• Cangshan District was formerly known as "Guatengshan" (literally, "Melon Vine Mountain"), also known as "Tengshan" (literally, "Vine Mountain"), with a watchtower at the top of the mountain. Therefore, it was also called the Yan Tai Mountain (literally, "Smoke Platform Mountain"), named after the Zhongzhou barbette (
Zhongzhou Pao Tai, literally, "Zhongzhou Cannon Platform"). Because a salt warehouse was built there in Ming dynasty, the place was also called Cangqianshan (literally, "the mountain before the warehouse"), abbreviated to Cangshan, which is where the modern name comes from. • The
Treaty of Nanking in 1842 listed Fuzhou (Fuchow) as one of the Five Ports of Treaty, which made Cangshan District become the historic district for consulates. In 1844–1903, there built consulates of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, Russia, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, etc. At the same time, many Christian churches, schools, hospitals, newspaper offices, western firms were built there. Because of this history, there still exist some
Gothic-style buildings and
Romanesque-style buildings today, which become the iconic style of Cangshan District. Since the year 2005, because of the "transformation of the old district" project, some characteristic buildings were torn down and rebuilt, which triggered some social opposition. == Geography ==