Lu'an (Chinese: 六安; pinyin: Lù'ān), is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui province, People's Republic of China, bordering Henan to the northwest and Hubei to the southwest. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 5,612,590, whom 1,644,344 resided in the built-up area made of 2 urban districts. Neighbouring prefecture-level cities are the provincial capital of Hefei to the east, Anqing to the south, Huanggang (Hubei) and Xinyang (Henan) to the west, and Huainan and Fuyang to the north. Although the character "六" (literally: "six") is normally pronounced "Liù", in this case it changes to "Lù" on account of the local dialect.
Lu'an is marked by the southern fringes of the North China Plain in its north and the northern part of the Dabie Mountains in its south. Its administrative area spans 31°01′−32°40′ N latitude and 115°20′−117°14′ E longitude.
Lu'an has a monsoon-influenced, humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and damp, with average low temperatures in January dipping just below freezing; the January 24-hour average temperature is 2.6 °C (36.7 °F). Summers are typically hot and humid, with a July average of 27.8 °C (82.0 °F). The annual mean is 15.68 °C (60.2 °F), while annual precipitation averages just above 1,100 millimetres (43 in), a majority of which occurs from May to August. Annual sunshine duration is 2,000 to 2,300 hours.
Liú Ān (Chinese: 劉安, c. 179–122 BC) was a Han dynasty Chinese prince and an advisor to his nephew, Emperor Wu of Han (武帝). He is best known for editing the (139 BC) Huainanzi compendium of Daoist, Confucianist, and Legalist teachings. Early texts represent Liu An in three ways: the "author-editor of a respected philosophical symposium", the "bumbling rebel who took his life to avoid arrest", and the successful Daoist adept who transformed into a xian and "rose into the air to escape prosecution for trumped-up charges of treason and flew to eternal life."
He was the grandson of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. After his father died, he became the Prince of Huainan (literally "south of the Huai River") at the age of 16.
Liu An had two sons. The younger was Liu Qian (刘迁), who was born by his princess consort and thus became heir to Huainan, while the elder, Liu Buhai (刘不害), was born to a concubine. Liu An favoured Liu Qian over Liu Buhai hence never viewed the latter as his son. Liu Qian never regarded Liu Buhai as his elder brother. According to Tui'en Ling (推恩令, Order to Expand Favours), Liu Buhai could become a marquess if Liu An carved a part of Huainan for him as his fief, but Liu An never did. Liu Jian (刘建), son of Liu Buhai, having realized that both he and his father had little chance to be a marquess, became so resentful that he accused Liu An and Liu Qian of a coup attempt. Finally, in a fate similar to his father, Liu An committed suicide in 122 BC after his plot was revealed.
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