Chengyang Ridge

Chengyang Ridge

Chengyang Ridge, anciently known as Daliang Ridge, is located 7 kilometers northwest of Chengcheng in Chenghai City, on the eastern bank of the East Branch of the Han River. It belongs to Lianxia Town and has a population of 5,960. This was the site of Fengling Ancient Port, a Tang Dynasty trade harbor in Chaozhou.

It is said that the village was established during the early Song Dynasty (circa 960–1000 AD). Since there is a hill to the east of the village named Fengshan Ridge (also called Little Tiger Hill), the village was named Fengwu Ridge after the hill. It is also called Chengyang Ridge because, during the Tang Dynasty, Fengshan Ridge resembled an isolated island in the sea and served as a shelter for sailors from storms. The settlement is strip-shaped, with most houses being single-story buildings made of brick, tile, and wood. Agriculture is the main industry. The village has 119.8 hectares of arable land, mainly growing rice, sweet potatoes, and similar crops, along with freshwater aquaculture. Known as a “hometown of overseas Chinese,” 70% of its households have relatives abroad.

During the Xingguo Dingchou era (977 AD), the area entered a period of prosperity, with stone inscriptions abound both on the hills and at the base, alongside ancient markets, ancient ports, ancient residences, ancient banyan tree-lined paths, and ancient temples—creating a spectacular scene. It was also a place where Lu Xiufu, a Song Dynasty chancellor, once traveled, a base where General Chen Diaoyan resisted the Yuan Dynasty, the birthplace of Ming Dynasty figure Lin Daogui, and part of the ancient maritime Silk Road.

During the late Ming Dynasty (circa 1600–1644), Cai Junxin of the Cai family first formulated ancestral secret prescriptions for traditional Chinese medicine pills such as Dalingen Gynecological Pills, Ningkun Pills, and Tiaojing Pills, which gained fame both domestically and internationally. The Tiger Hill Cliff Inscriptions and Dansha Temple are municipal-level key cultural relics under protection. The Ancheng Highway runs past the eastern side of the village.

Chengyang Ridge has long been known as the “Ancient Zoulu of Literature and Culture, Miniature Penglai of Landscape.” The village once had 31 study halls, including Yibi Studio, Meilu Study, Ban Yin, Yangzhi Mountain House, Dongyu Cottage, Xiaoliang Huan, Naiqiu Small Cottage, and Jichen. Nearly 10 of these remain well-preserved today. During the Republican era, individuals such as Cai Yuzhong and Xu Naiqiu founded several private schools here. Throughout its history, the village has produced numerous scholars who passed imperial examinations, historians, and artists in calligraphy and painting. Stone inscriptions and tablets in the village include the “Record of Zixiao Tower,” “Record of Wenchang Shrine,” “Memorial Archway for Yan Hou,” and “Inscription of GuKui Nunnery.”