A small city's big history

Visitors from around the world come to Linfen, Shanxi province, to see the magnificent view of the Yellow River's Hukou Waterfalls. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chong'er is one of the Jin state's bestknown marquises.

His father's concubine, Liji, conspired to help her son ascend to the throne and framed the crown prince, Shensheng, leading to his death. She also exiled Chong'er and his younger brother, Yiwu.

Chong'er lived in his mother's native land, the Di state, for 12 years, during which he started to rejuvenate Jin with his followers. They visited many states to seek help.

Some treated them as distinguished guests. Others were cold and even insulted them. But they endured all of the hardships.

After 19 years of exile, Chong'er returned and seized the throne from his nephew, ushering in the most-glorious age of Jin. He was later regarded as one of the Spring and Autumn Period's (770-476 BC) five hegemonies.

Another important chapter of Linfen's history is memorialized in the Hongtong Dahuaishu Ancestor Memorial Garden-a legacy of deception and forced migration, according to historical records.

In the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), emperor Zhu Yuanzhang decided to relocate people from populous Shanxi to the central plains, where massive wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) had impaired productivity.