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Xinhui
ĄZĄZ°æĄZĄZ瞥Z


Click to see enlarged map of Xinhui on a separated windowIn 214 BC the Qin Dynasty (秥Z) conquered Nanyue (ĄZĄZĄZè¶ĄZ) and divided the area into three quon (ĄZĄZĄZ) or prefectures, Guilin (æĄĄZĄZĄZĄZ), Namhoi (ĄZĄZĄZæ”ĄZ), and Cheung (è±ĄZ). Xinhui was part of Namhoi quon (ĄZĄZĄZæ”·éĄZĄZ).

Things remained relatively unchanged until the Three Kingdom period (䞥ZĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZ以Z). In 222 AD, one of the Kingdoms, Wu (ĄZĄZĄZ), established Wuyee County (æ­Šć€·çžĄZ) which approximately where present Xinhui is situated. The name was changed to Xinyee (ĄZĄZ°ć€·) in 280 AD. Sine the word yee (急Z) means barbarians then it is not difficult to conclude this part of China was not exactly civilized. In actual fact the northerner, the inhabitants north of the Yangtze, commonly referred the inhabitants across the river and beyond as Southern Barbarians (ĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZ»ćĄZĄZ).

The name Xinhui (ĄZĄZ°æĄZĄZ) first appeared in 420 when Xinhui Quon (ĄZĄZ°æĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZ) which initially contained three and later increased to twelve counties was established. It covered a large area including the entire present Xinhui, Taishan (ĄZĄZ°ć±±), Heshan (鶎汱), Kaiping (ĄZĄZĄZćčĄZ), Shunde (ĄZĄZĄZćŸĄZ), southeast portion of both Xinxing (ĄZĄZ°èĄZĄZ) and Gaoming (é«ĄZĄZĄZĄZ), eastern portion of Enping (ĄZĄZ©ćčł), northeastern and eastern portions of Zhongshan (äž­ć±±).

The next major change came in 590 AD when it and six other counties were placed under the jurisdiction of Feng Zhou (ć°ĄZć·ĄZ). The next year it was renamed E Zhou ((ĄZĄZĄZć·ĄZ)) which two years later was changed to Gong Zhou (ćČĄćĄZĄZ). Gong Zhou was also the name of town where the Xinhui administration was located. Many historians believe it is located at the southwest corner of present day Xinxing. During the ensuring 130 years, there were many flip-flops on Gong Zhou. Finally, Gong Zhou was abolished and the land was divided into two counties, Xinhui and Yeening (çŸ©ćŻ§), under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou (滥ZĄZĄZ). Xinhui's boundaries were finally established and remained unchanged until 1152.

From 1152-1732 the following counties were established by partitioned land from Xinhui. The first, in 1152, to be established was Huengshan (銥Z汥Z) which was renamed in the 20th century to Zhongshan (äž­ć±±). It is the birthday place of the father of modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Following the Chinese tradition of not using the country's chief executive's (prime minister) personal name but the county of origin. Thus to the Chinese he is generally known as Sun Zhongshan (歫䞭汥Z). Three other counties were established in fairly rapid fashion: Shunde (1452), Enping (1478) and Xinning (ĄZĄZ°ćŻ§)(1499). The final two partitions took place during the Qing Dynasty (æžĄZĄZĄZĄZ), Kaiping (1649) and Heshan (1732).

Xinhui will always be remembered as where, Yamen (接ZĄZĄZĄZ), the army of the Southern Sung Dynasty (ĄZĄZĄZ查Z), in 1279, made its last stand against the invading all-conquering Mongolian army. The prime minister, Luk Shiufu (ĄZĄZžçĄZĄZ急Z), determining that both himself and the emperor should never be captured, strapped the eight year-old child onto his back and jumped off the cliff into the water below.

Click to see enlarged photo of the last Song Emperor's grave on a separated windowThe story doesn't end here. Legend has it that days later a monk found the body of a young boy in a yellow robe (traditionally yellow is the colour reserved for the royal family) floating in the open sea. The body was sheltered by birds. After collecting the body and upon close examination the monk discovered the royal seal (ĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZ) which confirmed the body was that of the boy emperor. Quietly the monk buried the body and it wasn't till years later before words of this grave got out. Now each Qing Ming (æžĄZĄZĄZĄZ) the Chiu (Zhao) Association in Hong Kong visits grave and pays its respect. The legend and photo of the grave are provided by Henry Chiu.

Another legend is that this child emperor hung his robe on a lychee tree before the fatal event. From then onward, lychees from the area all have a green strip and the sweetest (ĄZĄZĄZ綥ZĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZĄZ).


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