Nanchang

History

How the city came to be

Nanchang has been a city for more than 2,200 years. In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (202 BCE), Guan Ying crossed the Yangtze, defeated Wujun, and divided Jiujiang Commandery (one account says Lujiang Commandery) to establish Yuzhang Commandery and found Nanchang County; in the sixth year of Gaozu, construction of the city wall began. The city was first called "Guanying City" and later renamed Nanchang, the seat of Yuzhang Commandery, with a name meaning "prosperity in the south" and "greatness in the southern frontier." There are three accounts of the origin of the commandery name "Yuzhang": the large camphor tree at the south gate, the Yuzhang River, and a name moved from the Spring and Autumn period; the three accounts coexist and no conclusion has been drawn. Thereafter Nanchang served successively as a commandery seat and prefectural seat: it was called Hongzhou in the Sui and Tang dynasties, was raised by the Southern Tang to the "Southern Capital" as Nanchang Prefecture, became Longxing Prefecture in the Song dynasty, Longxing Circuit in the Yuan dynasty, and Nanchang Prefecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Pavilion of Prince Teng was first built in the fourth year of the Yonghui era of the Tang dynasty (653); the present building was completed in 1989 and is famous because of Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng"." After the Northern Expedition Army captured Nanchang in 1926, Nanchang City was established; in the early hours of August 1, 1927, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, He Long, Ye Ting, Liu Bocheng, and others commanded the uprising army to capture Nanchang, giving birth to the first people's army independently led by the Communist Party of China. Nanchang was liberated in 1949. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Nanchang produced the first aircraft, the first batch of coastal defense missiles, the first motorcycle, and the first tractor of New China, and is an important manufacturing center and the birthplace of New China's aviation industry.

1. 202 BCEGuan Ying established Yuzhang Commandery and founded Nanchang County.
2. 201 BCEconstruction of the city wall began; the city was first called "Guanying City" and later renamed Nanchang.
3. 653the Pavilion of Prince Teng first built.
4. Southern Tang periodNanchang Prefecture called the "Southern Capital."
5. First year of the Longxing era of the Song dynastyraised to Longxing Prefecture.
6. Yuan dynastythe circuit name changed from Longxing (隆兴) to Longxing (龙兴).
7. Ming dynastyLongxing Circuit changed to Hongdu Prefecture, later renamed Nanchang Prefecture.
8. 1926Nanchang City established.
9. August 1, 1927the August 1 Nanchang Uprising.
10. 1949Nanchang liberated.
11. 1989the rebuilt Pavilion of Prince Teng completed.

Stories

Stories of the city