Chen Yuanguang and the Founding of Zhangzhou: From Imperial General to 'Patron Saint of Zhangzhou'
Chen Yuanguang and the Founding of Zhangzhou Geographic Connections From Zhangzhou’s urban center, traveling southwest about 15 kilometers to Punan Town in Xiangcheng District—this is where the northern and western tributaries of the Jiulong River converge, and where Chen Yuanguang originally established Zhangzhou’s first administrative seat in 686 CE. Today’s Zhangzhou has expanded into a major Minnan hub, but Chen Yuanguang’s legacy—the Chen Gong Canal (also called “Guangang”), his military garrison at “Yingtou,” the “General Mountain” where his family lived for generations—all these physical traces still remain scattered throughout Xiangcheng District. ...