Fengxian is located on the southeastern part of the Yangtze Delta and the southern part of Shanghai City. It borders Hangzhou Bay on the south, and Huangpu River on the north; neighboring Nanhui on the east and Jinshan and Songjiang on the west, with Minhang District across the river. With a mild climate, distinct seasons, and abundant products, it is a newly developed industrial base in the southern region. Within its boundary Hangzhou Bay coastline is 31.6 kilometers long while Huangpu River coastline 13.5 kilometers. The total area of the district is 687 square kilometers with a population of 520,000, administering 22 towns: Nanqiao, Xidu, Jianghai, Wuqiao, Xinsi, Huqiao, Zhuangxing, Jinhui, Qixian, Tairi, Touqiao, Fengcheng, Hongmiao, Situan, Ping’an, Shaochang, Qingchun, Tangwai, Qianqiao, Guangming, Tuolin, Fengxin. Under its jurisdiction are also Shanghai Comprehensive Development Area and Shanghai Chemical Industrial Area Fengxian Branch. Nanqiao Town is the point where the district government is.
Fengxian Chenglu is 6000 years away from now. Over 3000 years ago, there were inhabitants here. As legend goes, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius’ student Yanyan once came here to give lectures. As a gratitude for Yan’s trudging a long way to teach them knowledge, the civilions set up a temple and made a statue for him. Ever since the beginning of recordable history, Fengxian was successively subordinate to Wu, Yue, Chu and so on vassal states. In the tenth year of Emperor Tianbao’s reign of Tang Dynasty(751 AD), Huating County was established; in the fourth year of Emperor Yongzheng’s reign of Qing Dynasty, Baisha village and Yunjian village were separated from southeastern part of Huating County and Fengxian County was established. In May of 1948, Fengxian County Government was founded, subjected to Sunan administrative public. In 1952 it was under the jurisdiction of Songjiang Special Area Jiangsu Province; later in November, 1958 it was designated to Shanghai city; in August, 2001 the county was removed and the District was established on the basis of it.
In the development of history, Fengxian people are proud of their honorable tradition of patriotic spirit and revolutionary struggle. Under the reign of Jiaqing of Ming Dynasty, Fengxian people rose up against the Japanese invaders to defend their homestead. In 1862, Fengxian people fought along with the Taiping Army against the English and French United Troops, shooting down the French commander-in-chief at Nanqiao. Led by the Chinese Communist Party, they staged a well-known farmers’ armed rebellion in 1929. In Fengxian’s history book, the great achievements of many national heroes and revolutionarists are recorded in the history book.
Fengxian has convienent traffic and sound infrastructure. Fengpu Bridge over the Pujiang River, Dating Road, Daye Road, Xingfeng Road and so on, constitute a network of roads, which leads to Pudong New Area in the east and crosses Shanghai chemical industrial area in the west. The rainbow airport is 30 minutes’ drive away from here and the Pudong international airport 40 minutes. There is advanced water traffic: Shanghai’s mother river Huangpu River flows across Fengxian; Jinhui Port impenetrates from north to the south, making through the water course from Huangpu River to Hangzhou Bay; Pudong Canal runs the whole gamut from east to the west. Asia’s biggest 500,000-voltage transformer substation is located within its boundary. In addition there are nineteen 3,5000-voltage transformers scattered in the key areas and towns in the district. The capacity of daily water supply is 400,000 tons, the coverage of communication masterstrokes 27%, daily gas supply 140,000 steres, and daily contamination drainage 140,000 tons.
The overall economic strength is constantly growing, with various social causes developing on an all-round scale. The gain of the year 2000 is 8.61 billion RMB. The total industrial and agricultural value is 24.72 billion RMB and export value 3.302 billion; retail volume of social consumption 4.113 billion, financial income 1.2 billion, among which 0.648 billion is local financial income. The average reward for city or town workers is 14，484 RMB, average salary for the employees 13,539 RMB, average net income for rural residents is 5,371 RMB. In 2000 the remaining money for urban and rural residents beside bank deposit is 80569 billion. In 1995 Fengxian ranked the 19th among the first 100 national counties and was appointed as one of the ten national moderately rich counties by the Development Research Center of National Congress. Along with the economic development, urban construction advances rapidly and rural urbanization exceeds 55%. Since the economic reform, Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji, Wu Bangguo, Wen jiabao, Chi Haotian, Li Guixian, Peng Peiyun, Fei Xiaotong and so on leaders of the country and the Party, have come to Fengxian to inspect.
Fengxian industrial enterprises have formed an industrial economic system with electrics, costumes, cases, timber, machines, rubber, chemical, textile altogether eight lines as the mainstay. Foreign-invested enterprises are flourishing. American GE invested 54.5 million dollars to cooperate with an enterprise in the district, which is specialized in the production of high-voltage and low-voltage equipments.