Qiandeng Town is under the jurisdiction of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province. Located in the southeast of Kunshan, the town borders Zhaotun Town in Qingpu District of Shanghai to the east, Dianshanhu Town to the south, Zhangpu Town to the west and the Wusong River to the north across which are Lujia Town and Huaqiao International Service Business Park. It covers an area of 81.59 square kilometers. Qiandeng was formerly known as Qiandun (meaning “a thousand mounds”). Two versions of its origin can be found in historical records. One says that the Wusong River, running from Wumen to this spot, had about a thousand mounds on either side, and the place was hence named “Qiandun.” The other relates that located 30 miles northeast of the County, a place called “Papaya” accommodated 999 mounds which combined with Shaoqing Mountain to make a thousand altogether. In the second year of Emperor Xuantong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), Qiandun was renamed “Qiandun.” It is said that this refined name was used by literati due to the fact that the mounds were covered with madders. In 1966, with the approval of the People’s Committee of Jiangsu Province, the town was renamed “Qiandeng” which has been in use up till now.
Qiandeng was built as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period. The place is rich in natural resources and cultural heritage, which earns itself the name of “Golden Qiandeng.” In 2007, the town was awarded the title “National Historical and Cultural Town” by the Ministry of Construction and the National Cultural Heritage Administration. In 2008, it was rated as a National 5A level scenic area. Among the “Top 100 Towns of Jiangsu Province” announced in 2010, Qiandeng ranked the thirteenth. In 2015, it ranked the 68th among “Top 100 Towns of Scientific Development” in the country.
Qiandeng boasts in its millennium-long nice view and rich heritage;
The town integrates cultural and tourist industries to attain new boom.
Qiandeng is an ancient water town with a long history in the south of the Yangtze River. Archaeological findings have proved the town houses a cultural site with a history of five to six thousand years, dating back to the Neolithic Age. During the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, the King of Wu Shou Meng built a beacon tower here and stationed troops to defend it, which marked the beginning of the 2,500-year history of the ancient town Qiandun. About 200 B.C., Emperor Qinshihuang made a tour of inspection in East China during which he once offered sacrifices to the sea here. The place where the emperor climbed up and enjoyed the view was called Qinwang Mountain. In the second year of Emperor Tianjian’s reign in Southern Liang Dynasty (503), Qinfeng Pagoda and Yanfu Temple were built. Today the two 10-century-old ginkgo trees inside the temple are towering and luxuriant. The 1,500-meter-long Shiban Street, a narrow street paved with stone slates, was built in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is the longest and best-preserved old street in its entirety in East China. The street together with Shaoqing Mountain and the Qinfeng Pagoda is viewed as “Three Treasures” of Qiandeng. Besides, the town has many other historical sites such as the Weijing Wharf, Malu Bridge and Jieguan Bridge.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Qiandeng funded generously for the renovation of over 40 ancient buildings, including the former residence of Gu Yanwu, Yu’s Pawn Shop, Gu Jian Memorial Hall, Li Family’s Residence, Ma Family’s Residence, Gu Family’s Residence and Qiandeng Hall. A project of rescue repairs was conducted to preserve the traditional buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties within the 80,000-square-meter old town area.
“Since the ancient past, faith in Buddhism has allowed one to despise worldly prosperity; where the sinking sun shines, the view appears hazy and distant. The solitary peak intends to exclusively hold the beauty of the Songjiang River; the desolate light casts on the flowing water which reflects those rosy clouds. The thin fog lingers around the trees on a cold day; tired birds return to the woods and remain silent. After drinking the unfiltered wine, the afterglow has gone; the lights urge the tens of thousands of households to prepare for the night.” This poem, written by Chen Zhijie in the Qing Dynasty, is one of the classic works depicting the charm of Qiandeng in ancient times. This unique charm involves refreshing breeze and bright moon, lights at night and people’s chitchat. Though time has passed and circumstances have changed, the scenery of small bridges, zigzag watercourses, traditional houses and the slender tower surrounded by ancient trees has survived the vicissitudes and become rejuvenated today. This is the essence of historical heritage of the town and the basis of traditional culture unique to the south of the Yangtze River.
In addition to its long history and splendid culture, Qiandeng takes pride in its industrial boom and people’s striving spirit. Soon after the founding of New China, Qiandeng became a model town of agricultural production. Xisu Township achieved the cooperation within two years and was awarded the title of “Advanced Unit of Agricultural Corporation Movement in Jiangsu.” Chairman Mao expressed his appreciation by writing the article “This Township Has Achieved Cooperation within Two Years,” which spoke highly of “the great socialist enthusiasm among the masses.”
Since the reform and opening up, Qiandeng has put forward the strategy of “development based on science and technology” by implementing the transformation mechanism and launching technological innovation projects among township enterprises. The town soon grew into the hometown of “circuit board enterprises in China,” among which Jiangsu Suhang Electronic Group and Kunshan Huaxin Printed Circuit Board Co., Ltd. have provided components on circuit boards for “Fengyun” meteorological satellites and “Shenzhou” Crewed Spacecrafts. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Qiandeng has become a satellite town open to the outside world. It has adopted the strategy of “endeavoring to attract foreign investments, better people’s life, and carry forward the charm of the ancient town; following the path of helping people become affluent and strengthening the town’s economy.” In other words, the town will adopt the development strategy by combining culture with tourism to set up a tourism pattern focusing on the ancient town.
In 2021, the gross domestic product of Qiandeng reached 25.611 billion yuan, achieving an increase of 12.9% when compared with that of the previous year. The general public budget revenue was 2.553 billion yuan. The output value realized by enterprises above their designed sizes was 50.812 billion yuan. Today, Qiandeng has become a prosperous and attractive place to live and work.
The town is the birthplace of Kunqu Opera, the “mother of all operas;”
Everyone should be responsible for the rise and fall of his country.
The long history and strong economy have laid a solid foundation for the local culture of Qiandeng. The town is the hometown of Quyi (varied forms of Chinese folk art). It is not only the hometown of Gu Jian, the father of Kunqu Opera, but also the residence of Tao Fan, the founder of Jiangnan Sizhu (meaning “stringed and woodwind music characteristic of the area south of the Yangtze River”) who was a ninth-generation grandson of Tao Yuanming. On May 18, 2001, Kunqu Opera was announced by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” As the birthplace of Kunqu Opera, the custom of watching performances and singing the tunes of the Opera has been passed down from generation to generation in the town. When celebrating festivals or holding wedding ceremonies, local people will gather together to sing a few arias. If one goes to Qiandeng and watch a Kunqu Opera performance there, the brightly lit stage and the “water-polished tune” will make him feel as if he has gone back in time and re-experienced life in the past.
Since 2004, Qiandeng has followed a unique plan to preserve this national treasure. Once at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, a Kunqu Opera performance was given by the students who had received training in an extra-curricular class of Kunqu Opera offered by Qiandeng Central Primary School. All the performers were interviewed by party and state leaders. Trainees from this class have won seven “Little Plum Blossom Awards.” Within a single year, two students of the “Opera Class” of Yanwu Primary School won the “Little Plum Blossoms Award.” Their performances were broadcast on the CCTV Drama Channel. In 2015, the “Opera Class” was granted provincial special financial subsidies. Since 2007, China Central Television network has sent staff to Qiandeng to film programs, among which are “Youth Theatre at Qiandeng,” “Ecological Scenery of the Tang Dynasty,” “The Legendary Peony Pavilion,” and “Love for Drama in an Age of Prosperity: A Close Look at Qiandeng.” These shows were broadcast at its cultural and artistic channels. In April, 2009, Jiangsu Dramatists Association awarded Qiandeng the title “Hometown of Kunqu Opera.” In April, 2010, China Quyi Artists Association awarded the town the title “Hometown of Quyi in China.”
In the history of Qiandeng, Gu Yanwu is so influential that he has always been the center of the public attention. On May 28th in the lunar calendar of the 41st year of Emperor Wanli’s reign of the Ming Dynasty (July 15, 1613), the great scholar Gu Yanwu was born at Jiangjingwan, Qiandun Town. In the 14th year of Emperor Shunzhi’s reign of the Qing Dynasty (1657 A.D.), the 45-year-old Gu Yanwu changed his courtesy name to Tinglin and left Qiandun to make a northward trip. He visited many places in the north such as Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi, etc. with the purpose of seeking strategies to build a powerful nation. During the 25-year trip, Gu wrote books to express his opinions on a variety of issues. He also made friends with people of great achievements, enjoyed beauty of mountains and rivers, tried to make learning beneficial to governance and accumulated knowledge. He fulfilled his promise of “traveling a thousand miles, reading ten thousand books” by writing such classic works as Ri Zhi Lu (meaning “a record of knowledge gained on a daily basis”), Tian Xia Jun Guo Li Bing Shu (meaning “a book on the advantages and disadvantages of districts and states of the empire”), Yin Xue Wu Shu (meaning “the five books of rhyme and rhythm”), and Zhao Yu Zhi (meaning “a book on the overall geographical features of the country”), etc. It was Gu who introduced the view that “every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the country.”
Gu Yanwu was a great thinker who was equally influential to Wang Fuzhi and Huang Zongxi during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. He had attained outstanding achievements in academic fields such as Confucianism, history, philosophy, geography and literature. Gu left rich cultural heritage to future generations. In addition, his noble character and integrity has won him admiration. Liang Qichao praised Gu by saying, “He is not only a master of classics, but also a role model for others.” Mao Zedong once said, “Every citizen should work hard. Gu Yanwu made an excellent point that every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the country.” He listed Gu Yanwu as one of the few who can serve as examples to be followed due to their “literary and martial attainments” throughout the Chinese history. Gu Yanwu was also listed as one of the seventy-two great figures in New China, and has been revered by all the Chinese people.
