Fengtian Ancient Town: The Mercantile World by the Lushui River since

Lushui River, Anfu County, Fengtian Town (Fengtian People’s Commune), Pingdu Town, Ji’an County, Wugong Mountain, Menggang Ridge, Huangniu Ridge, Guishan Mountain, Dongyang Peak, Baima Peak, Shiwu Cave, Biyun Cave, Bijiashan, Zengshishan, Furong Peak, Xiadian Village, Guanbu Village, Dengjia Village, Wutong Village, Meitian Village, Songtian Village, Nanling Village, Damenqian Village, Dafen Village, Chetian Village, Shuixi Village, Mianzhou Village.

The Flow of Lushui: The Lifeline of Fengtian Merchants

The rise of Fengtian Ancient Town was first and foremost a gift from the river. The Lushui River, originating from the Lu and Xiao ridges of the Wugong Mountains, meanders through 15 townships in Anfu County, leaving its deepest commercial mark in Fengtian. According to data from the Anfu Meteorological Station (1958–1980), the Lushui River’s maximum flood flow reaches 2660 m³/s, while its minimum dry-season flow is only 3.33 m³/s. This dramatic seasonal variation allowed for 20–25 ton motorized vessels during floods and 3–5 ton wooden sailboats during droughts, making it a “golden waterway” for Anfu’s timber and local specialties.

Fengtian Town is situated 12.5 kilometers southeast of the county seat on the banks of the Lushui River, at the foot of the 75-meter-high Guishan Mountain. Named “Fengtian” (Maple Field) because it was built near a maple forest, the town has been a hub of activity since the Song Dynasty. The convenience of river transport led to the establishment of the Fengtian Ferry at Wuguitan, which utilized wooden boats to facilitate the exchange of goods between Songtian, Meilin, and Fengtian, thus beginning the town’s millennium-long history as a trading port.

Song and Yuan Beginnings: The Wang Clan of Xiadian and Early Trade

The mercantile history of Fengtian began with the Wang family during the Northern Song Dynasty. According to the Wang Lineage History, Wang Di moved from Nanling to settle here to engage in trade. Because his residence was near the wharf shops, the village was named Xiadian (Lower Shop). This was the first documented commercial outpost in Fengtian. By the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, constant warfare drove more migrants to settle along the Lushui River. At the turn of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Wang Xiongfei moved from the north to the south bank of the river, establishing Nanling Village and further expanding the local population.

In 1354 (the year of Zhizheng Jiawu in the Yuan Dynasty), Deng Liangguang moved from Litang in Jishui to the south of Fengtian, founding Dengjia Village. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Li family from Chengnan also arrived, briefly naming their settlement “Lijia”. By this time, Fengtian had evolved from a single-lineage settlement into a diverse community of multiple clans. The Luo family from Ji’an established Guantian Village in the early Yuan Dynasty to manage their official lands. The gathering of these clans brought both agricultural innovation and a primitive market for agricultural products on the banks of the Lushui River, laying the foundation for the “I-shaped” street that would define the town’s later prosperity.

Ming Dynasty Prosperity: The “I-shaped” Grand Street

During the Ming Dynasty, Fengtian formally established its commercial dominance in the eastern region of Anfu. During the Hongwu era (1368–1398), Peng Yizhai moved from the upper banks of Fengtian to the current site, naming it Guanbu Village after a calligraphy plaque in the Shangshe Academy. Simultaneously, the Liu family established Wutong Village in a grove of paulownia trees. By the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the continuous efforts of merchant clans such as the Pengs, Zhous, and Dengs led to the formal creation of the distinctive “I-shaped” street layout in Fengtian.

This commercial street spanned approximately 400 meters in length and 10 meters in width, housing shops that dealt in everything from grain and salt to medicine and cloth. During the Wanli era (1573–1620), Li Panyi of Jishui moved to Tianxin Village, marking further penetration of external capital into Fengtian’s economy. By then, Fengtian was no longer just a rural market; it had become a regional logistics center connecting Ji’an Prefecture and Anfu County. In June 1930, the 6th District Soviet Government of Anfu was stationed here, a testament to its strategic administrative and economic status.

Clan Legends: The Founding Stories of Fengtian’s Villages

Fengtian’s commercial success was built on a foundation of unique natural villages. Meitian Village, a large settlement of 179 households and 1018 people, was founded in the mid-Song Dynasty by Liu Boyong, a high official from Youzhou who fell in love with the area’s elegance while returning home. Meitian was famous not just for grain but for its Large Red Peppers, hailed as “the best in the province” and a staple of trade for Fengtian merchants on the Lushui River.

Songtian Village was founded at the end of the Yuan Dynasty by Peng Rongxi, and it has grown to 121 households and 609 people. The Songtian Peng family produced many prominent figures, including Peng Shi, the top scholar (Zhuangyuan) and Grand Secretary during the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty. His status greatly elevated the cultural prestige of Fengtian in Ji’an Prefecture. Additionally, Chetian Village, named for its use of waterwheels to irrigate fields, attracted the Zhou and Luo families from Jishui in the early Ming and currently houses 81 households and 397 people. These villages provided a steady supply of goods and purchasing power for the Fengtian market.

The Eight Sights: A Land of Scholars and Scenery

Fengtian was a land of both commerce and culture. It boasts the “Eight Sights of Fengtian,” led by Dongyang Peak and Baima Peak. At the foot of Baima Peak lies Damenqian Village, founded at the end of the Song Dynasty by Liu Zhiyan from Nanchang. Furthermore, Shiwu Cave (Stone House Cave) offers a spectacular natural view; its interior spans about 80 square meters, featuring the four large characters “Shi Wu Dong Tian” carved into the rock wall—a popular retreat for generations of scholars and merchants.

In the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, Li Shimian of Meilin rose to become the head of the Imperial Academy and authored the 11-volume Gulian Collection. Peng Zan of Songtian wrote the Chronicle of Shiwu Mountain. In more modern times, the famous political figure Luo Longji was born in Chetian Village of Fengtian. According to the 1982 census, the Fengtian People’s Commune consisted of 3,005 households and 16,933 people, with 1,028 residents classified as non-agricultural, reflecting a high level of urbanization for its time.

Conclusion: Lushui River Flows On, Ancient Charm Endures

Through a thousand years of wind and rain, the “I-shaped” street of Fengtian may no longer echo with the same level of bustle, but the Lushui River continues its silent flow. As of 1983 statistics, Fengtian Town maintained 10,259 mu of farmland, with a total grain output of 5.67 million jin. Today, Fengtian preserves not only its Song and Yuan lineage structures but also the mercantile spirit and academic culture rooted along the Lushui banks. For every visitor to this red land, Fengtian is more than just a place name; it is a living history of Jiangxi’s commercial world.