During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Zhenlong, a native of Qingqiao Village, Changle County, Fujian Province, was a scholar before the age of 20. Later, he failed in the provincial examination, so he abandoned Confucianism and went to Luzon Island to do business. Luzon is now the Philippines.
In Luzon, Chen Zhenlong saw that sweet potatoes are grown everywhere, which can be eaten raw or cooked, and are easy to grow. He thought of the frequent disasters in his hometown and lack of food, so he diligently learned how to plant potatoes and invested in purchasing potato seeds.
In the fifth lunar month of 1593, Chen Zhenlong secretly carried potato vines to avoid exit inspection and sailed back to Fuzhou after seven days and nights.
At that time, there was a severe drought in central Fujian and the grain harvest was poor. Chen Zhenlong asked his son Chen Jinglun to write to Jin Xuezeng, governor of Fujian, recommending this kind of rice, which was very suitable, did not compete with rice and wheat for land, was drought-resistant, and was resistant to barrenness. High yielding food crops.
According to Jin Xuezeng’s suggestion of finding a place for planting, Chen Zhenlong and his son tried planting in the open space next to the Pushamao Pond in Dadao. After 4 months, the sweet potatoes are harvested and can satisfy hunger.
Jin Xuezeng was overjoyed when he heard the news, and the following year he sent an order to plant it all over the country to solve the problem of food shortage among the Fujian people. He also wrote my country's first potato monograph "Overseas New Biography" on the basis of "The Rules of Teaching Seed Potatoes" presented by Chen Jinglun, which promoted the advantages of sweet potato being good seeds, easy to grow, and high yield, and taught planting methods.
Under Jin Xuezeng’s instigation, counties in Fujian followed the law and promoted it. Wherever sweet potatoes are grown, the threat of disasters is greatly reduced.
The Fujian people were grateful for the virtues promoted by Jin Xuezeng and renamed the sweet potato "Golden Potato". Because it was introduced from foreign countries, it was also called "Sweet Potato". Because the underground mass resembles a melon, it was later also called "sweet potato" in northern my country.
Later, Chen Zhenlong’s descendants spread the species to Zhejiang, Shandong, Taiwan and other places. Chen Shiyuan, the fifth grandson of Chen Zhenlong, also wrote "Jinshu Biography and Practice Records" and handed it down to the world. In the Qing Dynasty, golden potato cultivation was promoted to all parts of the country.
To commemorate Chen Zhenlong’s achievements in introducing potato seeds and Jin Xuezeng’s promotion of planting, the Fujian people once established the “Bao Gong Temple” in Fuqing County. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, Fuzhou native He Zexian built the "Xianshu Pavilion" on Wushi Mountain to commemorate it. Chen Zhenlong is known as the "Father of Sweet Potato" in my country.
Chen Zhenlong introduced sweet potatoes into our country, which improved the structure and recipes of our country's crops, and became one of the important foods to relieve famine in the old times of our country.
According to records, there are three ways for sweet potatoes to be introduced into my country: First, the Portuguese spread it from America to Myanmar, and then to Yunnan, my country; second, the Portuguese spread it to Vietnam, and Chen Yi from Dongguan or Lin Huailan from Wuchuan Then it was introduced to Guangdong; third, the Spanish spread it to Luzon Island from America, and Chen Zhenlong from Changle introduced it to Fujian, my country.
In any case, Lin Huailan, Chen Zhenlong and Chen Yi can all enjoy this reputation as the first people to introduce sweet potatoes in my country. They were introduced separately and were not related to each other, but they all made outstanding contributions to alleviate the food and clothing of the people at that time, and were of great significance in the history of my country's agricultural development.