In the twentieth year of Yong Tai, May, Shanghai County.
At that time, Shanghai belonged to Songjiang Prefecture. Since separating from Huating County at the end of the thirteenth century, this place had always been known as "Shanghai County."
It's unclear when it started, but it seems that there was a notion spread all over the country—before the mid-nineteenth century, when it was occupied by the great powers, Shanghai was just a small fishing village. But in reality, when you think about it, that's quite unlikely...
According to the "Shanghai Chronicles" compiled by Tang Jin during the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty—it says in the chronicle: "The district of Songjiang annually pays eight hundred thousand to the capital, of which Shanghai contributes a remarkable one hundred and sixty thousand. With the lavishness of local produce, the uniqueness of the sea, and the cotton fabric clothing people all over the world, it can indeed be considered wealthy."
