A bird’s-eye view of a historical district of Tongxiang

A Chinese proverb states “in heaven there is paradise, on earth Suzhou and Hangzhou”, likening the two cities in the Yangtze River Delta to heavenly beauty and prosperity. Tongxiang, a county-level city of Jiaxing in northern Zhejiang, lies between Suzhou and Hangzhou. Archaeological discoveries demonstrate that Tongxiang was home to some regional primitive cultures that date back to 5,000, 6,000, even 7,000 years ago. If Tongxiang used to be a conspicuous landmark of a civilization, then it is a city of cultural charm, historical significance and celebrities.

A typical flatland traversed by rivers and canals, Tongxiang does not look like a strategic spot that warring states fight to seize, but about 2,500 years ago, it witnessed fierce battles between Wu State in the north and the Yue State in the South. It was the main battleground between the two archrivals. 

Historians and geographers can pinpoint to places in Tongxiang and say what happened there so many centuries ago. At Shimen Town, there remains a 100-meter-long, 1-meter-wide stone lane, part of a borderline of the two states. The narrow lane was flanked on either side by a stone wall. The northern wall marked the Wu and on the other side was the Yue. The borderline zigzagged across Tongxiang. Jiuligang, a river which still exists today, was part of the borderline. A bridge on the river is called Guojie Bridge, literally “state borderline bridge”. In fact, there are numerous historical sites dotted across Tongxiang. If one visits them and learn about them, one can easily string together a long story about the 30-plus years when the two states were at war with each other.

Another important turning point in the history of Tongxiang happened during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). After the Northern Song (960-1127) crashed, the imperial house came southward and the dynasty reestablished itself in present-day Hangzhou. The new dynasty is now known as the Southern Song (1127-1279). Following the imperial house to the south were numerous people from the north. About 65 kilometers northeast of the capital city of the dynasty, Tongxiang became a place where many refugees settled down and started a new life. 

Zhao Ruyu, born in Tongxiang in 1140, was a child of a branch of the royal house. In 1166 he came out as examinee number one of the imperial examination. His political career climaxed when he was appointed a prime minister. Pu Feng, a high-ranking official, settled down in Tongxiang and started a business. Pu Jian, a descendant of Pu Feng, started a silk brand in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). The place where the Pu family lived and prospered is now known as Puyuan.

A view of Bohong City Reading Room in Tongxiang

Culture came southward with the refugees. Tongxiang benefited hugely from this wave of triggered-by-war migration. Local residents of today consider the Song Dynasty as an epoch of enlightenment. In a response to the education undertakings of the Song Dynasty, schools flourished in Tongxiang in the Song and the following dynasties. The county school of Chongde, predecessor of and now part of Tongxiang, started in 1085. The county school of Tongxiang started in 1430 when Tongxiang County was set up. Fu Guang of the Song Dynasty and Zhang Lyuxiang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), both natives of Tongxiang, were two of the 156 Confucian scholars and masters officially honored in the Confucius Temple in the dynasties of the feudal China. Of the 156, four were from Jiaxing; of the four, two were from Tongxiang, part of Jiaxing.

Strangely enough, Fu Guang and Zhang Lyuxiang honored at the Confucius Temple are not the most famous stars of Tongxiang. Lyu Liuliang (1624-1683), a scholar, poet, publisher, literary critic, philosopher of the Qing Dynasty, is a historical figure better renowned than the two. Moreover, Tongxiang has produced a galaxy of celebrities and historical figures since the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. 

Tongxiang now promotes its cultural legacy proudly and untiringly. The city’s cultural undertakings focus on cultural celebrities, books, and regional theater. The former residence of Mao Dun in Wuzhen, the former residence of Feng Zhikai in Shimen, and Juntao Art Academy in the city proper of Tongxiang are the best known celebrity-themed places in Tongxiang. Newly added to the celebrity-related institutions are Hou Bo & Xu Xiaobing Photography Museum, the former residence of Jin Zhonghua, Mu Xin Art Museum, and Wu Peng Art Academy. The construction of Feng Zikai Art Center, with an investment of 1.5 billion yuan, started at the end of 2020. 

In fact, Tongxiang has the largest number of class-three museums in the province. The city holds numerous exhibitions a year. In 2019, the exhibitions and similar events in Tongxiang attracted 6.56 million visitors. Wuzhen, a canal town where the former residence of Mao Dun is located, pulls in five million visitors a year. Many of the events and exhibitions are held to honor cultural celebrities of Tongxiang. For example, two literary prizes are issued respectively to young writers and young novelists whose works are first published online in the name of Mao Dun, a national cartoon exhibition and an essay competition are held in the name of Feng Zikai. An exhibition of documentary photography is held in honor of Xu Xiaobing, a revolutionary photo journalist famed for his historical photos.

Lufei Kui (1886-1941), a native of Tongxiang, was a publisher and educator. In 1912, he founded Zhonghua Book Company, which is one of the most prestigious publishing houses in China engaged in printing classical and traditional studies and dictionaries. The book-reading project in Tongxiang is named after him. In partnership with Zhonghua Book Company, Tongxiang holds a regular lecture at which some cultural celebrities and masters have spoken. In 2018, the city set up a series of public reading rooms across Tongxiang. Nowadays, there are 112 libraries and reading rooms in the rural and urban regions of Tongxiang. These facilities receive about 2.5 million visits a year.

Tongxiang celebrates its tradition and culture by conducting a theater project. The centerpiece is Wuzhen Theater Festival inaugurated in 2014. So far, the event has staged 118 plays by international troupes and counted one million theatergoers. It is the most influential and largest theater festival in China. Moreover, the city has 40-plus folk troupes that stage performances regularly. The city also conducts a series of training and competition for young theater talents. Five youngsters from Tongxiang have won awards at the national theater performance competition for youngsters.