Chen Yuanguang (657–711), a native of Gwangju, was born on February 16, 657, in the second year of Xianqing (657). In the second year of Yifeng (677), he succeeded his father and served as the general of the Yuzhao Wei YiFu Zuolang, and in the second year of Yonglong (681), he was awarded the title of General of the Yuzhong Wei Zhonglang (官秩正四品下), and served as the commander of the Lingnan March. Advanced Zhengyi Doctor, the first assassin in the history of Zhangzhou. He was born in the Yingchuan Wang clan, a disciple of the Kai Tang Dynasty, and a family of generals. At an early age, he read the scriptures and went through the history of his children. Changbo has learned the history of the scriptures, and has learned the art of war and shooting. In the thirteenth year, the first place was recommended.
He is one of the important folk beliefs in the Fujian-Taiwan region and is enshrined as the Holy King of Kaizhang. General Chen Yuanguang led his father to the south with his father from the year of his weak crown, and until he was martyred, he always insisted on staying in the land of Minshu for forty-two years; he ruled Fujian well, opened up science and selected talents, appointed sages, invited exile, burned wasteland, built schools, and persuaded the people to study. There were also 36 forts in the prefecture, which were erected in the four borders as a stronghold for military appeasement and political religious people.
For the Yamakoshi people, they mainly recruited and cared, and attached equal importance to Dewei, intermarried with relatives, and married Yamakoshi women as wives. Use force against those who rebel against the Tang Dynasty, and those who wish to submit, divide the land to live, and manage themselves, called "Tang Huali", also known as "Jiulongli". Southern Fujian, known as the "barbaric" land, has developed rapidly in economy and culture. Chen Yuanguang became the founder of promoting the integration of Central Plains culture and Fujian-Vietnamese culture.
Chen Yuanguang was the commander-in-chief of the Lingnan March, the general of Jinzhong Lang, the general of Huaihua led by the Right Eagle Yang Wei, and also the leader of the Zhangzhou Assassin History. Because of the death of Chao Kou, he gave lin to the Marquis of Zhang, And Yu Zhongyi. The Chaozhou Poetry Collection contains three of his poems, 48 of which are compiled by later generations, and 7 of which are compiled by his descendants.
In the second year of the General Chapter (669 AD), when there was a rebellion between the spring tides, Emperor Gaozong of Tang ordered Chen Zheng to be the chief steward of the Lingnan March. "The people are suffering and barbaric rebellion, and the town of You begs the commander of the town to jingbianfang." It was at this time that the Guide general Chen Zheng was ordered to lead 3,600 soldiers and 123 generals from Gushi County, Henan, as the commander-in-chief of the Lingnan March, to put an end to Fujian. His son Chen Yuanguang was 13 years old at the time and also joined the Tang army south. Chen Zheng led the Tang army along the Huai River into the Grand Canal, along the canal south into Zhejiang, and then from Xianxialing into Fujian, and after several barbarian villages in Lianke, they reached the boundary of the Jiulong Mountains in present-day Hua'an County. In this place, due to the disparity between the masses and the tang army, the Tang army was unable to break through for a while, and the soldiers from the Central Plains were not satisfied with the water and soil, and it was difficult to endure the warm and humid climate of "the area of the barbarians, the land of miasma", and many soldiers could not afford to get sick. The troubled Tang army had no choice but to retreat to Jiulong Mountain, and the imperial court requested additional reinforcements.
In the third year of the general chapter (670 AD), Chen Zheng's two brothers led more than 5,000 soldiers and military dependents to "come south", including their 75-year-old mother, Lady Wei. During the march, the two brothers died of illness one after another, and Lady Wei resolutely replaced her son and took the reinforcements to Jiulong Mountain to join Chen Zheng. The Tang army was mighty and vigorous, and in one fell swoop, it broke through the siege. After the great victory of Jiulong Mountain, the Tang army fought all the way, and Lianke had 36 barbarian cottages. Today's Pantuo Town, Zhangpu County, there is still a Temple of Niangzi. The owner of the temple, Niang Huixian, is the owner of the Niangzi Village who once gathered with a group of mountain Kou Xiao in the mountains. Chen Zheng's father and son sent his subordinate Li Boyao to infiltrate the village, outwit Niang Huixian, and recruit her to safety. After the last cottage was removed, the Tang army crossed Pukui Pass and settled in Huotian Village, Huotian Town, Yunxiao County, where they camped and won a decisive victory in quelling the chaos.
In the second year of YiFeng (677 AD), Chen Zheng became ill and died in Yunxiao, burying the bones of general Shan. The 21-year-old Chen Yuanguangzi inherited his father's business, took charge of Shuaiyin, and continued to lead the Chen family army to develop the southern barbarian land. "Chen Yuanguang believes that backward production, fierce nature of the people, lack of management, and lack of education are the root causes of frequent riots in this area." Fang Qunda, a folklore expert who has long been engaged in the study of the culture of kaizhang shengwang, said that in order to ensure the long-term peace and stability of this area, Chen Yuanguang wrote to the imperial court in the 14th year of entering Fujian and asked for the establishment of prefectures and counties. Two years later, Wu Zetian approved the establishment of Zhangzhou between Quanzhou and Chaozhou, and the earliest county rule was located in Yunxiao. Chen Yuanguang was appointed as the first assassin in the history of Zhangzhou.
Kaizhangzhi Prefecture
In the second year of the Imperial Arch (686 CE), Chen Yuanguang petitioned the emperor to set up counties between Quanzhou and Chaozhou to strengthen feudal rule over the Zhangzhou area. [6] In the middle reaches of Huotian Creek in Huotian Village, there is still a dam about 30 meters long, which the local people call "Junpo", which has a history of more than 1,300 years. "This is a water conservancy project built when General Chen led the Kaizhang General Tun Reclamation, the length of the dam is 120 meters, and the total length of the diversion canal is 4,000 meters." Tang Yuxian said: The irrigation area of the "military slope" is more than 1,000 mu, and it is one of the earliest water conservancy projects in Fujian.
"Junpo" is a historical witness that Chen Yuanguang attaches importance to production. When the war in southern Fujian was over, Chen Yuanguang was thinking about how to build a new Zhangzhou. At that time, Zhangzhou was backward in production, infested with wild beasts, and had not yet been civilized, and after many years of war and chaos, it was even more withered away, and the people did not have a good life.
It's not easy to build a new state, and it's even harder to build a new state. Chen Yuanguang's first step in his rule was to develop production. Huotian Village is the first village established by Chen Yuanguang in Zhangzhou, and the name of the village has not changed for thousands of years. In that year, Chen Yuanguang led the soldiers to reclaim the land here with the displaced people, divide the fields according to each household, and plant crops. The soldiers "hunted when they lived in peace, and defended when they were in service." The policy of educating soldiers in agriculture has greatly promoted the development of this "virgin land". Chen Yuanguang brought the advanced farming technology of the Central Plains to southern Fujian, allowing the local people to master the iron ware cattle farming and get out of the backward state of slash and burn farming.
Kaizhang soldiers have many skilled craftsmen, good at weaving, pottery, and iron smelting, filling the gap in the handicraft industry in Fujian. Chen Yuanguang implemented the policy of "trade and benefiting farmers", which made Zhangzhou quickly become an important commercial town in the south. At the same time, the local transportation industry has gradually developed, and the Jiulong River and Zhangjiang River have become important waterways. Fishing flourished as a result, and shark skin was the main tribute to Zhangzhou at that time.
In Qiancheng District, Zhangzhou City, a sheng Tang Dynasty relic records the beginning of education in Zhangzhou, which is Songzhou Academy.
"Songzhou Academy is one of the earliest schools in China to be named after the academy, and it is also one of the earliest academies in Fujian Province, founded by Chen Yuanguang's son." Tang Yuxian said that Chen Yuanguang insisted that "its origin is in Chuangzhou County, and its essence is in the flash order." To this end, he was the first to set a precedent by establishing a township school in Zhangzhou and implementing the imperial examination system. Since then, Zhangzhou has re-learned and flourished, opening an era of literary style. Improving the relations between Han and Man was another meritorious achievement of Chen Yuanguang in ruling Zhangzhou. In the face of the rebellion of the barbarians, Chen Yuanguang adopted the strategy of combining grace and power, appeasing the barbarians who were willing to submit, incorporating them into household registrations, implementing autonomy in regional divisions, and ensuring their stable lives. He also encouraged his subordinates to intermarry with barbarians in order to promote ethnic integration. To this end, he practiced what he preached and married the local breeding clan, breaking the tradition of barbarians not intermarrying with outsiders in the past.
After nearly 40 years of development and construction, Zhangzhou has transformed from a barren land into a paradise with pure folk customs and prosperous industries. "Thousands of miles in all directions, without the sound of drums", Han and Brute coexist harmoniously, there are few wars; "flowers are three winter green, Jiahe is new twice", a prosperous scene.
In the second year of Jingyun (711 AD), the remnants of the Chaozhou area were revived, and Chen Yuanguang led a light horse to resist the enemy, and fell into an encirclement on the way, because he was outnumbered, and finally he was seriously wounded and died on the battlefield. The whole city of Zhangzhou mourned, and the soldiers and civilians initially buried him in the Yunxiao Dazhiyuan, which was also named Gebu Mountain because the people hung white Gebu on the top of the mountain.
Source Sacrifice Saint King
After Chen Yuanguang's death, successive dynasties remembered his exploits and successively praised him. Since the Tang Dynasty, successive imperial courts have posthumously awarded Chen Yuanguang 22 times, and as many as 15 times in the two Song Dynasties alone. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Yuanguang was posthumously awarded the title of "Kaizhang Saint King". At this point, a generation of heroes ascended to the altar and was worshipped by posterity.
Chen Yuanguang and the descendants of 87 Fu Bing took root in the southern Fujian region and became the main population component of Zhangzhou, Quanzhou and Chaoshan in the future. After the Tang Dynasty, the descendants of Kaizhang continued to migrate to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, and at the same time, they also brought the kaizhang Saint King's faith culture. Since then, the Kaizhang Saint King has become a god shared by both sides of the strait.
Chen Yuanguang's deeds are not found in the old and new Tang Books. "No one in the history of Tang Dynasty has cultivated the legend, and there are temple generals in Zhangjiang." For thousands of years, the people on both sides of the strait have commemorated this pioneering ancestor in their own way, and the Weihui Temple built for him has been flourishing for a long time.