Yongding River

Yongding River

On current maps of Mengcheng County, you won’t find the Yongding River, but you will find Pan Gou. Located in Wangji Village, Pan Gou connects to the Fei River in the north and the Wo River in the south, stretching approximately 30 li in length. It is a major drainage channel in the eastern part of Mengcheng County. This is the Yongding River referred to in this article.

According to the county annals, from the 24th year of the Guangxu reign (1898) to the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (1906), Mengcheng County suffered continuous severe flooding for nine years, with the disaster in the 32nd year being the most devastating, with mushrooms sprouting everywhere. At that time, the county magistrate Zhang Qirui concealed the extent of the disaster and was dismissed after his superiors found out. His superiors then appointed Wang Shuding to oversee relief efforts, pacify the people, and temporarily govern the county.

Wang Shuding, courtesy name Zhujiu, was from Xincheng, Shandong. He had previously served as the magistrate of Mengcheng in the 16th year of the Guangxu reign (1890). He “was known for his skill in resolving legal cases and suppressing banditry,” but later left office due to mourning for a parent. In 1906, when the great flood occurred and Zhang Qirui was dismissed for covering up the disaster, Wang Shuding was reappointed as magistrate of Mengcheng for the second time because he had “previously benefited the people of Meng.”

Upon taking office, he immediately “provided relief and cracked down on bandits,” bringing “peace of mind to the populace.” He also considered that to eliminate the water hazard, water conservancy projects must be developed. After conducting on-site inspections, he found that the Fei River had been severely silted up for years, exacerbating the flooding. He led local officials and gentry to survey the terrain multiple times and, after repeated discussions, decided to dredge Pan Gou, widening and deepening it to divert water from the Fei River into the Wo River. This would reduce the water volume in the upper reaches of the Fei River and alleviate flooding.

This project won widespread public support. Men and women, young and old, all joined in the effort, working day and night without stopping. Wang Shuding, along with local officials and gentry such as Yu Ziyuan (holding the title of Prefect), Hu Shuofu (a fifth-rank tribute student), Zhang Xianchen (a fifth-rank educational instructor), Zhang Xianggu (a government student), Tao Weiyu (a student of classical learning), and Guo Ziying (a literary degree holder), “worked tirelessly day and night.” Thanks to the unified efforts of officials and citizens, thousands of people completed the massive project in just 18 days. In an era over 100 years ago, when productivity was still relatively low, completing such a colossal project in just 18 days was nothing short of a miracle. This shows the tremendous power of collective will...

After the project was completed, people asked Wang Shuding to name the new channel. After some thought, he said, “We hope this new channel will free the Fei River from flooding and allow the people to live in peace forever. I propose we call it the Yongding River!”

To facilitate transportation, a large bridge was also built over the Yongding River. The bridge was named after the river and came to be called the Yongding Bridge.