Everything about Fenghua totally explained
Fenghua (奉化;
pinyin: Fènghuà) is a
county-level city in the north of
Zhejiang province,
China. It is under the jurisdiction of
Ningbo prefecture-level city. The city and its administrative hinterlands has a population of over 480,000.
Fenghua is most famous for being the hometown of former
ROC President Chiang Kai-shek. Geographically, it's dominated by the
Tiantai and
Siming mountain ranges.
Geography
History
Fenghua was established as a county in the
Tang dynasty, in the territory of Mingzhou. Its name means "received teaching" and was a tribute to imperial rule. During the
Song dynasty, immigration from the north
increased exponentially, peaking during the loss of north China to the
Jurchen invasions. In
1129, Fenghua was raided by Jurchen cavalry in pursuit of
Emperor Gaozong. Local milita at
Xiaowangmiao (蕭王廟) fought off the invaders.
In late imperial times, Fenghua established itself as a meeting point for trade between the agrarian communities to the north, in Yinxian (鄞县), and the mountain-based communities in the south. In exchange for grain and cereals, the hill peoples would trade bamboo, timber and other cash crops such as tea and tobacco. In the east of Fenghua, around Xiangshan (象山), there existed also a number of fishing communities.
As with the rest of China, the
19th century brought about tumultuous changes. The
Opium Wars with Britain devastated the economies of the coast. Around this time, many Fenghua men sought opportunity in the rising cities of
Harbin, Weihaiwei and
Shanghai. They later became famous in the
1920s for their dominance of the
tailoring profession in downtown Shanghai, known as the "Feng Bang" (奉幫). But by far Fenghua's most famous export was
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the
Nationalist Party of China and former
President of the Republic of China. Chiang's family were originally salt merchants in the township of
Xikou (溪口; old pronunciation "Qikou"), a town in the west of Fenghua county.
Industry
Today, Fenghua is a centre for light manufacturing and small scale farming. It boasts a number of premier garment and textiles factories, including the
Romon brand widely recognised in China. It is also home to the vast industrial facilities of
Ningbo Bird, a leading Chinese mobile phone manufacturer. As the port city of Ningbo is further integrated into the burgeoning economic region of Shanghai, Fenghua will attract increased foreign investment and continue to grow.
In
2003, the city's
gross product was
RMB 9.5 billion (per capita RMB 19,700), an increase of 18% from the previous year.
Tourism
Largely as a result of Chiang's fame, Fenghua attracts a large number of tourists. Aside from Chiang's former residence and related nostalgia, Fenghua has relatively few relics from the past. The great
Xuedou Temple (雪竇寺), once one of the ten great monasteries of
Chan Buddhism, was all but destroyed during the
Cultural Revolution. Other sites, along with numerous local shrines,
clan halls and
genealogies, also perished in those chaotic years.
To encourage the growing tourist trade, Fenghua municipality has made efforts to preserve remaining items of cultural interest. In
1988, for example, it rebuilt Xuedou Temple and also restored the Temple of King Xiao at Xiaowangmiao.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Fenghua'.
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