Nanping City, once part of the Baiyue people in the pre-Qin period, was established as a prefecture-level city in September 1994, with the Nanping District abolished. One of the earliest developed regions in southern China, the area boasts a history spanning over 4,000 years and is considered one of the birthplaces of Fujian culture. The name "Fujian" is derived from the first character of the ancient Jianzhou (present-day Jian'ou). It is the birthplace of Minyue culture, Zhu Xi culture, the Wuyi Tea Ceremony, the Monkey King culture, and Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi. The renowned Neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi spent "fifty years studying zither and calligraphy" in Nanping, calling it the "Zou and Lu of Fujian" and the "Grave of Southern Daoist Logic."
Confucian Culture
Beginning in the mid-Ming Dynasty, rebellions broke out among mountainous people in the mountainous areas bordering Fujian and Guangdong. These people rebelled against the government, burning, killing, and looting, causing widespread trouble. In 1512, Zhong Cong, Zhang Fanzhen, Li Sizai, and others led an uprising among the She and Han people in Shanghang and Xunwu, at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces. Zhan Shifu, entrenched in Luxi and Xianghu Mountain in Yongding (present-day Hushan Township, Yongding District), gained numerous allies and gained considerable influence.
After Wang Yangming quelled the local rebellion, he promulgated the "Village Covenant Instructions" in Longyan, known in history as "Wang Wenchenggong's Teachings." Based on Confucian ideals of benevolence, the "Village Covenant Instructions" promoted rural governance, promoted civilized education, established grassroots social order, and established norms and agreements for villagers to abide by in their daily lives. In the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Longyan County Magistrate, Deng Fanxi, built the "Three Sages Temple" near Longyan Cave at the foot of Cuiping Mountain southeast of the city. This temple commemorates Zhu Xi, Wen Tianxiang, and Wang Yangming, allowing the public to pay homage and demonstrating the reverence of the Longyan people for these three figures. The "Longyan Prefecture Chronicle," engraved during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, once again published the "Xiangyue Jiaoyu," which served as a guide for governance and education.
Hakka Culture
The Hakka and She ethnic groups have a close relationship. The formation of the Hakka and its culture is the result of long-term interaction between the Han and She ethnic groups. The Hakka people continuously infiltrated, absorbed, and assimilated the customs of the Minyue and She ethnic groups. In particular, the She people originally inhabited a significant number of places in Changting, with over 20 to 30 places bearing the character "She" in their names. Their long-term interactions with the Hakka people led to intermarriage, and their customs influenced each other.
Wuping County is one of the major Hakka settlements in western Fujian and, historically, a significant She settlement. However, during the Qing Dynasty, many She people had been assimilated into the Han culture and became one of the main components of the Hakka people. After the She people assimilated into the Han culture, they took Chinese surnames. Many of them used the four major surnames, Zhong, Lan, Pan and Lei, as their Chinese surnames. Some changed Pan to Pan, Lei to Lu or Lou, and Lan to Lan.