Chóngyì

Chongyi lies in the wooded mountains of southwestern Jiangxi, near the borders of Hunan and Guangdong. Its county was established in the early sixteenth century after the official and philosopher Wang Yangming campaigned against armed groups in the southern hills. The name, taken from the local district of Chongyi, expressed an ideal of honouring righteousness.

In 1517 Wang's forces attacked strongholds at Tonggang and Hengshui. An inscription cut on a rock at Chaliao recorded the campaign. Wang then proposed creating a county with its seat at Hengshui, drawing lands from neighbouring districts. Alongside military measures he promoted community compacts and schools, leaving a local legacy connected both to his government of the frontier and to his teaching.