Shifang
Encyclopedia
Shifang is a county-level city
in Sichuan
, China
under the municipal administration of Deyang
. It is located about 50 km from Chengdu
. It has an area of 863 km² and a population of 430,000 in 2004.
The city had had a history of 2,209 years when it suffered heavy damages during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
.
, roughly in parallel with the foundation of the Western Han dynasty
by Emperor Gaozu. (Zhifang and Shifang were identical in ancient times.) Emperor Wu
conquered the area in 111 BC
and placed it under Han rule. In 4 A.D., Wang Mang
who briefly seized power changed Zhifang to Meixin county. Emperor Guangwu of Han
changed Meixin to Zhifang county in 25 A.D. (汁邡 was also identical to 汁方 in ancient times.)
The current name Shifang was first adopted in 221 AD during Shu Han
. During the reign of Northern Zhou
, Shifang was first renamed Fangting or Fangning in 557, and later merged into Luo county somewhere between 566 and 576. It was not until the foundation of Tang dynasty
when Shifang was reconstituted as a county in 619.
During the reign of the Former Shu
kingdom, Shifang became Tongji county in 912, but then named back to Shifang county in 919.
Shifang county had since been maintained until 1995, when the People's Republic of China
changed its status to a county level city, delegated to the municipality of Deyang.
's birthplace.
Although this claim is probably more commercial than historical, Shifang was part of West Qiang that some ancient records accredited as Yu's birthplace, just like the other three locations in Sichuan, namely Beichuan
, Wenchuan
, and Dujiangyan
, that raised similar claims.
Many places in other parts of China have made similar claims.
(馬祖道一) (709 CE–788 CE), a master of the Chinese Ch'an Buddhist lineage,was born in Mazu Town of Shifang.
with at least 5924 death tolls. 13 school buildings totally collapsed in Hongbai Town, Yinghua Town, Luoshui Town, Jiandi Town, Bajiao Town etc., and dozens of schools impaired with 550 students and 12 teachers as death tolls.
Municipality will do coordinated support with Shifang City(北京市对口支援什邡市) , and consider to assist a Capital Industry Park of 10 km² in Luoshui Town . The road which will link the Chengdu-Mianyang Expressway and Shifang City will be completed in 2008. In addition, a new Chengdu
-Shifang-Mianyang
Expressway
and the Chengdu
-Lanzhou
High-speed Railway, which will pass through Shifang, are scheduled to complete around 2011,and will make it possible to travel from Chengdu
to Shifang in 30 minutes. With the leadership of Chinese government and support of international community, the government of Shifang City plans to complete reconstruction until 2011, make GDP recover to same of 2007 until 2013, and make the city to be a modernized city until 2018.
and 14 towns
.
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
under the municipal administration of Deyang
Deyang
Deyang is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a wealthy, mostly industrial city, with the Erzhong Heavy Machinery Company Deyang is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a wealthy, mostly industrial city, with the Erzhong Heavy Machinery Company...
. It is located about 50 km from Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. It has an area of 863 km² and a population of 430,000 in 2004.
The city had had a history of 2,209 years when it suffered heavy damages during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
.
History and culture
The first recorded administrative creation in the current location of Shifang was a tiny kingdom named Zhifang in 201 BC201 BC
Year 201 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Paetus...
, roughly in parallel with the foundation of the Western Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
by Emperor Gaozu. (Zhifang and Shifang were identical in ancient times.) Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...
conquered the area in 111 BC
111 BC
Year 111 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Serapio and Bestia...
and placed it under Han rule. In 4 A.D., Wang Mang
Wang Mang
Wang Mang , courtesy name Jujun , was a Han Dynasty official who seized the throne from the Liu family and founded the Xin Dynasty , ruling AD 9–23. The Han dynasty was restored after his overthrow and his rule marks the separation between the Western Han Dynasty and Eastern Han Dynasty...
who briefly seized power changed Zhifang to Meixin county. Emperor Guangwu of Han
Emperor Guangwu of Han
Emperor Guangwu , born Liu Xiu, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty, restorer of the dynasty in AD 25 and thus founder of the Later Han or Eastern Han...
changed Meixin to Zhifang county in 25 A.D. (汁邡 was also identical to 汁方 in ancient times.)
The current name Shifang was first adopted in 221 AD during Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
. During the reign of Northern Zhou
Northern dynasties
The Northern Dynasties included Northern Wei Dynasty, Eastern Wei Dynasty, Western Wei Dynasty, Northern Qi Dynasty, Northern Zhou Dynasty.Also see Southern and Northern Dynasties.-External links:*...
, Shifang was first renamed Fangting or Fangning in 557, and later merged into Luo county somewhere between 566 and 576. It was not until the foundation of Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
when Shifang was reconstituted as a county in 619.
During the reign of the Former Shu
Former Shu
Great Shu called in retrospect Former Shu was one of the Ten Kingdoms formed during the chaotic period between the rules of the Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty...
kingdom, Shifang became Tongji county in 912, but then named back to Shifang county in 919.
Shifang county had since been maintained until 1995, when the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
changed its status to a county level city, delegated to the municipality of Deyang.
Claim to Yu the Great
Amongst tourism and commercial promotions, Shifang made a late entry into the steamed claim war for Yu the GreatYu the Great
Yu the Great , was a legendary ruler of Ancient China famed for his introduction of flood control, inaugurating dynastic rule in China by founding the Xia Dynasty, and for his upright moral character....
's birthplace.
Although this claim is probably more commercial than historical, Shifang was part of West Qiang that some ancient records accredited as Yu's birthplace, just like the other three locations in Sichuan, namely Beichuan
Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County
Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County is a county under the jurisdiction of Mianyang Municipality in, Sichuan, China. It is located in an ethnically diverse mountainous region of Sichuan. Its Chinese name literally means "North" "River"...
, Wenchuan
Wenchuan County
Wenchuan County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.This county has an area of...
, and Dujiangyan
Dujiangyan City
Dujiangyan is a county-level city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China. It has an area of 1208 square kilometers and a population of 600,000 in 2003....
, that raised similar claims.
Many places in other parts of China have made similar claims.
Other cultural claims
Li Bing（李冰,306 BCE – 251 BCE）,a famous water conservancy expert in Qin Dynasty, once worked in water-control and then died there. In addition many historians believe that Li Bing was born in Shifang.Mazu DaoyiMazu Daoyi
Mazu Daoyi was a Ch'an Buddhist master in China during the Tang dynasty. In dharma-succession through Nanyue to the Sixth Patriarch, Mazu Daoyi contributed far-reaching insights and changes in teaching methods regarding the transmission of awareness...
(馬祖道一) (709 CE–788 CE), a master of the Chinese Ch'an Buddhist lineage,was born in Mazu Town of Shifang.
Great Sichuan Earthquake
Also like the other three counties and towns claiming to be the birthplace of Yu the Great, Shifang is one of the most severely hit cities following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
with at least 5924 death tolls. 13 school buildings totally collapsed in Hongbai Town, Yinghua Town, Luoshui Town, Jiandi Town, Bajiao Town etc., and dozens of schools impaired with 550 students and 12 teachers as death tolls.
Economy
Shifang City consecutively maintained the second place of the "top ten counties" of Sichuan Province(四川省经济综合实力十强县)from 1995 to 2007， and its GDP was 12.7 billion RMB in 2007 .It was rated as one of the "100 Most Rewarding to Investment small and medium-sized city of China"(全国最具投资潜力中小城市百强). Besides, Shifang was named as "Township of the Chinese Mineral Water"(中国矿泉水之乡) and "Township of the Chinese Cigar"(中国雪茄之乡). Shifang City was also considered "City of Phosphorite"(磷矿城) because of rich phosphate rock and thriving phosphate chemical there. It has a nickname of "Bright Pearl of West Sichuan"(川西明珠).Reconstruction
BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
Municipality will do coordinated support with Shifang City(北京市对口支援什邡市) , and consider to assist a Capital Industry Park of 10 km² in Luoshui Town . The road which will link the Chengdu-Mianyang Expressway and Shifang City will be completed in 2008. In addition, a new Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
-Shifang-Mianyang
Mianyang
Mianyang is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Its administrative area includes the city proper of Mianyang, with 985,586 inhabitants in the built up area , the county-level city of Jiangyou, and six counties, covering an area of over and a population...
Expressway
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
and the Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
-Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
High-speed Railway, which will pass through Shifang, are scheduled to complete around 2011,and will make it possible to travel from Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
to Shifang in 30 minutes. With the leadership of Chinese government and support of international community, the government of Shifang City plans to complete reconstruction until 2011, make GDP recover to same of 2007 until 2013, and make the city to be a modernized city until 2018.
Places of Interest
- YingHua Mountain(蓥华山)
- Western Surprise Happy Hollow(西部惊奇欢乐谷)
- LuoHan Temple(罗汉寺)
- Li Bing Cenotaph(李冰陵,衣冠冢)
- LongJu Temple(什邡龙居寺)
Speciality
- Shifang Salted Duck(什邡板鸭)
- Hongbai Dried Beancurd(红白豆腐干)
- Shifang Rice-noodle(什邡米粉)
Administrative divisions
Shifang has 2 subdistrictsSubdistricts of China
The subdistrict , is one of the smallest political divisions of China. It is a form of township-level division which is typically part of a larger urban area, as opposed to a discrete town surrounded by rural areas, or a rural townships known as a xiang .In general, urban areas are divided into...
and 14 towns
Town (China)
When referring to political divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 . It is a fourth-level administrative unit, i.e...
.
- Subdistricts
- Fangting (方亭街道)
- Zaojiao (皂角街道)
- Towns:
- Yuanshi (元石镇)
- Huilan (回澜镇)
- Luoshui (洛水镇)
- Hefeng (禾丰镇)
- Shuangsheng (双盛镇)
- Mazu (马祖镇)
- Yinfeng (隐丰镇)
- Majing (马井镇)
- Yinghua (蓥华镇)
- Nanquan (南泉镇)
- Jiandi (湔氐镇)
- Hongbai (红白镇)
- Bajiao (八角镇)
- Shigu (师古镇)