The first large-scale immigration took place in the early years of the Republic of China. The Chronicle of Tongcheng County (1995 edition) records in the column of memorabilia: "In the second year of the Republic of China (19 13), merchants bought wasteland and reed fields in Liu Dong and Pengze, recruited 100,000 mu of farmers in their hometown and immigrated tens of thousands of people." (See Tongcheng County Records, page 18). Fang (1864—— 1939), named Yushan, was hired as a businessman. Nanxiang (now Zongyang County) was a famous industrialist in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, an unknown figure in Tongcheng School, and the main leader in the struggle against British and Japanese businessmen occupying copper mines in Anhui Province. His works include "The Town People Are Not Rich" and "Poems of Tongcheng Celebrities".
In pengze county, there are mainly Taibo Lake Basin and Fanghu Lake Basin and along the Yangtze River, such as Mianchuan, Madang Willow, Yuejin, Chuanxing, langxi Budweiser, Taiping Yongle, Prince Furong, Hongguang and so on. Among the immigrants, Zongyang County is the majority. Zongyang County has always been divided into Nanxiang and Dongxiang. Because Fang is from Yijin, Zongyang County, and belongs to Nanxiang, among them, Nanxiang people (Zongyang accent is the most heard in Pengze) are the most, Dongxiang people (cotton boat Chaoyang accent) are the second, and Tongcheng immigrants are mainly near Zongyang County, such as Kongcheng.
The second large-scale migration was after the flood in 1954, and during the Great Leap Forward, tens of thousands more people were added. This time it was caused by natural and man-made disasters. The second large-scale migration was carried out on the basis of the first one, and it was to leave home to find a livelihood. According to the records of Zongyang County, "1959, the population density of the county was 297 people per square kilometer, and it dropped to 270 people in 1960." Concealed the tragic experience of the broad masses of people in our county during the Great Leap Forward. In just one year or so, the population per square kilometer has decreased by 27 people. Total area 1808. 1 km2 Zongyang, the total population has decreased by more than 48,800 people (even if the natural birth rate and ordinary death rate can be offset). Of course, most of these reduced populations died of hunger, but a few people left their homes, and the place with the most immigrants was probably Pengze.
The first group of immigrants probably went through five generations, and the second group of immigrants exceeded three generations. Only the second batch is still alive, but it is also dying. Their sweat and tears watered the fertile soil of harvest and opened up a new world for future generations. Now their descendants are living happily in this land of Pengze, but we should remember the courage and efforts of our ancestors, not to mention their hardships and bitterness! Up to now, almost all Furong Dun Town, Mianchuan Town and Furong Farm in Pengze speak Zongyang dialect. Most of Langxi Town, Taibo Lake Development Zone and Hong Guang Factory speak Zongyang dialect, while half of Madang Town speaks Zongyang dialect. A few people in Longcheng Town, Huangling Town and Dingshan Town speak Zongyang dialect, and most of them are concentrated in the relatively developed areas along the Yangtze River. But to tell the truth, the overall living standard of Pengze Zongyang people is not as good as ours. There are many "Tongcheng guys" in pengze county, but in fact most of them are Zongyang people (Zongyang was Dongxiang and Nanxiang in Tongcheng at that time), which is of course related to the fact that Fang is a Nanxiang in Tongcheng. Not many people pay attention to the history of Zongyang people's migration to Pengze, and there are only a few figures in Zongyang County Records.
History, what is history? I said, the history buried in darkness and cold land is the real history, and the history of flesh and blood that can cry and laugh.
At present, the population of pengze county is only 340,000, but the ancestral home of Tongcheng (mainly in Zongyang) has nearly100,000 people. If you add Tongcheng people who are now in Wangjiang County and susong county (formerly the administrative division of pengze county) (Tongcheng guys in these places are not less than Peng Ze, if this is counted), there are at least 300,000 Tongcheng guys, of which at least 200,000 are "Zongyang guys", which is several hundred miles away from Zongyang.
For nearly a hundred years, these Zongyang people still retain Zongyang dialect and customs, and Zongyang dialect is unimpeded here. Hehe, their ancestors left their homes and transformed those barren land into ten thousand mu of fertile land. How many people want to transport that bone back to their hometown before they die? Pengze, which Zongyang people have no bitter past? Which family has no stories of joys and sorrows?
In the history of China, many people emigrated due to war, famine, economy and other reasons, but there are few official records in China, a country rich in historical works.
Zongyang dialect is one of the four major dialects in Pengze, second only to the local dialect. Mianchuan, where Zongyang people are concentrated, is the richest place for Pengze's contemporary celebrities.