Fengcheng Old Street

Fengcheng Old Street

Fengcheng Town is situated in the eastern part of Fengxian District, 35 kilometers from Pudong International Airport, 50 kilometers from Hongqiao Airport, and 15 kilometers from the under-construction Harbor New City. The horizontally running A30 Expressway, Chuannanfeng Highway, Daye Highway, and Punan Canal, as well as the vertically aligned Fengxin Highway, Huluyang Expressway, Hangtang Highway, and Fengxin Port, together with the planned A3 Expressway and Pudong Railway, position Fengcheng by the river and sea with highly convenient water and land transportation. The area boasts thriving industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors, attracting numerous merchants.

Fengcheng Town has a long history. It had already emerged as land during the reconstruction of the Haian Tidal Embankment in the first year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (713 AD). According to historical records such as the "Zhizheng Jiahe Annals" by Xu Shuo of the Yuan Dynasty, the place was originally called Qingdun, also known as Dundun, named so because bonfires were lit on the mound as signals when pirates attacked. Later, with lush trees growing around, it was renamed Qinglin. During the Five Dynasties and Qianlong period (948–950 AD), the Qingdun Salt Field was established here, which, together with the Pudong and Yuanbu Salt Fields, was under the jurisdiction of the Huating County (Jiaxing Prefecture) Salt Supervision Office ("Zheyan Jiyao" and "Liangzhe Yan Chang Yan Ge Kao"). In the 19th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD), the Duke of Xin Guo, Tang He, oversaw the construction of the Qingcun Fort to defend against Japanese pirates, and the Qingcun Thousand-Household Defense Unit was stationed there. In the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed the Central Front Thousand-Household Defense Unit of Qingcun. In the fourth year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1726 AD), Fengxian County was established in the southeastern part of Huating. In the ninth year of Yongzheng’s reign (1731 AD), the county seat was moved to the Qingcun Fort city (today’s Fengcheng Town). In the second year of the Xuantong reign (1910 AD), the whole county was divided into one city and seven townships, with the county town Qingcun as the urban area. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912 AD), after the county seat was moved westward to Nanqiao Town, the urban area was renamed the City of Fengxian County (the name “Fengcheng” originated from this), which was later restructured into districts, townships, communes, and towns up to the present day. In 2000, Fengxian County was upgraded to a district, and Fengcheng became one of the central towns in the “one city and nine towns” plan.

With the changes of history, Fengcheng’s economy has continuously evolved. In ancient times, Fengcheng, located in a remote coastal area, relied largely on fishing and salt production for a long period. The Qingdun Salt Field from the Five Dynasties was one of the earliest salt fields in the Shanghai region, covering an area of “85 li in length,” with “4,136 salt-making households,” and stood alongside other salt fields such as Pudong and Yuanbu as one of the five major salt fields of Huating County. The fishing industry was also very developed. According to the "Jinshan Wei Annals" compiled in the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, at that time “the market in Gaoqiao (west of Fengcheng) was especially bustling, where all fishermen came to sell their catch.” By the late Ming Dynasty, Qingcun (now Fengcheng) had fifty to sixty fishing boats. Large boats ventured into the open sea using long nets and trawls for fishing, while small boats operated in the inshore areas for net pen farming. With two tides a month, large fish weighed dozens of pounds, and even small fish counted by the couple. Those without boats earned a living by carrying fish for sale or fishing and shrimp-catching on tidal flats, still managing to turn a profit. Women and young people made a living by weaving nets. It was said that “the diligent and thrifty could accumulate thousands or even hundreds of gold pieces through net weaving,” which was quite common. This indicates that the fishing industry in Fengcheng at the time was quite prosperous. After the Qing Dynasty, vast areas of tidal flats were reclaimed, salt pans turned into farmland, and the fishing and salt industries gradually declined, shifting the economy toward agriculture with fishing and salt as supplements.

Fengcheng Old Street is laid out in a cross shape, divided into East Street, South Street, West Street, and North Street. To the north of the old main street was another street running east-west, called Fengxian Street, later known as Guyouli, which is said to have been named after Confucius’ disciple Zixia once visited the area. After Fengcheng became a county seat, administrative facilities such as the county yamen, military command yamen, city defense yamen, registrar yamen, and prison were successively established. Cultural institutions including the education office, Zhao Wen Academy, Yanzi Shrine, and Zunjing Pavilion were also built one after another. Temples and shrines such as the Confucian Temple (Sage Hall), Martial Temple (Guandi Temple), City God Temple, Zhenhai Marquis Temple, Yuantong Nunnery, and Sanguan Hall were gradually constructed and completed. Charitable institutions such as Tongshan Hall, Festival and Filial Piety Shrine, Orphan Care Bureau, and Poorhouse were also set up. Unfortunately, many of these facilities, including the county yamen, education office, Confucian Temple, Martial Temple, and Orphan Care Bureau, were destroyed by Japanese artillery fire in November 1937.