Zhoushan Archipelago has a long history. According to archaeological discoveries, earlier to the more than 5000 years in the New Stone Ago, human has inhabited on this island. Ancient village site of Maao Township in the northwest of Zhoushan Archipelago exhibits that the villagers created the mysterious and splendid Island Hemudu Culture on the 99 mounds along the seaside, Known as the First Village in the East China Sea.
Date back to Qin Dynasty, Xufu came to Penglai, Fangzhang, Yingzhou three islands along the southeast coast for the immoral drugs, and the Penglai Fairy Island exactly is the Daishan Island in Zhoushan. According to hsitorians¡¯ analysis, Xufu took the sea-voyage eastward via many islands in Zhoushan towards Japan. Zhoushan has become outlet for Mingzhou Harbors which was one of the foreign trade harbors in China, and once the only port of the imperial embassies to China from Japan and Korea in Tang and Song dyansties.Ceng Gang once was known as the Six States Harbor, where carried on large trade exchanges with many countries. In the Ming Dynasty, Shuangyu Harbor, coupled with Cotchin of India, Nagasaki of Japan, established the three busiest harbor in eastern international trades, known as Shanghai of sixteen century and free trade zone on the sea.Meanwhile, Zheng He¡¯s voyages passed Zhoushan. With Zhoushan as the main battlefield of the Opium wars, British invaders had to take over Zhoushan in order to enter Yangtze river basin and control the coast defence of China. In the Opium war ¢ñ, British invaders pursued the occupation of Zhoushan perpetually, but refused by the Qing Government and Hong Kong become the substitute afterwards.
