Neolithic age stone tools and pottery have been discovered in dozens of places in the Meixian district of Meizhou. Ancient kiln sites from the Western Zhou dynasty and bells from the
Warring States period were also found. Before the
Qin dynasty, Meizhou was under
Nanyue rule. After Qin unified the Nanyue, Meizhou was belonged to
Nanhai Commandery. Meizhou was historically known as Chengxiang () and Jiaying (), and the local saying — "Before there was Meizhou, there was Jiaying; before there was Jiaying, there was Chengxiang" () — summarizes the evolution of its place names. From the
Southern Qi through the early
Qing period, the region was called Chengxiang, because in the first year of Yongming (483 CE) the Southern Qi court carved out part of
Haiyang County to establish Chengxiang County, marking the beginning of Meizhou’s county‑level administration. According to tradition, the name "Chengxiang" commemorates the virtuous scholar Cheng Min (程旼), who lived in seclusion and taught in the area. During the Ming dynasty, Meizhou Prefecture was once abolished, and Chengxiang County was placed under the jurisdiction of Chaozhou Prefecture and later Huizhou Prefecture. The Imperially Commissioned Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books (, Geographical Compilation, Administrative Geography, Volume 1333, the entry for Chengxiang County summarized the history of Meizhou from Han-era to Ming dynasty: From the Qing dynasty () to the early Republic of China (), Meizhou was known as Jiaying. In the eleventh year of the
Yongzheng reign (1733), Meizhou was separated from
Chaozhou Prefecture and elevated by the Qing court to a directly governed prefecture, renamed Jiaying Prefecture () —a name expressing auspicious "favorable response." Jiaying Prefecture governed five counties: Chengxiang, Xingning, Changle (now
Wuhua), Pingyuan, and Zhenping (now
Jiaoling), collectively known in history as the "Five Counties of Jiaying" ). The prefectural seat remained in Chengxiang County, corresponding to today’s old urban core of Meizhou (the historic Jiaying city). The region has long enjoyed the elegant reputation of being the "Land of Plum Blossoms" (). The Meizhou area is rich in plum varieties—green plums, white plums, and flowering plums. Each spring, the hillsides burst into bloom, offering not only beautiful scenery but also fruit that can be processed into preserved plums. Throughout history, Jiaying Prefecture (Meizhou) has maintained a deep cultural connection with the plum blossom. ==Geography and climate==