Zhanjiang City was once called Guangzhou Bay. Why was it called White Water City when it was occupied by France?
1. Zhanjiang
The old name of Zhanjiang is Guangzhou Bay. The name "Guangzhou Bay" comes from the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. According to research, it is because Guangzhou Village was named Guangzhou Bay. In Mr. Wen Yiduo's famous "Song of Seven Sons", there are four places in Guangdong: Hong Kong (Island), Macau, Kowloon and Guangzhou Bay. It’s easy for everyone to know where the first three are, but many people think the last one is the city center of Guangzhou. In fact, it is not. It refers to Zhanjiang.
2. Guangzhou Bay
When Zhanjiang locals mention the word Guangzhou Bay, they generally have two explanations. One is that "Guangzhou Bay" is "Guangzhou", but the second is the name left by the French when they leased Zhanjiang. So in other words, most people think that Guangzhou Bay is a name created by the French, that is, Guangzhou Bay represents Zhanjiang when it was leased. But as early as 478 years ago, "Guangzhou Bay" appeared as a place name on ancient maps of my country, so Guangzhou Bay truly exists and belongs to China.
3. White Water City
When France invaded China, China was tortured by war and the Qing government was extremely corrupt. At that time, there was a French warship called the White Water. In order to temporarily avoid the war in France, this warship came to the waters of Wuchuan County, Gaozhou Prefecture at that time. According to French measurements, it was found that the waters here were particularly suitable for large ships to stay. Warships, so France came up with the idea. At that time, France's national strength was not as good as Britain's, but the cowardice and corruption of the Qing government at that time allowed France, which was not very powerful, to take advantage of it. Zhanjiang was also leased by France and was called the White Water, which was a shame.