dalian, and to the north-eastern provinces of Jilin and Hēilóngjiāng as well as to eastern Inner Mongolia and Russia. Long-distance coaches run to all the main cities of the province as well as to Beijing.

Local transportation is primarily by bus or taxi. Anshan used to have a single tram line along Zhonghua Avenue but this has been closed and the tracks removed. Due to the flat topography of the city centre, bicycles are popular. Almost all roads have a wide cycle lane on each side. Often this lane is further protected by a traffic island that separates the bikes from larger motor vehicles.