No casualties or damages were immediately reported, local authorities said.
The quake struck at 12:07 p.m. (local time), the center reported.
The epicenter was monitored at 30.6 degrees north latitude and 117.1 degrees east longitude with a depth of nine kilometers, the center said.
The quake was felt strongly in Anqing, and local residents were seen rushing out of their buildings, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Desks in my office were shaking terribly hard," Wang Zhenggui, a local government employee told Xinhua on the phone.
The quake was also felt in Wuhu and Hefei, two other cities in Anhui.
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