The Historical Evolution of Wangdian Town

The name of Wangdian Town began in the Tianfu period of the Five Dynasties. In the second year of Tianfu (AD 937), Jiaxing Town let Wang Kui live here, planted 100 mu of plum trees, and traded goods together, then it was called Wangdian (Golden Harvest). After wearing the tassel, it became more and more popular and became a huge town ("Meilizhi"). By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, it was already the settlement of the townspeople and one of the four major towns in Jiaxing. From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Dapeng Township was in the east of the town, Jiahui Township was in the west of the town, and the town spanned between the two townships. Xuantong Yuan began to discuss autonomy, and all districts were divided into their own, called Wangdian Town (Meili North Branch). After the Revolution of 1911, although it experienced several military disasters, it was still a distribution center for goods, and Wangdian Town was established. After the founding of New China. Gradually develop from a commercial town to an industrial town focusing on textiles, household appliances and light industry.

Wang Kui loves plums and is famous for growing plums, so the town is also named Meili, Hui Mei and Li Meihui. The town is shaped like a long dragon with a crooked tail. The main street in the town is 1.5 km long from east to west, and the tail street is about 800 meters long from north to south. Chenghe River is in the middle, historically called Meixi, and the river runs along the main street west of Lianchang Reservoir.

Wangdian ancient town has a long history and culture, and is famous for lanterns, paper-cutting and folk crafts. Lantern Festival is a big custom in Wangdian Town. It was popular as early as the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and was known as a wonderful flower in he cheng. There are many kinds of colored lanterns, including pavilion lamps, desk lamps, floor lamps, pavilion lamps, boat lamps, tower lamps, cow lamps, dragon lamps, etc., all of which are brilliant. Since the Republic of China, there have been six large-scale lantern festivals, namely, 23 years after the founding of the People's Republic of China and the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, 1950, 1956, 1959 and 1976. Famous craftsman Zhu Zha's lanterns are unique, and colorful umbrella lights are his specialty. His works, including "Lantern of Guandi" and "Banker's Flag Lamp" were included in the lantern festival held in 1934, which won the audience's appreciation.

Mr. Gong, a contemporary paper-cut artist, is a self-taught artist. His works have won many awards in national paper-cutting competitions and have been collected by some arts and crafts museums. Now he is a member of China Paper-cut Association and a director of Zhejiang Paper-cut Association.

Folk artists emerge one after another. Zhu Xianglin, a famous carpenter, is good at Xiao Mu furniture, especially classical furniture. The furniture he made is exquisite in craftsmanship, and the famous sculptor Huang Shengyou is good at carving flowers, reliefs, plums, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums. He is proficient in all traditional plays. 1959 national day 10 anniversary, it should be carved by Nanhu red boat, with exquisite patterns. 1960 was rated as a provincial famous teacher and arts and crafts artist. 1969 carved into a little red boat, with exquisite craftsmanship, comparable to a big red boat. He was rated as a famous carver in Hangjiahu.

The town's cultural undertakings have developed rapidly, with teahouses, bookstores, theaters, libraries, stadiums, clubs, activity rooms for the elderly and other cultural activities. The Town Amateur Art Troupe holds a Happy Spring Concert every year, and more than a dozen artists have won prizes in provinces, cities and districts for many times. Various cultural and artistic associations-Mei Li Philatelic Association, Mei Li Calligraphy and Painting Society, Mei Li Photography Association, Mei Li Flower Association, Wangdian Pigeon Association and other folk associations have greatly enriched people's amateur cultural life. Radio and cable TV networks cover the whole town. National fitness activities are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The town has a swimming pool, skating rink, croquet field, basketball court, table tennis room, chess room, badminton court and other sports facilities. There are all kinds of karaoke bars, dance halls, hotels and restaurants, as well as many cultural relics and historic sites. It is one of the top 100 tourist towns in Zhejiang Province.