Site of the Ancient Jiaoyi Settlement

Site of the Ancient Jiaoyi Settlement

The site of the ancient Jiaoyi Settlement is located 1 kilometer east of Jiaopo Town, which is 23 kilometers from Funan County. It was once the fief of Wu Ju, a minister of the Chu State. During the Song Dynasty, it became Jiaopo Town, one of the ten major towns of Yingzhou. A stone stele erected in the second year of the Baoyuan era (1039) at the Iron Buddha Temple in Jiaopo bears an inscription reading “Jiaopo was established as a town in earlier dynasties.” In the first year of the Huangyou era (1049), Ouyang Xiu, then governor of Yingzhou, often visited Jiaopo. Remnants of the ancient Iron Buddha Temple, the temple pagoda, Dongyue Temple, Jiaopo Pond, and Qinghe Tea Garden can still be faintly discerned. Within and around the settlement, there are over 30 ancient wells, among which the Jiulong Spring, located to the left of the former Dongyue Temple, is particularly noted for its excellent water quality.

Jiaopo Town: Jiaopo Town is situated in the northeastern part of Funan County, 23 kilometers from the county seat. It covers an area of 70.3 square kilometers, with 64,000 mu of arable land and a population of 60,000, including approximately 8,000 Hui people. The town administers 30 village committees and 168 natural villages. The ancient Run River, Taozi River, and Xiaoqing River flow through the area, which features fertile land, convenient transportation, and lush greenery.

Jiaopo is a historic ancient town. Legend has it that it was the fief of Wu Ju, a famous general of the Spring and Autumn Period. During the Northern Song Dynasty, it was one of the ten major towns of Ruyin. Ouyang Xiu of the Song Dynasty often came here to drink wine and compose poetry, leaving behind the verse: “In Jiaopo, new wine ripens in the eighth month; autumn waters teem with plump fish sliced as white as jade, along the banks of the Qinghe…” More details about Jiaopo Town ++