Zhaoqing City is located in the central and western part of Guangdong Province, China. It borders the Pearl River Delta to the east and southeast Guangxi to the west. The Xijiang River, the main stream of the Pearl River, runs through it, and the Tropic of Cancer runs through it. It rests on the Beiling Mountains, faces the Xijiang River, controls Cangwu above, and controls the South China Sea below. It is the throat of western Guangdong.
Zhaoqing is one of the birthplaces of ancient Lingnan scholar culture. Archaeological discoveries show that there were human activities in Zhaoqing about 140,000 years ago; about 10,000 years ago, the area began to transition to the Neolithic Age; about 5,000 years ago, the ancestors of Zhaoqing had hoeing agriculture and livestock raising. industry, weaving industry and the more advanced pottery industry. The bronzes unearthed from tombs in the territory from the late Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period have traces of influence from the Shang and Zhou culture in the Central Plains and the Chu-Yue culture in the Yangtze River Basin, and also have significant characteristics of the Lingnan culture.
Zhaoqing is a famous Lingnan county with a long history. As early as the period of the Nanyue Kingdom, the Luoyue chieftain, King Anyang, went north to establish his capital in Fengxi (today's Fengkai territory). After Zhao Tuo defeated King Anyang, he established the Cangwu Kingdom in the Fengxi area as a vassal state of the Nanyue Kingdom. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty pacified South Vietnam, Gaoyao County was established in today's Gaoyao, Zhaoqing urban area, western Gaoming and Sanshui, and eastern Yunfu, which belonged to Cangwu County. The name of the county comes from the Gaoyao Gorge within the territory. Gaoyao Gorge is named after its high mountains and waist-high water. In the ninth year of Kaihuang's reign in the Sui Dynasty (AD 589), Duanzhou was established and administered nine counties including Gaoyao and Duanxi. In the third year of Daye (AD 607), the state was abolished and a county was established, and Duanzhou was changed to Xin'an County. During the Wude period of the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Duanzhou. In the first year of Tianbao (742 AD), it was renamed Gaoyao County. In the first year of Qianyuan (758 AD), it was renamed Duanzhou. Until the third year of Yuanfu in the Northern Song Dynasty (1101), Song Huizong Zhao Ji was the king of Duan before he came to the throne, and Duanzhou was his "hidden residence", so he established the Xingqing Army Festival in Duanzhou; in the third year of Zhenghe (113), Duan was changed. The prefecture was named Xingqing Prefecture; in the first year of Chonghe (1118), he was personally given the imperial letter "Zhaoqing Prefecture", and the name was changed to Zhaoqing from then on.
Zhaoqing is a national historical and cultural city, the intersection of Central Plains culture and Lingnan culture, with a splendid history and culture. Mei'an, Yuecheng Longmu Ancestral Temple, Chongxi Tower, Song City Wall, Yuejiang Tower, Liqiao Tower, Wenming Tower, Huangyan Cave, Taixin Bridge, Gaoyao Academy, Deqing Academy, Wen Pagoda, Qixingyan Cliff There are more than 300 cultural relics and historic sites with scientific research value, including the stone carving group and the former residence of Zhou Qijian. According to research, Zhaoqing is also the birthplace of Cantonese! Xinghu Scenic Area is one of the first batch of national key scenic areas announced by the State Council. Recently, it was rated as one of the first batch of top ten civilized scenic spots demonstration sites in the country. Qixingyan’s lakes and mountains are so beautiful. Seven rock peaks are arranged, standing on the 6.5 square kilometers of the lake. The entire scenic spot is surrounded by mountains and water, with pavilions, pavilions, and shimmering rock shadows integrated into one. The natural scenery is excellent, forming a wonderful landscape bonsai. It enjoys the reputation of "the first wonder in Lingnan" and "the fairyland on earth". In recent years, the 8-kilometer embankment road and seven rock peaks in Qixingyan Scenic Area have been newly decorated with various neon lights, creating a "Night Star Lake". Dinghu Mountain is the first of the four famous mountains in Guangdong. It is known as the "Emerald of the Tropic of Cancer" and the "Living Museum of Nature".
Zhaoqing is the birthplace of Lingnan indigenous culture, the birthplace of Guangfu Han regional culture and vernacular (Cantonese), and the core area for the cross-evolution of the two cultures. It is also the birthplace of Central Plains culture and Lingnan culture, Western civilization and One of the earliest areas where traditional Chinese civilizations converged, it was once the political, economic and cultural center of the Xijiang River Basin, and was known as the "Famous County in Lingnan" in history. In the sixth year of Yuanding of the Han Dynasty (111 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established the director of the "Jiaozhi Governor's Department" to govern the counties in Lingnan in Fengkai, today's Zhaoqing (known as Guangxin in ancient times, which means "the land of Guangdong was first opened to spread favor and trust"). It lasted for 375 years; from the 43rd year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1564) to the 11th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1747), Zhaoqing was the residence of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi for 183 years. In September 1583, the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci, known as "the first person to bridge Chinese and Western cultures", came to Zhaoqing with chiming clocks, sundials and world maps that represented the achievements of the European Renaissance. In 1585, he built the first imperial palace in Chinese history. The first Catholic church "Xianhua Temple" was built, and the first Chinese world map "Comprehensive Map of Mountains, Seas and Geographical Areas" was drawn and published.
Throughout the ages, Zhaoqing has produced famous ancient classics scholars Chen Qin and Chen Yuan in the Han Dynasty. Father and son, Mo Xuanqing, the first scholar in Guangdong and Guangxi in the Tang Dynasty, and a large number of outstanding figures, including Li Yong, a writer and calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, Rongrui, a Japanese monk, Huineng, a Zen Buddhist, Bao Zheng, a famous minister in the Northern Song Dynasty, Luo Mingjian, an Italian missionary, etc. Many historical figures, such as the revolutionary pioneer Sun Yat-sen and the famous Northern Expedition Ye Ting, have left their legacy in Zhaoqing.
Zhaoqing is an excellent tourist city in China with more than 1,000 years of tourism history. Fengkai Baishiyan, Dabanishi, Huaiji Yanyan, Guangning Bamboo Sea, Sihuizhen Mountain, and Dinghu Yanzhou each have their own characteristics. Xinghu (including Qixingyan and Dinghu Mountain) has been the most famous since the Tang Dynasty. The Qixingyan cliff carvings are known as the "Millennium Poetry Corridor" and are national key cultural relics protection units along with the Song Dynasty City Wall, Mei'an, Deqing Academy, and Yuecheng Longmu Ancestral Temple.
Zhaoqing Mountains and Rivers. It is beautiful, rich in products, gold, jade, wood, stone and other materials, and has many skilled craftsmen. Duan inkstone is known as one of the "Four Treasures of the Study" in my country. It has a high cultural taste and is rich in cattails and straw mats. With a history of 4,000 years, Zhaoqing's ivory carvings, jade carvings, bamboo weaving and craft fans also have strong national style and local characteristics.
Sword flower, egg drop, Zhaoshi, Shouwu, and purple bean sprouts are all famous and high-quality specialties; steamed Wen (Yamano) carp and steamed Maixi carp are special dishes unique to Zhaoqing; the world's rice dumplings are available in Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing Wrapped and steamed, the folk delicacies are unparalleled in the world.
Zhaoqing has a colorful regional culture. Huaiji's "Guier Opera" is one of the rare operas in my country, with a history of more than 300 years; fish and dragon dance, rooster dance, unicorn and white horse The dance and tea-picking song in December have been sung in Tiandong Village for 400 years.
In the long history and culture of Zhaoqing, there are Lingnan indigenous culture, Duan Inkstone culture, Song culture, Longmu culture and so on. Bao Gong culture, especially Bao Zheng’s deeds in governing Duanzhou, is one of the brightest stars. 's pearl.
In 1994, the State Council announced Zhaoqing as a national historical and cultural city.