Kuchong Village in East District on October 14 organized activities to celebrate the 867th anniversary of the establishment of Xiangshan County at the Chen Tianjue Ancestral Hall. [Photo by Xia Shengquan]

Lion dance was performed during the simple but spectacular village banquet. Everyone gathered to eat fruit, drink tea, and talk about their attachment to hometown.

It is the third consecutive year that Kuchong Village organizes activities to commemorate the establishment of Xiangshan County on October 14. During the past events, there were also some overseas villagers who returned from the United States, Canada and other countries.

Chen Tianjue was the founder of Xiangshan County. In 1152, he proposed to change Xiangshan into a county. His proposal was approved by the Southern Song Dynasty government. Today's Renshan area in Shiqi District was chosen to be the county urban area.

In 1156, Chen Tianjue further proposed to run a school and donated a large sum of money to build an academy at the foot of Lianfeng Mountain, thereby contributing to the cause of culture and education in Xiangshan County.