Map Service Prehistoric China Huai'an lies southeast of the cradle of early
Chinese civilization on the
Wei and
Yellow Rivers. Modern
Chinese archaeology has found remains from
Neolithic civilizations in the area as far back as the 4th millenniumBC. The most famous of these is the Qinglianggang culture (). Traditional
Chinese historiography considered the area part of the
Dongyi or "Eastern
Barbarians", but
Chinese myth sometimes extended the
flood control efforts of
Yu the Great to the Huai.
Ancient China Under the
Zhou, the area became an important agricultural center contested by the
petty kingdoms of the
Spring and Autumn period. In 486BC, the
hegemon Fuchai of
Wu completed the Han or
Hangou Canal Hángōu), connecting his center of power at
Suzhou near the
Yangtze Delta with the Huai River at Huai'an to ease his supply lines in conflicts against
Qi. Increasing in commercial and strategic importance, the town also became a waypoint on the Qian and Shan Roads. During the
Warring States period, the area was held in turn by Wu,
Yue, and
Chu before being conquered by
Shi Huangdi of
Qin.
Imperial China Under the
Qin, the area of present-day Huai'an was administered as the
counties or districts of Huaiyin (with its seat at present-day
Matou in
Huaiyin), Xuyi, and Dongyang (with its seat at present-day
Maba in
Xuyi). Its people joined the rebels who
overthrew the Qin, prominently including
Han Xin. Under the
Han, the counties of Huaipu (with its seat in western
Lianshui), Sheyang (with its seat in southeastern
Huai'an), and Fulin (with its seat now under the waters of
Hongze Lake) were added. In
Jian'an 5 (), near the beginning of the
Three Kingdoms period, the
Guangling commander Chen Dengthen subordinate to
Lü Buconstructed the first 30-
li section of the
Gaojia Dike (,
Gāojiāyàn) to minimize damage from flooding along the Huai. He also expanded the Hangou Canal westward and combined the small
Fuling lakes into a single
Pofu Pond to assist with
irrigation. Under the
Sui, the Hangou Canal was expanded north and south to establish the
Grand Canal, increasing traffic and trade through the city.
Emperor Yang was also responsible for changing Pofu's name to the present-day
Hongze Lake out of his delight at rainfall there, encountered after an inspection tour through drought-afflicted areas. During the
Song,
Kaifeng's governor
Du Chong Dù Chōng, d.1141) breached the levees holding back the Yellow River in 1128 as part of the
ongoing wars with the
Jurchen Jin further north. A series of massive floods, manmade and natural, then caused it to
capture the
Si River and begin flowing into the lower reaches of the Huai. The massive amounts of silt greatly expanded the farmland to the east of Huai'an but also greatly expanded Hongze Lake and caused repeated and disastrous floods despite centuries of attempts at river management by
Pan Jixun and similar
viceroys, Presumably at some point, the city was recaptured by the Nationalists, because, during the closing phases of the
Chinese Civil War, it fell to the
Communist army in December 1948. On 21 April 1949, the area was reorganized as Huaiyin District and divided into the 10 counties of Guanyun, Huaiyin, Huaibao (western Huai'an and Baoyin with its seat at Chahe), Lianshui, Pisui (southern Pixian and northern Suining with its seat at Tushan), Shuyang, Siyang, Suining, Suqian, and Xin'an (parts of Shuyang and Suqian with its seat at Xin'an). On 12 May 1950, Huaibao County was divided between Huaiyin County, Huai'an County in Yancheng District, and Baoyin County in Yangzhou District. On December 18 of the same year, the urban area of Huaiyin was separately organized as Qingjiang City, which became the seat for the district. Huaiyin District joined Jiangsu upon its reestablishment in January 1953. Xin'an County was renamed Xinyi and the seat of Pisui County was moved to Yunhe. Later the same year, Pisui, Suining, and Xinyi Counties were placed under the administration of
Xuzhou District. Qingjiang was separately elevated to a prefecture-level city despite still being subordinate to Huaiyin District. Shortly thereafter, the district added Huai'an County from Yancheng, Sihong County from Suxian, and Xuyi County from Chuxian District in Anhui. In 1956, Hongze County was established from parts of Huaiyin, Sihong, and Xuyi Counties, with its seat at Gaoliangjian. In 1957, parts of Guanyun and Lianshui Counties were organized as the Xian'an Administrative Office, which shortly became the separate Guannan County. In 1958, Qingjiang absorbed the surrounding more rural Huaiyin County but was renamed Huaiyin City. In 1964, Huaiyin County was again separated but kept its seat in the urban area, which again became Qingjiang. In 1966, Xuyi County was transferred to Luhe District. In 1970, Huaiyin District became the Huaiyin Region. The next year, Xuyi was transferred back from the Luhe Region. Luhe also yielded Jinhu County. In 1975, Huaiyin County's administration moved from Qingjiang to Wangyin. In 1983, the Huaiyin Region became the directly administered Huaiyin City, with its urban core losing the separate name Qingjiang and being instead divided into
Qinghe and
Qingpu Districts. Most of the Huaiyin Region's countiesGuannan, Huai'an, Huaiyin, Hongze, Jinhu, Lianshui, Shuyang, Sihong, Siyang, Suqian, Xuyiwere placed under the city's administration while the lastGuanyun Countywas placed under Lianyungang. In December 1987, Huai'an and Suqian Counties were promoted to county-level cities. In 1996, the county-level city of Suqian was promoted to prefecture-level, taking Sihong, Siyang, and Shuyang Counties along with it. Guannan County was separately placed under the administration of Lianyungang. On 21 December 2000, the prefecture-level city of Huaiyin was renamed Huai'an. The Huaiyin County and the county-level Huai'an City became Huaiyin and Huai'an Districts and the various districts' and counties' borders slightly adjusted in different ways. In October 2016, Qinghe and Qingpu reunited to form the city's current
Qingjiangpu District. ==Culture==