Qianshan Subdistrict
Qianshan is a subdistrict of Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, in Guangdong Province in the People's Republic of China. Formerly an important military base overseeing the Portuguese-administered enclave of Macao, it is now a Chinese manufacturing center, with particular emphasis on household appliances, airconditioners, and printing supplies. Name Qiánshān is the pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of the subdistrict's Chinese name , meaning "Front Hill". This was formerly also written as "Tsëen-shan" using Robert Morrison's system, "Ch‘ien-shan" using the Wade-Giles system, and as "Sinshan" for the Chinese Postal Map. The same characters are pronounced Cin-saan or Tchin-Sán in Cantonese; this was also formerly written "Tchin-shang" or "" by Portuguese authorities on Macao. In historical records, the name also sometimes appears as Tsëen-shan-chae, from the addition of zhài (, jzaai⁶, "fort" or "stockade"). Qianshan was also formerly known as Casa Blanca, Casa-blanca, Casa Branca, Casa-branca, or Casa Braca from the white residence of the Macanese subprefect. History Qianshan was formerly a separate village, first settled under the Southern Song in AD1152 (Shaoxing22) to produce salt from the Qianshan River. The location once overlooked the inner harbor of Macao, whose border wall lay to its southwest and main settlement about 3 km farther.