Hengsha first emerged from the Yangtze in 1858. Hengsha was originally part of
Chuansha County, which later merged into
Pudong. In 1958, the island was placed under
Baoshan County, as its ferries operated from the harbor of
Wusong at the mouth of the
Huangpu. The island's wandering was ended by the erection of a seawall and stabilization of the banks around the island. During the
Down to the Countryside Movement, many of the
sent-down youth from
Shanghai travelled no further than Hengsha, where they assisted in reclamation, urban defense, and
propaganda efforts. Hengsha was named among the first set of national tourist resorts (
t ,
s ,
p guójiā jí lǚyóu dùjià cūn) by
Beijing in October 1992. Initial plans called for the construction of a
casino, although that was cancelled. In March 2002, the
Shanghai Municipal Government approved plans to develop Hengsha as an international conference center and
forest park, with tree coverage over at least 70% of the island. In 2005, it was moved from the jurisdiction of
Baoshan District to
Chongming County. ==Geography==