The Historical Evolution of Gantong Town

1948 establishes old counties and townships, and 1958 belongs to the Saint Buddha Commune. 196 1, the old county and township were relocated, 1984, and the town was renamed Gantong Town. 1997, with an area of 38 1 km2 and a population of 23,000. It governs East Street, North Street, West Street, Southwest Street, South Street, Houhan, Qianhan, South Chen Zhuang, Liu Xiaohe, Xirong, Zhongrong, Dongrong, Huang Zhuang, Yangzhuang, Liu, Xiaohan, Nansunzhuang, Dingge Shizhuang, Dingge Liu Zhuang, Wang Pujia, Liu Zhai, Xiaoluzhai, Ma Huaijia and Shizhaizi.

Gantong Town is an ancient county town built in the Western Han Dynasty. It has been an important merchant town since ancient times and has a long history and culture of "dry communication". According to historical records, in the sixth year of Qin Shihuang (24 1 BC), Zhao attacked Pangyuan and took Rao 'an, which was the beginning of Rao's birth. In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu (202 BC), Qin Xufu led a thousand children, men, women and overseas Chinese to live here, and set up Gantong County here. Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty was renamed Rao Anshi, and in the 12th year of Tang Zhenguan (AD 638), the county site was called Fushui (now Xinxian Town, Mengcun Hui Autonomous County), so the county was abandoned as a town. After liberation, it was changed to the old county people's commune, and was approved by the people's government of Hebei Province in March 1993 as Qiantong Town of Yanshan County.

Qiantong Temple is located in Qiantong Town, Yanshan County, southeast of Cangzhou City, 25 kilometers north of Yanshan County. There are Du Dongtang, Taishan Hall and Friendship Hall in Qiantong Temple, which records the successful eastward crossing of boys and girls led by Xu Fuyong, an alchemist of the Qin Dynasty, and his influence on the Japanese archipelago. Qiantong Town was called "Rao Anyi" in Shang, Zhou and Warring States Period, which means "its land is rich and can be used by people". According to Records of the Historian Zhao, in the sixth year of Qin Shihuang (24 1 BC), Pang captured Raoan, which refers to this place. This place was called "Qianzi Town" in the Qin Dynasty. At first, the emperor sent Xu Fu to send thousands of boys and girls to the sea to beg for Penglai, and made this city his home, hence the name. "In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu (202 BC), this county was called Gantong County. In the second year of Xiping in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 5 17), Cangzhou Prefecture was established here. Qiantong Town has a history of 84 1 year. In 209 BC, Xu Fufeng was ordered by Qin Shihuang to lead thousands of boys, girls and skilled craftsmen to set sail from here, seek the medicine of immortality, cross the ocean, successfully cross the sea and immigrate to Japan, creating a precedent for friendly exchanges between China and Japan and becoming the first hometown of overseas Chinese in Japanese history. Among the people, there is a "Thousand Children Believers' Day" which originated in the Han Dynasty, that is, a grand sacrifice activity is held on March 28th of the lunar calendar, once every Jiazi year and once every 60 years. During the festival, various folk art performances are held, especially strong, bold and fine-eyed boys and girls, dressed in ancient costumes, tied to a miniature stage supported by poles 15 and 6 meters high, climbing high to show their memory and summon relatives in Du Dong. The "Thousand Children's Day" is called a "living fossil" of friendly exchanges between China and Japan by experts and scholars. 1993, the "Thousand Children's Cultural Festival" will be held in Qiantong Town by Yanshan County on March 28th of the lunar calendar, once every five years.