Where on earth was Emperor Yan born? Over Centuries this question has puzzled the Chinese people, who have argued over and been in constant pursuit of the correct answer. The widely alleged places as his hometown are Baoji in Shaanxi Province, Suizhou in Hubei Province, Gaoping in Shanxi Province and Huayang in Henan Province.
In the year of 2005, Yang Guosheng, a scholar from Huaihua City,Hunan Province, declared Huitong to be the real hometown of Emperor Yan, which aroused a new round of heated debate over the exact location of Emperor Yan's birthplace.
Meanwhile, Huitong County government authorities strongly supported this claim by holding the first national seminar of the locality of Emperor Yan's hometown.
Huitong County, which is under the jurisdiction of Huaihua City, is situated in the southwest of Hunan Province, bordered by the Xuefeng Mountains in the east and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the south. It enjoys a high reputation across the nation for its abundant quality timber resources.
In spite of the fact that Huitong County was first instituted in the Song Dynasty, it has been used as a geographical name for quite a long period of time in history. Based on the record in The Book of Songs(Shijing) and The Chou Rituals(Zhouli) (two great books in the period of the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States), Mr. Yang Guosheng believes Huitong to be the place where the ancient emperors met their subordinates.
Tip: Huitong County covers an area of 2,224.46 square kilometers, consists of 7 towns and 18 townships (including the six ethnic townships instituted in 1998). The population is 0.3421 million, with 17 ethnic groups such as Dong, Miao, Yao, Man and others which account for 63.3% of the total population. The Qushui River and The Wushui River run across the whole county.
Huitong enjoys a long history and brilliant civilization. Early in the Paleolithic Period our ancestors lived there. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, it was part of the Chu Kingdom. In the first year of the reign of Emperor Zhaoji of the Song Dynasty (1102), Shanjiang County was established and then renamed to Huitong County a year later. The two characters Hui and Tong were derived from words in a line of The Chou Rituals( Zhouli)where the Emperor's separate meeting with his ministers was called Hui and the group meeting Tong. Huitong has nurtured a variety of talents and personalities in different generations.
Huitong enjoys a long history and brilliant civilization. Early in the Paleolithic Period our ancestors lived there. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, it was part of the Chu Kingdom. In the first year of the reign of Emperor Zhaoji of the Song Dynasty (1102), Shanjiang County was established and then renamed to Huitong County a year later. The two characters Hui and Tong were derived from words in a line of The Chou Rituals( Zhouli)where the Emperor's separate meeting with his ministers was called Hui and the group meeting Tong. Huitong has nurtured a variety of talents and personalities in different generations.
Located in a mountainous area,Huitong impresses visitors with its appealing scenery of clear rivers and lush mountains. It is rich in tourist resources, among them the ecological and cultural resources as the most distinctive attractions. Not only does it boastfully claim to be the hometown of Emperor Yan, it also bears the seat of the high-ranking general officer Su Yu(1907-1984)and his former dwelling and memorial hall, a renowned key base of "revolutionary education". It also possesses the state-level Key heritage conservation Unit and an ancient Gaoyi Village. This villiage is the most famous ancient village in the southern area of the Yangze river that remains until today. It is reputed as a living fossil of ancient dwelling architecture and could serve as a page in a history book of ancient village architecture, a perfect example of cultivation and heritage. Huitong also enjoys nationwide fame for its Yingzhui (eagle mouth) national nature reserve,which is also regarded as a biological gene pool in Southern China and nicknamed as Zhangjiajie Junior. The diversified local cultures and customs strongly flavored with Dong and Miao nationalities also contribute a lot to its fame.
- Photogrpher / Zhouzhigang
- Chinese Script / Zangjie
- Design / Liumin Miaolin
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