The culture of Gaoyao District

As early as 6,000 years ago, humans multiplied and multiplied on the land of Gaoyao, creating an ancient prehistoric culture. A large number of stone tools such as double-shouldered stone axes and stone adzes unearthed in Xiajiang Village, Yong'an Town, Gaoyao County (now part of Dinghu District), are production tools from the middle Neolithic Age, indicating that the ancestors already had ground stone tools suitable for fishing and hunting economic activities. . A batch of painted pottery shards and sand-laden coarse pottery shards unearthed from the shell mound site in Longyi Village, Guangli Town, Gaoyao County (now part of Dinghu District) show the craftsmanship of Gaoyao's ancestors during this period. At the same time, 30 sideways bent-limb skeletons were excavated, which was the first discovery in a Neolithic tomb in Guangdong Province. One of them has obvious traces of artificial extraction of the maxillary lateral incisors, which is the physical evidence of the "tooth-extracted adults" (known as "Chisel-Tooth People" in ancient times) in the Neolithic period. The gantry-style wooden buildings on the water in Maogang Shilu Village, Jinli Town, mark the transition from a matrilineal clan commune to a patrilineal clan commune along the Xijiang River in Gaoyao. The Warring States tombs and related bronzes unearthed in Songshan, Beiling, show that ancient Gaoyao was deeply influenced by Chu culture.

Gaoyao has always been a battleground for military strategists. It is an important transportation hub and military town between the north and south of our country. Gaoyao was first established as a county, and then upgraded to a county. The Guangzhou Governor's Office was placed in Gaoyao County, which elevated Gaoyao to the administrative center of counties, states, and prefectures. This was the beginning of Gaoyao becoming a major political center in the middle and lower reaches of the Xijiang River. It laid the foundation for a thousand-year-old county. The continuous strengthening and stability of politics has created conditions for the migration of immigrants to the south and the development of production. A large number of iron farm tools and cattle farming technology were imported from the Central Plains, which promoted Gaoyao's economic development. In the second year after the founding of Gaoyao County, that is, in the first year of Yuanfeng (110 BC), Gaoyao Yanguan was established. It was one of the only two salt officials in Lingnan. Salt from inside and outside the Pearl River Estuary was transported north through Gaoyao to the Xijiang River Basin and beyond. In its nearby areas, silk produced in the Central Plains reaches Guangzhou through Gaoyao, becoming an extension of the Maritime Silk Road on land. The famous Duan Inkstone came into being in the Tang Dynasty and became an important symbol of the historical and cultural development of Gaoyao.

The Song Dynasty was an important period for large-scale development of Gaoyao. The war in the north brought a large number of immigrants to the south. The rapid increase in population allowed a large amount of land to be cultivated in the Xijiang area. The construction of dikes accelerated the development of the land and the construction of villages. Gaoyao County was designated as Wang County by the imperial court. In the third year of Shaosheng's reign (1096), Zhao Ji, the son of Zhao Xu, Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, was named King Duan. In the third year of Yuanfu (1100), Zhao Ji succeeded to the throne and became Huizong of Song Dynasty. In October of the first year of Chonghe (1118), Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty changed "Xingqing Mansion" to "Zhaoqing Mansion" and gave the imperial letter "Zhaoqing Mansion" a banner, and the name Zhaoqing came from this.

The development of Gaoyao culture is directly related to the promotion of several famous officials in the Song Dynasty. In the first year of Kangding (1040), Bao Zheng was transferred from Yangzhou Tianchang County Magistrate to Duanzhou Magistrate for a three-year term. He built a post station, Xingyan Academy and Fengjicang, dug wells to benefit the people, and built canals to divert water, which won the support of the people. Gaoyao in the Song Dynasty has become one of the two major inkstone production centers in the country, with nearly 10 new inkstone pits opened. The upper, middle and lower rocks of Lanke Mountain in Gaoyao are the best, especially the lower rock is the best. Confucianism developed further in the Song Dynasty. In the fourth year of Zhenghe (1114), the county governor Mao Yanwen established Gaoyao Academy (at No. 42 Zhengdong Road, Zhaoqing City today), which was the beginning of county schools in Duanzhou.

From the Ming Dynasty to the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Gaoyao's politics, economy, and culture showed unprecedented prosperity. In terms of politics and military affairs, in the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1564), Wu Guifang moved the mansion of the Admiral (later changed to the Governor-General) of Guangdong and Guangxi from Wuzhou to Gaoyao County, which lasted 182 years until the 11th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1746). Gaoyao was once the capital of the Southern Ming Dynasty. On October 14, the third year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1646), Zhu Youlang, the king of Ming Gui, supervised the country in Zhaoqing. In terms of economy, the commodity economy has developed to a certain extent. Xijiang's fish flowers, silkworm cocoons, straw mats and other products are exported to various places, and the Xijiang River is "like a woven sail". During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty (1821-1850), Jindu mat weaving artists invented flower mats. In the fifth year of Xianfeng period, the foreign baskets and bamboo utensils woven by Xinqiao people began to be exported. The culture of Gaoyao during the Ming and Qing Dynasties developed at the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures. On September 10, the eleventh year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1583), Italian Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci came to Gaoyao to preach. He was known as the first person to bridge Chinese and Western cultures. In the 32nd year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1767), the Islamic mosque in the west of the city was built. In the eleventh year of Xianfeng's reign (1861), American missionary Ji Haobi built the first Christian Baptist Church on Chengzhong Road. In order to strengthen Confucian education, Songtai Academy was built in the sixth year of Xuande in the Ming Dynasty (1431). In the thirteenth year of Wanli (1585), in order to revitalize the literary style, a Civilization Tower was built on the south bank, and Wenfeng Academy was built under the tower.

In the fourth year of Tianqi (1624), Xunfeng Pagoda (commonly known as Wurong Pagoda) was built on Wurong Gang, which means endless life.

After the Opium War, a large number of high-ranking people gradually emigrated overseas. Gaoyao overseas Chinese are distributed in more than 30 countries and regions around the world, with the largest number in Australia.

The intangible cultural heritage of Gaoyao includes Hetai Plowing Festival, Songlong Tea and Fruit Festival, Jinli Dragon Boat Race, as well as handicrafts such as Jindu Flower Mat, Xinqiao Basket, and Dawan Redwood.