Dongjiang River originates from Jiangxi Province, runs through 7 counties and cities in Guangdong Province, then reaches the east part of Shilong Town. In this place, the river is divided into two streams: one runs north as the trunk, the other goes south as the branch. They envelop the center of the town. Dongjiang has many bays, but is shallow; while Zhujiang River, dozens of kilometers away from the north stream of Dongjiang, is rather deep with big waves. In compliance with the features of the two rivers, sailing boats are usually designed in different forms, and not easy to sail in both directions. Therefore, from ancient time till now, Shilong has always acted as a key junction. During the long period when sailing boats served as main means of transport, Shilong had been the main distributing center of material along Dongjiang.

    After Jin Dynasty (265-420), Shilong first appeared as the alluvium of Dongjiang River. In Song Dynasty (960-1279), there was population inhabiting on the alluvium, today’s town center. At the end of Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the population increased to 10,000, 20,000 in 1930s, 25,551 in 1950s, 49,297 in 1987, and 70,283 in 1990.

    If Inferring from Beiqiu Relics in Fanwu Village, which had been incorporated into the West Lake Rural Administrative Region after the establishment of PRC, we are able to know that there had been human beings inhabiting here 3500 years before.

    In Ming and Qing Dynasties, Shilong was under the jurisdiction of the third Du (administrative unit in Ming and Qing Dynasties, similar to today’s village) of Wenshun Town in Dongguan County, Guangzhou Prefecture. However, it was directly controlled by the county’s military office. In the 19th year of Qianlong’s reign, the county government moved from Dongguan to Shilong, having jurisdiction over villages of scores of miles around, except for Shilong. It was said that Shilong was set as a Xu (market town) during Jiajing’s reign in Ming Dynasty (1532-1566). Shilong Xu’s economy developed rapidly. County Annals of Dongguan, published in the second year of Jiajing reign, had changed the name of Shilong Xu to Shilong Town. After Republic of China, Shilong was first named Military Third Area, restored the name of “town” in 1920s, later renamed as “Shi” for three times. At the beginning of Japanese invasion and liberation of the country, it was called “Shi”, but still under control of Dongguan County.

    For hundreds of years, there have been three rises and two falls in Shilong’s history of economic development.

    From Jiajing reign in Ming Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty, Shilong’s economy went up steadily. Especially in Qianlong and Jiajing reigns, Shilong was rather thriving and prosperous. Cai Yinbao, a 17-year-old youth, came to Shilong in 1750 from Guancang (about 100 miles away from Shilong), and started his business with a small capital. In less than 30 years, he managed to become the richest man in Dongguan and left a big legacy. Up to 1949, his heritage still amounted to 10,000 Mu (about 1666 acres) of farmlands and nearly 100 houses. In late Qing Dynasty, despite the negative impact of Opium War, He Liu’s revolt against Qing Government, and Purging Movements against secret sects, Shilong people adapted themselves to different circumstances and continued to develop the economy.

    In 1912, Guangzhou-Jiulong Railway was open to traffic. Later on, foot-operated boats replaced rowing boats. The improvements of transport means seriously stroke the economy of Shilong. The advantage brought by the rowing sailing boats began to play down. Within several years, 30% of the stores in Shilong went bankrupt.

    Shilong once served as a main military base along Dongjiang River. In 1916, when Guangdong people decided to drive out their provincial governor Chen Jiguang, they started the battle in Shilong, and went on fighting with this place as the main war field. After the battle, Shilong people began the work of renovation, trying to make up for the loss caused by the changes of transport means. When economy shows some signs of improvement, they organized “Merchants’ Army” in order to maintain law and order.

    In 1922, the governor and commander-in-chief of Guangdong Province Chen Jiongming betrayed President of Emergency Sun Yat-sen. During the fight against Chen organized by Sun and two “Eastward Crusades” led by Chiang Kai-shek, Sun’s presidential field headquarters and Chiang’s headquarter were both set in Shilong. It became the center of seesaw battles. When the armies of nine provinces fought with the rebel army, Shilong people were forced to evacuate to other places from time to time, in order to avoid the disaster of wars. At that time, many shops were destroyed, many people died, and the economy was seriously depressed. Shilong people would not forget their fellow villager Li Wenfu, one of the famous 72 Huanghuagang Martyrs, who died as a vanguard leader at the age of 22. Inspired by his revolutionary spirit, Shilong people actively supported the crusade against Chen Jiongming’s rebel army. Zhou Enlai also came to Shilong many times, delivered speeches to people, and called them out to fight. In the battle of besieging Huizhou, Shilong workers made 300 bamboo ladders in a short time, helping to annihilate all rebel forces.

    Shilong people supported Kuomintang when it still implemented the policies of “alliance with Russia, cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party, and assistance to the peasants and workers”. They helped the party to establish Communist Youth League branch in 1926, and set up village Party branch in 1926, which was upgraded to the town Party branch in 1927. From 1925, workers responded to the calls of Communist Party, establishing 40 labor unions in succession. Businessmen also set up consortia of the same trade.

    After “April Twelfth Event” in 1927, the Shilong Communist Party was forced to go underground. In April 1928, the town’s Party committee was reshuffled, and began to fight against Kuomintang’s repression. In May, Chen Zhiren, one of the three members of the standing committee, was ensnared by Kuomintang’s army and slew secretly. In the meanwhile, the framework of the Party committee was seriously impaired. All communists, their sympathizers, along with dozens of activists of labor unions, became the object of arrest. The whole town was on tenterhooks.

    In the summer of 1926, when Shilong was relatively quiet, people started another tide of economic development. The business of trunk call from Guangzhou to Shilong was opened. At the same time, Shilong Office of Guangdong Bank was set up to manage the financial business in Dongguan County. Min Yi Fabric Factory was founded, which bought nearly 100 modern looms from abroad. In the same year, Zhongshan Road, 16-meter-wide and 1435-meter-long, imitating Guangzhou’s most booming street Shangxiajiu Road, was paved. The second and third stages of road-paving projects were continued immediately, helping to build the framework of a modern town. Changxing Ship Company was established. A group of notorious brigands were exterminated. A middle school was smoothly prepared and constructed.

    In the 1930s, Shilong restored its position as the main distributing center of material among the area of 27,040 square kilometers along Dongjiang River. On the south bank of the north trunk, there were a great number of two-floored stores and shops, extending to 2000 meters long, and 40 meters wide. A large-scale wholesale market came into being, selling oil, sugar, paddy, rice, tea, paper, silkworm seeds, and iron pans. The market was so flourishing, and there were so many ships and goods for Shilong that the cargo boats extended to Libo Water Village, which was two miles away from Shahe. Rafts crowded on the two-kilometer-long river in Wangwuzhou. The wholesale dealing was made on rafts or cargo boats. After the dealing, the goods were transported to its destination by water. Seven paddy and rice processing factories were set up. The number of chemical fertilizer and petroleum agents of Hong Kong foreign companies increased rapidly in Shilong. At that time, Shilong was a place often mentioned by people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

    In September 1938, Japanese army invaded Shilong. In order to strangling Dongjiang’s shipping, Japanese blanked off Shilong reach for 2 years. In 1939 and 1944, the aggressors moved by violence all big ships out of the town, for the purpose of expanding invading areas. At the first time, the ships moved towards Xijiang, with both people and ships vaporizing into air. At the second, the ships moved towards Beijiang, which were all burnt into ashes. In the center of the town, there was nothing but broken walls. Nearly 1000 people died; a lot of survivors fled to other places; the population reduced to 7,000 from original 20,000. In September 1945, Japanese surrendered. Although there were no more battles in Shilong, yet outside of the town, battles frequently took place, and the currency devaluated to a surprising point. Before October 1949, when Shilong was liberated, the town’s economy stagnated all the time, unable to recover the booming scenery before the War of Resistance against Japan.

    In October 1949, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army emancipated Shilong. During the construction of socialism, the town’s Party committee and government have paid attention to carry on the fine traditions of Shilong people. People in this place grow up with the town’s rising and falling. They love both country and hometown. Most of them attach great importance to economic and cultural development. They have modern consciousness of developing transportation and information system. They are diligent, pragmatic, dare to undertake risks, and prepared to go all out to win success. Most of them do business in a civilized way, and know how to cherish their reputation. Generally speaking, they are tolerant, cordial, adaptable and flexible.

    In recent dozens of years, the town’s economy has developed in a stable way. Even in especially difficult time, it could manage to make progress. During the period when the whole country implemented the strategy of “the General Line, the General Leap Forward, and People’s Commune”, and when the country was faced with three years of despairing economic depression, Shilong people gave full play of their down-to-earth spirit and adaptive ability, overcame various difficulties to establish township enterprises, and developed the original business town into an industrial town. During the ten years of “the Great Cultural Revolution”, people tried their best to get rid of interferences. They built vehicular ferries, set up load & unload port of combined transport by rail and sea (open for 24 hours), established and expanded a number of township enterprises.

    Since 1978, when the policy of reform and opening-up was implemented, Shilong has brought along state-run, collective-operated and individual-owned enterprises, with township enterprises playing the leading role. With rapid development of industry and trade, Shilong people are able to lead a comparatively well-off life.