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, and a major distribution centre for the Huai basin. In 1948, during the
Chinese Civil War, the
Communist People's Liberation Army won a decisive victory over
Chiang Kai-shek's
Nationalist (KMT) forces near Bengbu, in the
Huaihai Campaign. ==Economy==