Zhifu Island - History

History

Archeological exhibitions discovered over 200 artifacts, including stone axes, and short axes (錛 : Bēn), pottery fragments, bone needles, and bone hairpin. These and Carbon-14 dating indicated that the island has been settled since the Neolithic period.

People were buried here during the Zhou Dynasty, including Lord Kang of Qi State (齊康公), who died on the island. The ruins of the cemetery still exist today. Lord Yang Temple (陽主廟 Yángzhǔ Miào) was built during the early Zhou Dynasty by the State of Qí (齊) to worship Lord Yang, the fifth deity of the Eight Divine Generals (八神將).

Because of a legend of a Mountain of Immortality, Qin Shi Huang visited the island three times looking for the elixir. He left a couple of stone inscriptions still visible today:

• During his second visit in 218 BC, he left the inscription: "Arrived at Fu, and carved the stone" (登之罘，刻石).
• The last time (210 BC), "Came to Fu, saw enormous stone, and shot one fish" (至之罘，見巨石，射殺一魚).

Today, there are places like Shihuang Way (始皇道 Shihuang Dao), and Fish-shooting Tower (射魚台 Sheyu Tai) named after the emperor. Having failed to discover the elixir, he sent a Xu Fu (徐福) off the mainland from Yantai, to sail away and find the elixir of life with hundreds of men and women.

After performing a ceremony in the Yangzhu Temple, Emperor Wudi of Han Dynasty also left an inscription in 94 BC: "Arrived at Zhifu, which floats on Great Ocean. Mountains call out 'Ten thousand years!" (登芝罘，浮大海，山稱萬歲).

Now, the island is mainly a tourist attraction. In addition, clams and abalones can be fished here in abundance.