Wen Ling's Discussion on Modern People

What is the origin of the name "Wenling"? When did Quanzhou begin to have the name "Wenling"? It's hard to be sure now. According to local documents in Quanzhou, it is said that in the Southern Song Dynasty, the philosopher Zhu came to the northern part of Quanzhou to plant bamboo and build a pavilion to give lectures here. It's winter now, but Quanzhou is very warm. Zhu praised this place as "the only warm place in the mountains", and it is said that the name of "Wenling" began at this time. But last summer, on the eastern peak in the suburb of Jiuri Mountain, a tall cliff stone carving of the Song Dynasty was found, with a large font. The main content of the stone carving is: A man named Zu visited Wenling Prison (an official in charge of prison proceedings established during the Chunhua period of the Northern Song Dynasty) ... This is February 25th, the seventh year of Yuan You.

"Yuan You" is Zhao Xunian of northern Song Zhezong. It is about a hundred years away from the Southern Song Dynasty, when Zhu grew up. This stone carving shows that the name "Wenling" appeared in Quanzhou in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Let's take a look at Quanzhou Tang and Han Biography. There is a passage to the effect that Han was from the Tang Dynasty and lived in central Fujian ... After his death, his son told Zheng Wenbao that on the day of Han's death, Wenling officials heard that there were many boxes of ancient books in his house. ...

This shows that in the Tang Dynasty earlier than the Northern Song Dynasty, Quanzhou had the title of "Wenling".

The Collected Works of Puyang compiled and published in the Ming Dynasty contains the inscription of Quanshan by Lin Yun, a figure before the Tang Dynasty. The inscription to the effect that Quanshan was originally a monument in Quanzhou. Fuzhou is now in this place. Dong commented that Quanzhou is the boundary of Houguan. Soon, the post-official was changed to Zhou Min, and Wenling was changed to Quanzhou. The source is actually a place.

Now let's discuss whether Wenling includes those places now.

According to the geographical records, the Sui Dynasty destroyed the State of Chen, changed Fengzhou to Quanzhou, then changed Zhou Min, and then changed Fuzhou.

It is also recorded in Zhu Maichen's Biography of Han Shu. The main idea is: ... send troops to sail at sea and go straight to Chunshan. Yan Shigu pointed out that Quanshan is the mountain in Quanzhou now. Starting from Yan Shigu, Quanzhou in the early Tang Dynasty is now Fuzhou.

It is also mentioned in the preface to the reprint of Guo's "Quanzhou Fuzhi" in the twenty-eighth year of Qing Qianlong that Quanzhou place names have experienced five generations since Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the places under their jurisdiction are different. Called Quanzhou, it actually includes Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Putian and other places.

This explains Quanzhou at that time, which is now Fuzhou. According to the Ming Hongzhi reprint "Xinghua Fuzhi" Volume I, Xu Qunjun also recorded this. Quanzhou is named after Fuzhou. Fuzhou is named Quanzhou because it is three feet from the ground and has springs.

From the above information, it not only proves that the name "Wenling" existed before the Tang Dynasty, but its region actually includes today's Fuzhou to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in southern Fujian. From here, we can correct the statement in local chronicles that "Qingyuan Mountain ... has milk springs, also known as Quanshan Mountain", which is Quanzhou's statement.