Urban
Evolution
The
Origin of Chengdu City
On
the Chengdu Plains the ancient city remains of the Bao Dun culture, being traced
back over 4,500 years, is considered as the origin of Chengdu city. 3,000 years
ago, in the era of the San Xing, Jin Sha and Shi Er Qiao Ruins, a largest and
earliest ancient city emerged on the inner Chengdu Plains. From then on, the
city never changed its location for 3,000 years and more. During the early
Warring States Period Chengdu’s urban district turned to be the settlement of
the Kai Ming Dynasty. Down to the late Warring States Period, King Hui Wen of
the Qin State conquered Shu in 316 B.C. Afterwards Chengdu turned to be the seat
of the local government of Shu prefecture, and at the same time Chengdu County
had been established.
Evolution
of Administrative Systems
For
a span of over 2,000 years from the Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Chengdu
remained as the seat of administrative divisions by the names of xian (county),
jun ( prefecture), zhou (The name of jun had been replaced by zhou or fu during
the Sui and Tang dynasties.), fu, lu (The regional size of each lu is almost the
same as the one of a province), dao (In the Qing Dynasty, the dao had more
administrative power than the prefecture “zhou,” but it was still held under
control by the province.) and sheng (province). At intervals Chengdu turned to
be the capital of separatist regimes that included Cheng Han, Shu Han, Da Cheng,
Former Shu, Later Shu, and Da Xi. During the period of the Republic of China,
Chengdu was still a provincial seat. In 1922, the Municipal Administration
Office was established. In 1928, Chengdu Municipal Government was founded, and
the city itself was under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. After
the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the Western Sichuan
Administration Office was established, and Chengdu became its seat. In 1952,
when the provincial system was brought back, Chengdu turned to be the capital of
Sichuan, and it remains in the same position ever since.
Chengdu’s
Previous Names
The
Origin of Its Name
The
name of cheng du has remained unchanged for almost 2,500 years. Below are some
explanations for the origin of it's name.
1.
According to Around the World, an ancient Chinese geographic book published in
the Song Dynasty, cheng du originated in the saying “it took a year to assemble
and live in a compact community; the second year to become a county center; the
third year to turn into a metropolis.” Literally it means, “Becoming a capital.”
This is a most popular saying about its origin.
2.
According to some modern scholars, there is another explanation to the origin.
Cheng du came from the dialect of a Shu nationality. Cheng is a term of a
nationality, while du refers to the place where the Cheng nationality lived.
3.
In addition, modern scholars believe that Chengdu gains its name after chao ju.
The character “cheng” is the image of chao ju, which refers to a mode of human
beings’ inhabitation in remote ancient times; the character “du” is the place
where people gather together; cheng du is a seat where the chao ju clan resided.
In short, Chengdu’s historical characteristics are quite uncommon in the world,
with its location and its name that have remained unchanged for 3,000 years and
for 2,500 years respectively.
Name-Carved
Cultural Relics
The
carving or typecasting of the Chinese characters “Chengdu” on cultural relics
appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
In Qing Chuan and Yin Jin counties archeologists unearthed lacquerwares, which
had marked brands or seals in the shape of “成”(cheng), “成屮”(cheng 屮) and
“成亭”（cheng ting）. These characters suggested the places where the products were
manufactured. Also the surface of a copper lance, unearthed in Yin Jin County,
has Chinese characters “Chengdu.” In Qing Chuan County a copper dagger-axe was
unearthed. It was produced by Shu Dong Gong Weapon Workshop in 277 BC, and
“Chengdu,” the carved characters were on its surface.
The
Elegant Names of Chengdu
During
the period from the Qin to the Han dynasties Shu brocade was well-known all over
the country. The brocade fabrics became very bright after these were rinsed in a
river. Accordingly the river was called “Brocade-Rinsing River or “Brocade
River” for short. In the Han Dynasty Jin Guan (brocade administration office)
was set up near a city bridge for the purpose of taking charge of brocade
workshops. Therefore, Chengdu was called “Jin Guan City” or “Jin City (brocade
city)” for short.
The
climate in Chengdu is suitable for the growth of flowers and trees. The hibiscus
is the variety that local people love, and its flowers appear all over the city
when the hibiscus blossoms. Du Fu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, said in one of
his lost poems, “I ponder upon my bygone trips as if I were in dreams / Beyond
the City of Hibiscus, water remains around and boundless.” Evidently even in the
Tang Dynasty Chengdu did obtain a good name called Rong Cheng, the City of
Hibiscus. Later, Meng Chang, the king of the Later Shu, had people plant
hibiscus all over the city. By then, the good name really matched its
reality.
Other
Names of Chengdu
In
311B.C. the city wall around Chengdu officially began its construction.
According to The Biography of Shu Kings and Emperors, in those days city walls
often collapsed after its construction was completed. One day a big tortoise
unexpectedly arrived. He circled around the city until he reached the southeast
corner where he died of fatigue. So people restarted the city-wall construction
along the route the big turtle passed by, and the newly built wall was a
success. From then on Chengdu picked up another name “the City Where the
Tortoise Reincarnates” or “the City of Tortoises” in its abbreviated form.
The
Old Urban Districts of Chengdu
The
Big City and the Mini City
The
Mini City was the urban area emerged in the earliest period in Chengdu. It was
called Shao because of its small size and early founding. The city was also the
earliest market place or business section. The Big City was another section that
came out after the Mini City. So it was called “Da” or “big.” In 311 B.C. Zhang
Yi began building walls around Chengdu, which started to have a type of regular
walls and street layout, similar to the urban planning and design of Xian Yang,
capital of State of Qin. In terms of its initial function, the urban area fell
into two parts, the west part being the Mini City business section and the east
one being the Big City official administrative and residential area. The two
cities co-existed until the Ming Dynasty. Afterwards another pattern of
three-city co-existence emerged and it remained through the Ming to the Qing
dynasties. The pattern of the two-city and then three-city co-existence remains
a great characteristic of the city layout in Chengdu.
Two
Rivers Surround The City
During
the late Warring States Period, around 256 B.C, Li Bing, the governor of Shu
Prefecture, constructed the Due Jiang Yan Irrigation System, which led the water
of the Ming Jiang River down to the Chengdu Plains. This system includes two
main inlet Canals, one being the Pi Jiang River and the other the Liu Jiang
River. According to The History of Huayang State, the Pi Jiang River and the Liu
Jiang River flowed through separate cannels, moved along the city’s southwest
corner and then continued their flow eastwards, side by side until they reached
Chengdu. At that time the two rivers were named “Chengdu Twin Rivers,” and this
canal system existed more than one thousand years. In the late Tang Dynasty, the
Nan Zhao Kingdom often invaded Chengdu, frequently leaving the local residents
disturbed. In 876 Gao Pin, the newly appointed western Sichuan military
commander, built another city called Luo City. His purpose was to consolidate
the city defense. Originally the Pi Jiang River Canal extended towards the south
of Chengdu. However, due to the new city’ construction, its river course was
changed. Instead the river was diverged to flow around the north and the east of
the city before it converged at He Jiang Ting Pavilion with the Liu Jiang River
that flowed around the south of the city. As a result, the rivers flowed around
Luo City, forming a river course pattern of “two rivers surrounding the city,”
which still exist today.
The
Zi Cheng City, the Luo Cheng City and the Yang Ma Cheng City
The
Zi Cheng City (son city) was another name of the Big City in the Sui and Tang
dynasties. The Luo Cheng City was the result of the expansion of the Zi Cheng
City in the late Tang Dynasty when Gao Pin changed the water courses of the two
rivers. The character luo refers to “hold with a net,” and therefore any city
with a pair of walls is usually called “Luo Cheng City.” Meng Zhixiang of the
Late Shu State again expanded the area lying beyond Luo Cheng City and
constructed a larger and wider city wall. The third newly city was named Yang Ma
Cheng City (sheep and horse city). However, the new wall construction project
started so hurriedly that the quality assurance failed. Consequently the newly
built wall soon collapsed and disappeared
The
Imperial City
In
1390, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang assigned his thirteenth son Zhu Chuan to the Shu
King’s post. Afterwards Zhu Chuan came to Chengdu and lived here. The Shu King’s
residence that began to be built as early as 5 years ago was completed at the
moment when Zhu Chuan arrived. The construction appeared mighty and had a grand
exterior. Therefore, common people named it Imperial City. Its brick wall around
the residence was 5 m. in height; its perimeter was 4,500 m. in length; the wall
itself was called Screen Wall. The site of the present-day Tian Fu Square and
Hou Zi Gate area used to be the center of the Shu King’s Residence that
year.
Good
reputations of Chengdu in ancient and modern times
No
Daily Life Worries
The
Book of the Earlier Han Dynasty · Geography Chronicles evaluates the Shu
prefecture as it records the prefecture’s facts and events. It says, “People eat
rice and fish. There is no crop failure year and no daily life worries.” The
irrigation system ensures the Chengdu Plains to keep away floods and droughts so
that people neither have the taste of famine-year hunger nor worries in their
daily life.
The
Land Ocean Tian Fu
The
History of Huayang State · Shu Chronicles carries out a compliment about
Chengdu. The compliment, which dates from the Han and Jin dynasties, says, “The
fertile fields extend a thousand li and look like a land ocean.” People in
ancient times thought that the ocean contained everything, and Chengdu was just
like an ocean on land. The same book also presents the records quoted from the
document dating from the Qin and Han dynasties. It says, “Because human beings
control floods and droughts, people have no taste of famine, and no lean year
occurs. This saying generally refers to Tian Fu.” Originally Tian Fu is the
Heaven storehouse in which there are piles of numerous rare treasures.
Chengdu
has been crowned with the laurel of Tian fu zhi guo (the land of abundance or
the state of Tian Fu). However, during the Warring States Period the land of
Tian Fu covered both Hanzhong plains and Bashu area. By the Eastern Han Dynasty,
the Tian Fu referred to Shu area, and Hanzhong plains was called Jin Shu (Near
Shu) instead. The Long Zhong Plan written by Zhu Geliang specially referred Shu,
for the first time, to the state of Tian Fu. In 2007, Chinese National Geography
held a nation-wide appraisal activity to choose the top ten “New Tian Fu,” which
made an exciting stir. As a result, the Chengdu Plains came in first again
through the appraisal.
Fine
Food and Leisure City
At
the beginning of 21st century Chengdu is turning to be more open now. As
tourists at home and abroad make tour of Chengdu, they couldn’t help making
varied compliments in the state of their pleasant tour intoxication. One of the
compliments says “the city that once you have visited you never want to leave.”
Sichuan food in Chengdu has been well-known for a long time. In addition, the
tea culture is prevailing and local daily life is leisurely relaxed. Peasant
Household Entertainment and Sightseeing originally started in Chengdu, thus
number of Chengdu’s new titles came into being like “a fine food city,” “a
leisure city” and so on.
The
Mysterious City
The
cultural relics, unearthed at San Xing Dui Ruins, have triggered varied issues
about the civilization of the ancient Shu kingdoms. In 2002, the “Sun Bird,”
made in gold foil, and other cultural objects were excavated from the Jin Sha
Ruins, the northwest of Chengdu. Because the art of these objects is of a very
high level, it has further initiated a deep and sacred respect for the
civilization of the ancient Shu kingdom. Moreover, the Chengdu plains happen to
be at latitude 30º N where the world’s four major ancient civilized countries,
including China, India, ancient Babylon and Egypt, burst out the splendor of
civilizations in the earliest ancient times. It is also at latitude 30º N where
some mysterious objects and phenomena emerged. These include groups of Pyramids
of ancient Egypt, the Sphinx, the frescos of “fire god and seed” in the driest
Sahara Desert of North Africa, Bermuda Triangle in the Caribbean Sea, and the
“garden in the sky” of ancient Babylon. For this reason Chengdu has another name
called the Mysterious City at Latitude 30º N.
Major
Historical Events
Well-Known
City in the Country
Based
on archaeologically unearthed relics and other ancient documents, scholars have
confirmed that the roots of Chengdu’s civilization can be traced back over 4,500
years, the location of the city has remained unchanged for more than 3,000 years
and it has been recognized as a city for around 2,300 years. In the Han Dynasty
Chengdu was one of the five largest commercial cities in the whole country. In
the Tang and Song dynasties the city was known as “Yi Zhou (Chengdu) Second Only
to the City of Yang Zhou,” and “the First Famous City in China.” In the Han and
Tang dynasties Chengdu remained as one of the top cities in the whole
country.
Five
Dynasties of Ancient Shu Kingdoms
The
Chengdu Plains were the place where the ancient Shu culture grew, ancient Shu
cities and towns developed, and ancient Shu states emerged. According to legend,
there were five Shu kings by the names of Can Cong, Bo Guan, Yu Fu, Du Yu and
Kai Ming who came to the throne in succession. Actually they were five major
tribes that relied on different economical means. They existed respectively from
the fishing and hunting era to the period of agro-farming and residence on the
plains. The Can Cong tribe lived in “stone caves on the Mount Min Shan.” The Bo
Guan and Yu Fu tribes arrived on Chengdu Plains. They traveled far and wide,
looking for their final settlement. Gradually the migrating tribes took up their
residence, and the places where they lived turned to be villages, and
furthermore, these villages developed to be towns or even cities. By the Du Yu
Period, the tribes turned to be a large state, with its territory that covered
the land of Shu area. When the fifth King of the Kai Ming Dynasty (or the ninth
King of the same Dynasty) came into power, he established a capital on the
present base of Chengdu urban district.
King
Kai Ming Moves His Capital to Chengdu
According
to legend, the fifth King of the Kai Ming Dynasty (or the ninth King of the same
Dynasty) removed his capital to Chengdu because of his dream in which his city
wall moved away. Based on archaeological excavation, the period of the unearthed
3,000-years-old Jin Sha Ruins occurred after the San Xing Dui Ruins. This
discovery has provided with real evidence confirming the legendary removal of
the capital to Chengdu. In 2000 a large-scale boat-shaped coffin graveyard was
discovered in the Shang Ye Street of Chengdu. This graveyard belonged to the Kai
Ming royal families at that time in the early Warring States Period. It
indicates that the Kai Ming capital had been already located on the present base
of Chengdu urban district. The Kai Ming Dynasty continued through 12 kinghood
generations before it was destroyed by the Qin State.
The
Qin State Conquered Ancient Shu Kingdom
In
316 B.C internal disorders occurred in the Shu Kingdom. The Shu king sent his
troops to go on a punitive expedition against Marquis Ju. Ju fled to the Ba
Kingdom. Then the Shu king sent his troops to attack the Ba Kingdom. The latter
asked the Qin State for help. So King Hui of the Qin made use of this
opportunity. He sent two generals, Zhang Yi and Shi Macuo, to attack the Shu
Kingdom that died out and disappeared from then on. The kingdom’s descendants
moved southward and established a state by the name of Wen Lang in the present
north of Vietnam and the state king was called King An Yang.
Zhang
Yi Builds Walls
Five
years after the Qin State destroyed the Shu Kingdom in 33 B.C., Zhang Yi and
Zhang Ruo began building walls around Chengdu. According to accurate records, it
is considered as the beginning of Chengdu city construction, and as a city it
has lasted for around 2,300 years. In addition, Zhang Yi and Zhang Ruo built
another two towns in Pi Cheng and Lin Qiong. The towns were slightly small in
scale and were in a triangle position with Chengdu.
Gong
Sunshu Proclaims Himself Emperor
After
Wang Mang usurped the Liu family’s throne and established a new dynasty, Gong
Sunshu, an official who garrisoned Western Shu area, proclaimed himself emperor
in 25 B.C. and started setting up a feudal separatist rule in Chengdu. He used
“Long Xing” (the revitalization of the dragon) to be his reign title and “Cheng”
to be his national name. The regime lasted for 12 years and then it was defeated
by Emperor Guang Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Liu
Bei Sets Up Shu kingdom
Towards
the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Yellow Turbans Uprising broke out, the
warlords’ tangled warfare occurred one after another and the Central Plains
turned to be a place like a huge slaughterhouse. Liu Bei and Sun Quan allied to
launch a battle in Chi Bi area (red cliffs) against Cao Cao and his troops.
Finally, the allied army gloriously defeated Cao Cao’s troops, and the
consequence of the battle brought forth a trisection pattern of which the three
kingdoms came into being. In A.D. 221, Liu Bei ascended the throne in Chengdu.
He used Zhang Wu to be his kingdom’s title, and in history this regime is called
Shu Han Kingdom. In Chengdu Zhuge Liang, the premier of the kingdom assisted Liu
Bei in governing the kingdom, carried out strict and impartial laws and
policies, developed agriculture and maintained the kingdom stable. After Liu Bei
died, Liu Shan ascended the throne. Zhuge Liang continued to assist the new
emperor and spared no effort in the performance of his duty. Kingdom Shu Han
lasted 43 years and was finally destroyed by the Wei Kingdom.
Li
Xiong's Rule
In
the Western Jin Dynasty, political corruptions were serious and war chaos was
frequent. Li Te of the Di nationality united refugees, fighting all the way into
Chengdu from Chou Chi of Gansu. In 303 A.D. he established his regime by the
name of “Cheng” and used “Jian Chu to be his reign title. After his death, his
son Li Xiong proclaimed himself emperor in Chengdu in 304 A.D. He used “Jian
Xin” to be his reign title and kept “Cheng” as his regime’s name. Under Li
Xiong’s leadership, a bumper grain harvest happened every year; the
poverty-stricken or helpless people came far and near to Shu and sought refuge;
and ethnic nationalities around gradually submitted to his authority. Being in
power for 30 years, Li Te built schools and hunted for men of wisdom and valor.
Meanwhile, the taxes he collected were the lowest, compared with that in other
places across the country; there were very few forced labors from
non-governmental circles; there were almost no convicts in prisons. At that time
when turmoil and war chaos frequently occurred elsewhere in the country, the
situation in Chengdu remained peaceful and everything was in good order. After
Li Xiong's death, Li Shou succeeded to the throne. He changed his reign title to
Han, and so his regime is called “Cheng Han” in history. This regime lasted for
41 years before it was destroyed by Hen Wen from the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Two
Emperors Take Refuge in Chengdu
In
755 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan staged an armed rebellion and the
capital was in imminent danger. Premier Yang Guozhong suggested that Tang
Emperor Xuanzong come and take refuge in Chengdu. Yang Guozhong was the
highest-ranking imperial concubine Lady Yang's male cousin, and he himself also
served as the military commander in charge of western Sichuan. In the following
spring, the emperor arrived in Chengdu with the escort of 24 maids from the
imperial palace and over 1300 soldiers. The emperor lived in Chengdu at all
times, and he didn’t return to the capital Chang’an until the winter of the
following year.
In
the winter of A.D 880, the insurrectionary army led by Huang Chao closed in on
the capital of Chang’an. Tang Emperor Xi Zong fled in panic. Cheng Jinxuan, the
military commander in charge of western Sichuan, met the emperor and escorted
him to Chengdu for refuge. In the spring of the following year, Emperor Xi Zong
arrived in Chengdu. The emperor remained in Chengdu and didn’t depart for
Chang’an until the first month of the first year of the Tian Qi Period in 885
A.D.
Madam
Huan Hhua Defends Chengdu
In
768 A.D during the Tang Dynasty, Cui Lin who served as Chengdu magistrate and
the military commander in charge of western Sichuan left for Chang’an to have an
audience with the emperor. Yang Zilin, the Luzhou military commander, took the
advantage of Cui Lin's absence to make a raid upon Chengdu. Madam Huan Hua, Cui
Lin's wife, made a courageous decision. She donated her family properties to
recruit strong-bodied men, and with the help of torrential rain Madam Huan Hua
herself led the recruited men and defeated Yang Zilin's troops. Her success
guaranteed the safety of people and their families in the city. Accordingly the
royal court conferred on her the title of Ji Guo Madam; local people in Chengdu
deified her as a guardian goddess and built a Madam Huan Hua Temple by the Huan
Hua River. Her birthday occurred on April 19 of the Chinese lunar calendar. On
that day each year officials and common people would go to the temple where they
would burn incense and pay their respect to Madam Huan Hua. This activity
continued in the Song Dynasty and it turned to be a grand massive “roaming”
activity, which is called “the massive swimming in the river” in history.
Former
Shu and Later Shu
In
A.D 908, Wang Jian proclaimed himself emperor in Chengdu after he was informed
that Zhu Wen had taken by force the power of the Tang Dynasty. Wang Jian changed
his reign title to Yuan Wu, and his regime is called Former Shu in history. In
the war chaos period of the Five Dynasties, Wang Jian carried out the policy of
protecting his region’s territory and bringing peace and stability to people.
Exiled gentry and eunuchs of the former Tang Court constantly came to Chengdu
for shelter. This made Former Shu became a cultural oasis. After Wang Jian’s
death, the successor was Wang Yan who lived a life devoted chiefly to the
pursuit of pleasure. As a result, his regime collapsed at the first blow by the
army from the Later Tang. So the Former Shu that lasted 17 years disappeared
from the political arena.
In
less than ten years, Meng Zhixiang, who was assigned by the Later Tang to serve
as Chengdu military commander in charge of western Sichuan, proclaimed himself
emperor in 934. He changed his reign title to Ming De, and his regime is called
Later Shu in history. Meng died of illness in the second year after his
proclamation. His son Meng Chang succeeded to the throne. He continued adhering
to the policy of protecting his region’s territory and bringing peace and
stability to people. Meanwhile, he promoted culture and attached importance to
education. Under the situation of which the traditional literature had been
devastated, the Later Shu government consumed eight years in carving ten
classics on steles. Historically this standard carved edition is called “The
Meng Shu Stone Classics,” and the carving has created a splendid page in the
history of Chinese culture. The Later Shu lasted for 31 years before it was
destroyed by the Song Dynasty.
An
Uprising by Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun
In
993 during the Song Dynasty, a peasant uprising led by Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun
broke out in Yi Zhou area (present-day Chengdu). After Wang Xiaobo’s death, Li
Shun led the insurrectionary army, captured Chengdu for a time and established a
regime. Li Shun used Da Shu to be his regime’s official name and Ying Yun to be
his reign title. The uprising was finally suppressed by the Song troops, but it
remains brilliant in history for it clearly put forward for the first time the
slogan of average fortune between the rich and the poor.
Ming
Yuzhen Occupies Chengdu
Towards
the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Red Turban Peasant Uprising occurred. One of
the army branches, led by Ming Yuzhen, came to attack Sichuan. In1360, Ming
Yuzhen dispatched troops to seize Chengdu by surprise. In May,1362, he conquered
Chengdu and proclaimed himself Long Shu King, and later he proclaimed himself
emperor in Chongqing. He used Da Xia (Grand Xia) to be his regime’s official
name and Tian Tong (heaven unity) to mark the first year of his reign. Chengdu
became Ming Yuzhen’s second capita.
Zhang
Xianzhong Occupies Chengdu
In
November, 1644, Zhang Xianzhong and his peasant insurrectionary army conquered
Chengdu where he soon founded the Da Xi Regime. He proclaimed himself emperor
and named his reign title Da Shun(grand smooth). However, he hadn’t done many
practical things that could bring peace and stability to people. Two years
later, the Qing army entered Sichuan. Zhang Xianzhong decided to abandon Chengdu
and moved his troops northwards. When he withdrew, he turned the Chengdu
territory into a scorched land.
The
Foundation of Zun Jing Academy
In
1874 in the Qing Dynasty, with a suggestion presented by Xue Huan and 15
gentries, Zhang Zidong, the head of Sichuan Department of Education, founded the
Zun Jing Academy (a school of classical Learning) at the former site of the Shi
Xi Monastery located in the western section of Chengdu’s Wen Miao Street. Within
fewer than three decades, the academy had trained a large number of personages
who later exerted a far-reaching influence in the history of modern China.
Meanwhile, the academy promoted the cultural development and its vigorous growth
in modern Sichuan. In 1903, the academy was renamed as Sichuan Higher Education
School, the predecessor of Sichuan University.
The
Foundation of Sichuan Machinery Bureau
In
1877 in the Qing Dynasty, Din Baozhen, Sichuan governor-general, founded Sichuan
Machine Bureau to make arms, and the bureau was located in the area across the
Gong Bei Bridge and Xia lian Pond. This indicated the beginning of the
foreign-style factories to be built in Chengdu, and Chengdu's economy in the
late Qing Dynasty was moving towards modern times. In 1905, Xi Liang, Sichuan
governor-general, built another arsenal outside the Eastern Gate. It was called
Sichuan Munitions Factory, which was the largest machinery factory in the first
half of 20th century and the predecessor of the present-day Nan Guan Machinery
Factory.
The
Movement of Protecting the Railway Ownership in Sichuan
On
the Late stage of the Qing Dynasty, the ownership of the Sichuan-Hankou Railway
belonged to businessmen. However, in 1911, the Qing government announced the
state-run railway policy and at the same time signed a “loan contract” with bank
groups from the four countries that were Britain, the United States, France and
Germany. The Qing government transactions totally exposed his conspiracy of
taking away the railway fund and selling the railway ownership. In June gentries
and merchants in Chengdu set up the Railway Protection Comrade Committee. They
pledged their lives to “break the contract and protect the railway ownership.”
The railway protection movement expanded rapidly from Chengdu to the whole
province. In September, Zhao Erfeng, Sichuan governor-general, arrested Pu
Dianjun, Luo Lun, Zhang Lan and other committee members. Meanwhile, he ordered
to massacre petition people and made the “Chengdu Murder Case.” The Railway
Protection Comrade army near Chengdu rose in rebellion and besieged Chengdu. All
the Chinese Revolutionary League members in Sichuan took this opportunity to
launch an armed uprising, which turned to the blasting fuse of the Revolution of
1911.
The
Base of the Revival of Nationhood
During
the War of Resistance Against Japan, the total number of soldiers, who were sent
from Sichuan to battlefields or to the supply of the Chinese army, reached
3,400,000 persons. Of them, more than 640,000 persons were killed, wounded, or
gone missing, and this number accounted for 20% of the national total officers
and soldiers’ casualties. Many of them were the relatives of local people in
Chengdu, including Wang Mingzhang, Li Jiayu and Xu Guozhang from Chengdu. The
three men were military generals who scarified themselves in battlefields.
Chengdu suffered heavy losses from more than 480 Japanese aircraft bombings.
Under such a situation, people in Chengdu still spared no effort to provide
sources of troops, labor force and finance for the purpose of airport
constructions and support of front-line battles. All these activities have been
recorded in history for these made Chengdu become a world-renowned important
rear base during the War of Resistance Against Japan. Meanwhile, Chengdu was
honored as “The Base of the Revival of Nationhood.”
Liberation
of Chengdu
After
the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan, the KMT and CPC held a
“Peace Talk,” but it soon broke down, and then the Third Revolutionary Civil War
broke out. In the winter of 1949, the People's Liberation Army marched into
Southwest China. On December 9, Xikang and Yunnan provinces declared their
uprisings. The next day after the declaration, Chiang Kai-shek, who was in
Chengdu disposing a “West Sichuan Decisive Battle,” flew in a rush to Taiwan.
Immediately two corps under the PLA Second Field Army marched forward towards
Chengdu and started the Chengdu Battle. On December 27, the battle ended and
Chengdu was liberated. The PLA corps wiped out part of 300,000 Kuomintang
regular troops positioned in Chengdu while the greater part of them started an
uprising. On December 30, the PLA army held a grand Chengdu-city-entry
ceremony.
The
foundation of people's government
On
January 5, 1950, with the approval of the central government, Chengdu People's
Government declared its establishment. Its location was in the Du Yuan Street.
The first appointed mayor was Zhou Shidi, and vice mayors included Yian Xiufeng
and Li Zonglin. In July, 1950, the Central Government Administrative Council
appointed Li Zonglin as the city mayor. Vice mayors were Mi Jianshu and Li
Jieren.
