Why is my hometown Hubei known as "Huguang is familiar with it" and "the world is rich in it"

The origin of "Huguang is well versed in the world"

In the Ming Dynasty, "the profit of rice from central Chu was spread to the world several times". At that time, the entire Xiangbei region, including Changsha, was already an important country in the country. The place of grain production, and Changsha City in the Ming Dynasty was not only the prefecture of Changsha with jurisdiction over 12 counties, but also Changsha. The county governance of the two counties was improved, with a dense population, prosperous commerce, and prosperous rice production and sales. In fact, it has become famous far and wide. According to statistics, during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty (1426-1435), famines occurred in Suzhou and Songzhou. Merchants from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places gathered "hundreds of ships at once" to set up shop in Changsha, purchase rice, and then sell it to Suzhou and Songzhou. Pine and other places. The Ming government also needed to transfer a large amount of grain from Changsha out of the province every year, and the scene of "giant ships lurking rice, carrying thousands of stones" reappeared on the Xiangjiang River. The amount of grain shipped to Hunan in the Ming Dynasty was quite large. For example, in the fourth year of Xuande (AD) 1429), "Fuzhiyunfa ordered the people of Jiangxi, Huguang, and Zhejiang to transport 2.2 million shi of grain to Huai'an warehouse." In the eighth year of Chenghua (1472 AD), 4 million shi of grain was ordered to be transported to the capital. Stones, including more than 3.24 million stones from "nanliang" in Huguang, Jiangxi and other places, accounting for the vast majority. By the late Ming Dynasty, the grain in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River mostly relied on Huguang and other places. For example, Anhui's Huizhou grain "mostly came from Jiangxi, Huguang and other places." It's enough for food." Li Fuyuan of the Ming Dynasty wrote in his "Comprehensive Map" compiled by him: "The old land of Chu is a country with a lot of farming. It is harvested again when it is one year old. Chai Sang and Wu Chu have to give it to them. As the saying goes, ' "Huguang is mature and the world is sufficient." It is said that its land is vast and the Yangtze River is easy to transport, which is not comparable to other provinces."

The prosperity of Changsha rice market was based on the great development of Changsha's agricultural production at that time. This kind of development has gone through the process from farmland abandonment to re-cultivation. In the first year of Hongwu (1386 AD), the Ming government issued an edict to "allow the people to cultivate land for their own business and to serve as slaves for three years"; during Xuanzong's reign, it even stipulated that " "Reclamation of wasteland will never lead to science." However, in Changsha in the early Ming Dynasty, due to the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the fields were deserted, the people were scattered, and the agricultural labor force was extremely short. In the early Hongwu period, Changsha officials actively and conscientiously implemented the central policy, recruited exiles, and allowed immigrants ''The land was occupied by Jiabiao,'' and soon a large number of people from neighboring Jiangxi and other provinces poured into Hunan. According to records, by the 24th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1391), the population of Changsha had reached 509,130. Before that, in the fourth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1371), the population of Nanjing, the capital, was only 200,000. The increase in the agricultural labor force has A large amount of abandoned farmland in Changsha has been reclaimed, and some tidal flats have also been fully utilized.

At the same time, local officials in Changsha also attach great importance to farmland water conservancy construction, and agricultural production science and technology have also been vigorously promoted. Wanli ( During the period of 1573-1619), Tang Yuan, the magistrate of Shanhua County, built a turtle pond, which extended for more than 20 miles and covered thousands of acres of shady farmland. Later, the magistrate of Shanhua County, Huifeng, built a plug pagoda, Rong pond, Dongrong pagoda, valley pond, etc. Chenghua (1465- In 1487), Ningxiang County residents Xie Zongxi and others also donated money to build the Dayang Dam, which could irrigate tens of thousands of hectares of farmland. What is particularly commendable is that the government vigorously advocated the planting of high-quality rice. Not only the Vietnamese 'Tacheng rice' introduced in the Song Dynasty was fully promoted, but also The emergence of new and improved varieties such as "Ivory Zhan", "Lantian Zhan" and "Hundred Day Zhan" has greatly increased Changsha's grain yield. According to the "Changsha Fuzhi" written by Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, Changsha's grain yield can be "three stones per mu (one stone is about 75 kg).

The increase in grain output and the great development of the agricultural economy have greatly promoted the commercialization of grain production and the development of commerce. In order to adapt to the development of grain commerce in Changsha, the Ming Dynasty Jiajing to Wanli Middle , Changsha twice launched a spectacular "opening the river for trade" project. During the Jiajing period (1522-1566), Changsha government official Zhai Tai presided over the dredging of the Xihu Bridge section of the Xiangjiang River and opened it into a port. Later generations respectfully called it "Zhai Gongtao" During the Wanli period (1573-1619), Tang Yuan, the magistrate of Shanhua County, also proposed dredging Nanhu Port. Although the project was not fully completed, Nanhu Port was still an important port area for ships until the Qing Dynasty. Tang Yuan was instrumental in promoting the prosperity of Changsha's agricultural economy. A set of "trade" ideas were formed in his social practice, which is worth mentioning. His economic idea of ??"gathering wealth from all directions to benefit one party" still has reference significance for the development of Changsha's economy today.