The investment circumstances of Chongming County
Chongming Island is the third biggest island in China and the biggest estuary alluvial island. The island is located at the Yangtze River outlet and is surrounded by rivers on three sides and the sea on one side. It is close to the East Sea on the east with Baoshan District, Pudong New Area and Taicang City Jiangsu Province across the canal. It borders the torrential Yangtze River on the west and neighbors Haimen and Qidong City of Jiangsu Province separated only by a narrow strip of water on the north. The total area of the island is over 1200 square kilometers, with a length of 76 kilometers from east to west and a width of 13-18 kilometers from south to north, resembling a “silkworm”. The topography of the island is plain without hummocks or hills. The northwest and the central part are slightly higher, while the southwest and the eastern part slightly lower. The elevation of 90% of the land is (suppose the elevation of Wusong is 0 meter) between 3.21 and 4.20 meters. Chongming Island is situated between east longitude 121°09'30" and 121°54'00", north latitude 31°27'00" and 37°51'15", belonging to the northern subtropical climate, with a mild weather, abundant sunshine, and distinctly separated seasons. The island has clean land and water and fresh air. Chongming Island is renowned as “Longevity Island” as the average age of the residents is 76 years.
Chongming Island has a history of 1300 years. From 618 to 626(Emperor Wude's reign of Tand Dynasty), the east and west two sand islands came into being. Since early 696(Emperor Tongtian's reign of Tand Dynasty), people started to inhabit the island. After that, numerous sandbanks moved in all directions and eventually formed a big island at early Qing Dynasty. At the initial stage of the five states, an administrative town was set up, named Chongming(meaning land above water). In 1222(fifteenth year of Jiading's reign of Nansong Dynasty), a salt field was built under the jurisdiction of Tongzhou. In 1277 it was elevated to Chongming State, still under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou Government. In 1396, it was degraded to a county, first under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou Government, later Suzhou Government and Taicang State. At the stage of the Republic of China, it was administered by Nantong and Songjiang of Jiangsu Province. It belonged to Nantong Jiangsu province after liberation. On December 1, 1958 it was designated to Shanghai city.
Chongming has long been a key fortress in the sea. In Song Dynasty, a sea patrolling agency was set up, and in Ming Dynasty a water camp, where the first navy was built up. Chongming was well known as “gate of the Yangtze River, shelter of ten shires”.
Chongming people have an honorable revolutionary tradition. In the war against the Japanese in Ming Dynasty, Chongming “Shabing” was known for their valor. In autumn of 1921, Chongming Xisha farmers rebelled, which Mao Zedong sang a high praise of by an article on the Party's organ “Guidance”. In September 1926, the two commissioners Lu Tieqiang and Yupu from Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province came to Chong and founded the earliest village Party organization. When the Japanese invaded China, Chongming was occupied by the enemy on March, 18 1938. However, Chongming people was led by the China's Communist Party to give the enemies a heavy blow. In the democratic and socialist revolution, many Chongming people devoted their lives.
Chongming County now administers thirteen towns, and one village. The location of the county government is the economic, political, and cultural center of the whole county. There are eight municipal farms and two military-owned farms on the island; meanwhile Shanghai Industrial Group has constructed a modern agricultural park. The population of the island is 650,000, among whom 597,000 are county people while 53,000 are farmers.