The History of the Ancient Cities
In 1959, to build what was then the largestwater conservancy hubproject — the Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station — the former Zhejiang counties ofChun'anand Suian were merged into Chun'an County. As a result, 290,000 people were relocated from their hometowns, and the two ancient cities of Shicheng and Hecheng, which had thrived for a thousand years, along with 27 towns, over 1,000 villages, 300,000 acres of fertile farmland, and thousands of residences, silently sank beneath thevast, wave-filledwaters of Qiandao Lake.
The ancient city of Chun'an, also known as Hecheng, was first built in 208 AD. Under the exquisitely crafted archway shaped like an ancient coin and resembling the character “Shang” (commerce), rows of traditional Huizhou-style mansions stand as testament to the prosperity of this hub of Huizhou merchants along the Xin'anjiang River.Throughout history, many scholars and literary figures have visited here, leaving behind a wealth of masterpieces and cultural relics.
The history of Suian is slightly more recent. According to records,the county seat of Suianwas moved to its current location in the fourth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (621 AD), and because it lies against Five Lion Mountain, it is also called Shicheng.Shicheng enjoyed convenient land and water transportation and was an important town in western Zhejiang.Hong Xiuquan’syounger brother, Hong Rengan, once stayed here. The area is home to numerous historical buildings, including those from the Ming and Qing dynasties such as ancestral halls, memorial archways, pavilions, study rooms, opera stages, and pagodas.
For such unique cultural relics, perhaps the best form of preservation is to leave them untouched and avoid commercial development.