Ancient Zhongzhan City

Ancient Zhongzhan City

Ancient Zhongzhan City is a cultural tourism attraction.

Zhongzhan City, originally known as Meixuan City, is located in Zhongzhan Village, Meiling, Nanxiong City. The "Nanxiong Cultural Relics Chronicle" records: “The site of the city faces south and has a total area of 32,000 square meters, with the ancient Meiling Road running through it. It was first built in the late Qin Dynasty and was renovated in various dynasties.” The "Directly-Controlled Nanxiong Annals" states: “When Emperor Qin unified the six states, the Yue King crossed Lingling on his way to the South Sea, and the Yue man Meixuan followed him to Meiling, where he settled and built a city on the Zhen River to host the king’s residence.” It also says, “Zhongzhan City is the ancient Meixuan City, and it includes the former residence of Marquis Tai.” Building the city on the Zhen River means constructing it at Zhongzhan. In the sixth year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1376), Zhongzhan City served as a relay transport station. On December 18 of the 36th year of the Jiajing reign (1557), the city walls were repaired. In the second year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1737), the Hongmei Patrol Inspectorate Office was established within the city. Zhongzhan City is the earliest ancient fortress in the territory of Nanxiong.

Zhongzhan Ancient City has long been in ruins, and today only parts of the city foundation remain, built from bluish-gray rocks. The ancient city is now home to over 670 villagers surnamed Xu, and features historical sites such as Ming and Qing ancient roads and old residences. A stone plaque above the gate of one Xu family ancestral hall bears inscribed text recording the construction date: “In the third year of the Qianlong reign (1738), in the twelfth lunar month on this auspicious day.” During the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, Dai Xilun, the magistrate of Nanxiong, wrote a poem titled "Former Residence of Marquis Tai": “On the day of entering the pass, you aided the rapid advance; the ancient residence remains, its existence debated through the ages; who would have thought that a loyal heart could move even plants and trees—here, even plum blossoms blush red.”

Meixuan was an important figure in the history of Lingnan. The "Biography of Meixuan" in the "Directly-Controlled Nanxiong Prefecture Annals" states: “Meixuan, a descendant of Goujian, the King of Yue, fled Chu and went to Gaoxiang in Danyang, changed his surname to Meixuan, and thus named Gaoxiang as Meili.” Meixuan led a group of troops to escort the Yue King to Dayuling, where they built a city, cultivated land, and settled down. How many people were in Meixuan’s group? The "Nanxiong Prefecture Annals: Customs" cites a text by Wei Qi, the magistrate of Shixing County during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, which states: “When King Goujian of Yue went to Taiguan, six thousand gentlemen followed and were registered under the state.” This shows that there was a large Yue population living around Meiling at that time.

This group of Yue people led by Meixuan lived and thrived in Meiling for decades, enduring hardship, cultivating grain, training troops, and dominating the region, becoming known as the Hundred Yue. The Wu-Yue culture and production techniques they brought played a positive role in the development of Lingnan. By the end of the Qin Dynasty, anti-Qin uprisings were surging across the Central Plains, and Meixuan raised troops to join Wu Rui, the magistrate of Fanyang, in rebellion against Qin. Meixuan was a pioneer in the development of Lingnan and a hero in the overthrow of Qin, and was granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households by Xiang Yu. Later, Meixuan followed King Huainan Wu Rui to Changsha, making his home in Meilin, Yiyang.