Xiangshan County, Guangdong

{{Short description|Former county in Guangdong}} {{Infobox settlement |name = |official_name = |native_name = |other_name = Heungshan |nickname = |settlement_type = County |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |city_logo = |citylogo_size = |image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}} |image_map1 = Guangdong subdivisions - Zhongshan.svg |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = Location of Zhongshan in Guangdong |image_dot_map = |dot_mapsize = |dot_map_caption = |dot_x = |dot_y = |pushpin_map = China Guangdong#China |pushpin_label_position = left |pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Guangdong]], [[China]] |pushpin_mapsize = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{Flag icon|CN|1889}} [[Great Qing Empire]]<br/>{{Flag icon|CN|1912}} [[Republic of China (1912-1949)|Republic of China]] |subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of the People's Republic of China|Province]] |subdivision_name1 = [[Guangdong]] |subdivision_type2 = County-level divisions |subdivision_name2 = ''None'' |subdivision_type3 = Township-level divisions |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title = |established_date = |established_title2 =  |established_date2 = |established_title3 =  |established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_metro_km2 = |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_blank1_title = |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_blank2_title = |population_blank2= |timezone = |utc_offset = |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |iso_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |blank2_name = |blank2_info = |blank3_name = |blank3_info = |blank4_name = |blank4_info = |website = |footnotes = }} {{Infobox Chinese | title = Xiangshan County | t = {{linktext|香山|縣}} | s = {{linktext|香山|县}} | w = Hsiang-shan Hsien | p = Xiāngshān Xiàn | l = Fragrant Mountain | j = Hoeng1 Saan1 Jyun2 | y = Hēung-sāan Yuhn }}

'''Xiangshan County''', also spelled '''Hsiangshan''', '''Siangshan''', '''Heungsan''', and '''Heungshan''', was a former county in Southern China. From 1912, it was a county in [[Guangdong Province]], in the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]. It was renamed [[Zhongshan]] (then usually romanized "Chungshan") in April 1925, in honor of the founder of the Republic of China, [[Sun Yat Sen]], a Xiangshan native.

The county covered the modern-day [[Zhuhai|Zhuhai City]], [[Zhongshan City]] and a part of [[Nansha, Guangzhou|Nansha District]] of [[Guangzhou City]] in the [[Guangdong Province]] of the [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC), and the [[Macau|Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China]], formerly known as [[Portuguese Macau]] until 1999.

== History== The county consists of the entirety of [[Xiangshan Island]], an island in a bay where three rivers emptied into the sea, part of the [[Pearl River Delta]]. It was originally separated from the continent by the [[distributary|distributaries]] in the delta, until it became a peninsula some time during the 17th century, but remained separated from the mainland by waterways.

Around the 8th century (during the [[Tang dynasty]]), a Xiangshan [[town (China)|Township]] was carved out of the Bao'an County and [[Dongguan County]], at the present-day Shanchang ({{zh||labels=no|t=山場}}) of [[Zhuhai]]. Around the 12th century (during the [[Northern Song dynasty]]), this township became a separate county.

During the mid-16th century, in the [[Ming dynasty]], the Portuguese settled in [[Macau]]. This was permitted by the Ming dynasty, but despite the Portuguese presence, Macau was still under the jurisdiction of Xiangshan.<ref>[[Matteo Ricci]] and [[Nicolas Trigault]], ''[[De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas]]''. Page 140 in the English translation: Gallagher (1953). "China in the Sixteenth Century: The Journals of Matteo Ricci", Random House, New York, 1953. English translation of Trigault's Latin by Louis J. Gallagher. Ricci's transcription for "Xiangshan" is ''Hiam-Xan''.</ref>) Macau became a full Portuguese colony in 1847. This colony later expanded to include [[Ilha Verde]], [[Taipa]] and [[Coloane]].

In December 1952, Yumin County ({{zh||labels=no|t=漁民縣}}) was created out of islands from Hsiang-shan County, [[Bao'an County|Pao-an County]] and [[Dongguan|Tung-kuan County]]. This county was renamed Chu-hai County ({{zh||labels=no|t=珠海縣}}) in April 1953, and was expanded. Chu-hai County was briefly merged with Hsiang-shan County in March 1959, and was reconstituted in April 1961.

From 1961 onwards, the territory of [[Zhongshan|Chung-shan County]] was reduced by 43%, with areas ceded to the counties of [[Doumen District|Tou-men]], [[Panyu|Pan-yu]], [[Shunde|Shun-te]] and [[Xinhui|Hsin-huei]]. Its romanization was changed to Zhuhai following the introduction of the Pinyin orthography for romanizing Chinese characters.

In 1979, Zhuhai County ({{zh||labels=no|s=珠海县}}) became [[Zhuhai]] City ({{zh||labels=no|c=珠海市}}). In December 1983, Zhongshan County ({{zh||labels=no|s=中山县}}) became Zhongshan City ({{zh||labels=no|c=中山市}}). Originally a [[county-level city]], Zhongshan was elevated to [[prefecture-level city|prefecture level]] in January 1988.

A 6.81-square kilometer [[special economic zone]] was established within Zhuhai City in August 1980. The special economic zone was expanded to 15.16 square kilometers in June 1983, and 121 square kilometers in April 1989. In May 1983, Doumen County ({{zh||labels=no|c=斗門县}}) became administrated under Zhuhai City.

==See also== * [[Hong Kong]], another city of China what was named after {{zh|t=香|l=Fragrant |labels=no}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[http://big5.china.com.cn/city/zhuanti/guangdong/txt/2006-12/14/content_7506348.htm ''Nanfang Wang''] *[http://big5.southcn.com/gate/big5/www.southcn.com/news/dishi/zhongshan/zszt/xs/mtgz/200610200410.htm ''Zhuhai Special Zone Daily''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930062626/http://big5.southcn.com/gate/big5/www.southcn.com/news/dishi/zhongshan/zszt/xs/mtgz/200610200410.htm |date=2011-09-30 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070702082953/http://net.zhuhai.gov.cn:82/gate/big5/net.zhuhai.gov.cn/waiwang/72621647797944320/20030904/2001826.html Zhuhai City People's Government]

[[Category:History of Macau]] [[Category:Zhongshan]] [[Category:Zhuhai]] [[Category:Special Economic Zones of China]] [[Category:1912 disestablishments in China]]