Fēngchéng

Fengcheng stands on the eastern bank of the Gan River in central Jiangxi. Its county seat was moved here in 651, and the river linked the town with Nanchang to the north and the markets of the interior. A famous legend tells of two buried swords discovered in the old county town after a strange light was seen among the stars.

The Ming and Qing governed Fengcheng as a county under Nanchang. Merchants from the district joined the medicine trade centred on neighbouring Zhangshu, where herbs were gathered and prepared for sale. The Gan and connected streams allowed goods to travel between local markets and the wider river network, while the tale of the swords remained a celebrated part of Fengcheng's identity.