YEN-CH'ENG

Pinyin Yancheng, city in the eastern coastal district of northern Kiangsu sheng (province), China. Yen-ch'eng is now some 25 miles (40 km) from the coast; but in ancient times it was close to the sea and, from the 8th century onward, had to be constantly protected by dikes. The most famous of these was the Dike of Lord Fan, constructed early in the 11th century by a famous statesman, Fan Chung-yen. The inhabitants of the surrounding area did not cultivate the land but lived from the profits of salt production, salt dealing, and fisheries. From the 8th century onward, Yen-ch'eng was the centre of a network of canals connecting the salt pans of the coastal region with the canal between Huai-an and Yang-chou. In the vicinity were innumerable saltworks, as well as the government depots that administered the salt monopoly. Even today, after the construction of extensive irrigation works in northern Kiangsu province, the coastal zone remains largely uncultivated. West of the Eastern Trunk Canal, which passes north and south through Yen-ch'eng, however, irrigation has made cultivation possible, so that Yen-ch'eng has become the market for agricultural produce. To the seaward side of the old dikes, much land has been reclaimed; this area is largely devoted to cotton growing, since cotton can be grown in soils with relatively high saline content. Pop. (1990) 296,831.