Zhanjiang, Guangdong and Hepu, Guangxi, which is the origin of the "Hepu Pearl" in history?

Pearl is a precious aquatic organic gemstone, together with agate, crystal, jade and known as the traditional "four treasures" of China's ancient times, has become the decoration and collection of the powerful and rich. More than 4,000 years ago, the "Maritime History. In the Afterword, there is a record of Emperor Yu's determination of pearls as tributes: "The Fish of the East China Sea is a fish eye, and the South China Sea Fish Is a treasure of the big shell." ”

In addition, the Book of Poetry, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Erya, Zhou Yi, etc. all have records of seawater pearls. Pearls began to become tributes to the imperial court from the Qin Dynasty, "the rich are proud of the many pearls, and the poor are ashamed of the beadless." ”

Pearls are divided into West Pearl, East Pearl and South Pearl according to the place of origin. The western pearl is mainly produced in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, the eastern pearl is produced in Japan and Korea, and the southern pearl is mainly produced in Zhanjiang, Beihai, Hainan and so on.

Chronicle of Guangdong Province. In the "Aquatic History", it is recorded that the pearls produced in Guangdong Province in history belong to the Southern Pearl and enjoy a high reputation in the world. Since the Song Dynasty, Zhaoqing's "Duan Yan", Sanlei's "Pearl" and Taishan's "Jade" have become the three guangdong famous products that regularly pay tribute to the imperial court. Sanlei is known to everyone, referring to Suixi, Haikang and Xuwen in Leizhou Capital.

The Beibu Bay of Zhanjiang is blessed with a unique geographical environment, and the southern pearls cultivated are round, delicate and magnificent in color. Zhanjiang's Nanzhu has become the best among the Nanzhu with its large grain, roundness and brilliance.

However, there are different theories about the origin of the historically famous "Hepu Pearl".

One theory is that Guangxi Hepu is the main producer of "Hepu pearls". In the coastal area of Hepu, Qinzhou and Fangchenggang in the Beibu Gulf, there have been many ancient pearl ponds distributed over the generations, resembling small basins in the ocean, with a bottom of white sand and small gravel, and fresh water seeps out from the bottom from time to time, constantly adjusting the salinity of the sea. In the sea area about 30 kilometers from Bailongwei to Xicun in Hepu County, Guangxi, the pearl varieties produced are the best products of Nanzhu.

Another theory is that Zhanjiang is the main producer of "Hepu pearls". The "Hepu" in the Hepu pearl does not refer to Hepu County in the present-day Guangxi Northwest Sea, but to "Hepu County" during the Qin Dynasty. Hepu County, which governs the current Beibu Bay urban agglomeration, is in the middle of the nine counties, the east is Nanhai County, the north is Cangwu and Yulin County, the west and southwest are across the sea from Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, Nichinan and other counties, and the southern part is across the sea, Dan'er, Zhuya, Dan'er was once merged into the jurisdiction of Hepu County.

Therefore, "Hepu Pearl" refers to the pearls abundant in the area from Xuwen County of Zhanjiang to Hepu County on the verge of the Beibu Bay. In the long-term development process, Xuwen, Leizhou to Lianzhou Lianzhou in Hepu County, around the Beibu Bay, the sea area has formed 6 natural pearl-producing ponds. Zhanjiang South Pearl also became an important trade commodity in the ancient Maritime Silk Road. In the first year of the Hongwu Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty (1368), Leizhou Road was changed to Leizhou Capital, and Hepu County disappeared from the Leizhou Peninsula, and the Leizhou Peninsula began to become the main production area of Nanzhu.

Due to the high quality of the Zhanjiang South Pearl, it was recognized as a tribute by successive imperial courts. Since the Han Dynasty, the records of "pearl diving" have been incessantly in the history books. Pearl diving in ancient times was a high-risk operation, because there is no diving equipment, the requirements for pearl divers are very high, if you are not careful, you may die on the seabed. From the Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, under the pressure of the imperial court, the pearl people were oppressed and the disaster was severe, which also caused the depletion of pearl resources and the destruction of the marine environment.

The Ming Dynasty became the most prosperous period of pearl diving in Chinese history. In the fourteenth year of Ming Yongle (1416), Ming Chengzu Zhu Di set up an institution in the Leizhou capital, "ordering Leizhou to collect pearls, and ordering the town to guard the Lezhu Pond". Also known as Pearl City, LezhuChang was located in Leminsuo City, 58 kilometers southwest of Suicheng Town in present-day Suixi County, specifically for the imperial court to collect pearls.

According to the old "Suixi County Chronicle", after the pearl city was built, it was stipulated that every year a bucket of tribute beads was given. During the Ming Dynasty, pearl mining was resumed several times, bringing great disasters to the pearl people. After five years of collecting pearls, more than fifty people died, and only then did they get more than eighty pearls. In the Qing Dynasty, the pearling industry gradually declined, and official pearling was permanently banned in the early years of the Kangxi Dynasty. After the founding of New China, Nanzhu entered the development stage of scientific aquaculture.

But china's seawater pearl culture faces a problem, nanzhu once produced a maximum of 20 tons per year, and now only a few hundred kilograms have reached jewelry grade. In Guangxi, Hainan and other places, basically no one raises pearls, and only Zhanjiang Xuwen Leizhou and other places are still insisting. Unable to make money, the pearl farmer could only change careers.

According to experts, one of the main reasons for this situation is the problem of seedlings. Due to inbreeding, the vitality of shellfish seedlings is not strong, and the mortality rate exceeds 70% when they are raised for more than ten months. Now that the average age of pearl oyster farmers in Zhanjiang is 70 years old and the average age of pearl farmers is 60 years old, young people are reluctant to engage in this hard work, so the unique sea conditions are weak and worrisome.

About the main production area of "Hepu Pearl" and the future of Zhanjiang cultured pearls, if you have anything to say, welcome to leave a comment.