Nantou (historic town)
historic neighborhood in Shenzhen, China
Nantou (Chinese: 南头) is a historical monument in Shenzhen, China. It was the former administrative centre of Xin'an County.
It was formerly a walled city facing Qianhai Bay. The city was on the sea route in South China and was regarded as the gatekeeper of the Pearl River and Guangzhou. The walled city is also known as Nantoucheng (南头城), "walled city of Nantou". The inhabitants of Nantou extended south along Taishanwan to Chenwuwei (陈屋围), including Guankou (关口) and Shiqiaotou (石桥头).
History
The history of Nantou dates back to 331 CE. It was known as Dongguan (东莞), then the capital of Dongguan Prefecture, in the areas covering present-day Dongguan, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau prior to any European settlements. At the same time, it was also the administrative centre of Bao'an, then one of the six counties comprising Dongguan. Since then, it has been repeatedly reported to be prosperous in the salt industry.
In 736 CE, during the Tang dynasty, the city itself was fortified with imperial troops and became known as Tunmen (屯门).
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