Meicheng Ancient Town

Meicheng Ancient Town

Located in the mountainous region of western Zhejiang, Meicheng Town in Jiande City sits at the confluence of the Xin’an River and the Lan River, with Wulong Mountain to the north and the Three Rivers Junction to the south. Meicheng is a millennial ancient town with a history of over a thousand years. Known as Plum Blossom City, or Meicheng for short, it was originally an elegant name for the prefectural city of Mu and Yan States. It wasn’t until 1938 that it was officially designated as the county seat of Jiande.

There are various theories about the origin of the name Plum Blossom City, but the most widely accepted one comes from a passage in the Jiande County Annals of the Republican era: “Jiande City, also known as Yan State City, is commonly called Plum Blossom City because the battlements along the river are half shaped like plum blossoms.”

The city wall of Meicheng was last rebuilt in the early Ming Dynasty under the direction of Li Wenzhong, brother-in-law of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. As for why the battlements were made in the shape of plum blossoms, there has never been a definitive explanation. According to the Republican-era county annals, this was because three emperors of the Song Dynasty had all served as local officials in Yan State before ascending the throne, and Yan State was considered the dwelling place of a “hidden dragon.” Its fortifications were thus made the same as those of Nanjing and Beijing, giving rise to the saying “Two and a half plum blossoms under heaven.” However, Wang Ren, the editor of the county annals, argued that the current northern and southern capitals no longer have plum blossom-shaped battlements, so this could not be taken as evidence, and the shape of the battlements was not necessarily an indicator of political status. The renowned scholar Dai Bufan strongly supported the theory that it was modeled after the two capitals. In his essay “Meicheng Miscellany,” he wrote: “Having visited many famous ancient cities in China and carefully observed their battlements, the only ones I’ve personally seen shaped like plum blossoms, apart from Nanjing and Beijing, are the half-city here in Jiande, missing the northeastern and north corners.” Dai Bufan also speculated, based on folklore, that the plum blossom-shaped battlements were built for a favored concubine of the Ming emperor, who was a native of Yan State. She asked the emperor to build a Plum Blossom City, but unfortunately died young, leaving only half the city completed.

One theory suggests that Meicheng was named in honor of Mei Fu, a Han Dynasty recluse. It is said that Yan Ziling, a famous hermit, was Mei Fu’s son-in-law, and both were renowned for their noble character. Yan State was named in honor of Yan Ziling’s hermitage there. As noted in the preface to the Collected Works of Fang Daorui’s Sitalun: “Our region’s landscapes are famed throughout the world, and the state is named Yan for the noble conduct of Ziling.” There is also a folk tale that Yan Ziling built Plum Blossom City. To honor both Mei and Yan, the city of Yan State is also called Plum Blossom City.

Another theory suggests the name comes from the unique plum blossom of Jiande, known as “Jiande Mountain Plum.” This plum grows high in the mountains and cold valleys, unafraid of the cold and damp. It has five petals, white and fragrant flowers, and blooms in late spring to early summer—a trait quite unique among plum blossoms.

Meicheng has a long history and served as a prefectural capital for over 1,200 years. Its rich history, beautiful landscapes, and abundant cultural heritage add to its charm and have drawn many to try to unravel the mystery behind the name Plum Blossom City.