Yongding
Yongding, formerly Dayong, is now the seat of Zhangjiajie City government. Its administrative status changed many times: Cigu County in Qin, Chong County in Han, Linli in Western Jin, Chongyi County in Northern Zhou, and Cili County in Song and Yuan. In the early Ming Hongwu era, Dayong Guard was established and Dayong City built; in 1379 it was split into Yongding and Jiuxi guards. In 1729 the garrison system was abolished.
This article is compiled from the original travel notes on the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com); it is a record of trips from earlier years. Time-sensitive information such as ticket prices, schedules, and accommodation prices is subject to the latest announcements from scenic areas and transportation authorities; the itinerary ideas and attraction introductions still have reference value.
Yongding, formerly known as Dayong, is now the seat of the Zhangjiajie city government. Yongding's administrative divisions underwent many changes through the dynasties. During the Qin Dynasty it belonged to Cigu County; during the Han it belonged to Chong County; in the Western Jin it was renamed Linli; in the Northern Zhou it was Chongyi County; in the Song and Yuan it was under the jurisdiction of Cili County. In the early years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Dayong Guard was first established, and Dayong City was built. In the twenty-second year of Hongwu, Dayong Guard was divided into Yongding and Jiuxi Guards. In the seventh year of Yongzheng, Yongding Guard was abolished and Anfu County was established; in the thirteenth year of Yongzheng, Yongding County was established; in the third year of the Republic of China, it was renamed Dayong County. In May 1985, Dayong County was changed to Dayong City (county level); in May 1988, prefecture-level Dayong City was established, and the original Dayong City was renamed Yongding District; in April 1994, Dayong City was renamed Zhangjiajie City.
Within Yongding's territory, the historically famous Maogang Tusi was also established. Its pacification commissioner Qin Tianyou was appointed by the Ming court as "Founding General Who Pacifies the Yi." Another Tusi famous for rebellion, King Qin Hou, once served as pacification commissioner of Cili. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, King Qin Hou used Maogang as his central stronghold and fought bloody battles with the Ming army sent to suppress him for several years. After his defeat, he was taken by the Ming army to Nanjing and executed by slow slicing. The History of Ming contains many records of this. Because King Qin Hou died on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the local Tujia people still preserve the tradition of airing cotton robes on the sixth day of the sixth month to commemorate King Qin Hou.
Yongding has many other historical notables, such as Guo Hongsheng, who served as naval commander-in-chief during the Qing Dynasty; Liu Mingdeng, who served as commander-in-chief of the Taiwan garrison and commander-in-chief of the various armies in southern Gansu; Luo Jianchou, who served as commander of the Xiangxi National Protection Army in the early Republic; Qin Fuchen, who served as commander of the Second Route of the National Construction Allied Army during the Northern Expedition; and Qin Zibin, who served as a major general during the War of Resistance Against Japan. All were generals of their era whose names are recorded in history.
Yongding is richly endowed with natural scenery, and its many scenic spots are renowned throughout the world. Besides the world-class scenic area of Zhangjiajie, there are also the hundred-li Maoyan River gallery, Tianmen Mountain Forest Park, the historically famous Chongshan, the Maoxi with its strange mountains and emerald waters, the famous Yuhuang Cave grotto, the famous Jiangnan temple Puguang Temple, the Tusi former sites of Wentang and Qinian Fort, the deep and secluded Xianren Stream, and Qinglong Mountain and Huilong Pavilion in the north of the city. These scenic spots are all very enchanting.
With the continuous development of the tourism industry, Yongding's urban construction is also changing with each passing day. It now has an airport, a railway station, and expressways, and the city's appearance is worlds apart from the past. However, compared with the world-class beautiful scenic area, the current urban construction and management still lag somewhat behind. For this reason, leaders at the provincial, municipal, and district levels have all recognized this shortcoming and are adopting various measures to intensify urban construction. In another three to five years, Yongding's urban appearance will certainly be even more beautiful than it is now.