Zhengding County - History

History

Archeological finds indicate that the area of Zhengding County has been settled since the early Neolithic Period. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the capital of the Xianyu Kingdom was located in the area, since the year 256 (Western Jin Dynasty), the Changshan Prefecture was established in the County. In 923, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the prefecture was renamed Zhengding Prefecture, which was later rearranged into the Zhengding Prefecture and Zhongshan County. Zhengding County was created during the Qing Dynasty, in 1723. In 1949, the county was subordinated to Shijiazhuang Prefecture and in 1986, it came under the jurisdiction of the City of Shijiazhuang.

Xi Jinping, Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member and one of the top candidates to succeed Hu Jintao as party leader and state president, was secretary of the county CCP committee in 1983-85. A princeling, son of Xi Zhongxun, he was assigned to this rural area on his own request. He is credited with having a Qing dynasty style mansion constructed in the area for the filming of Dream of Red Mansions.