Nestled comfortably between Jiujiang and Nanchang, on the western shore of Poyang Lake, in northern Jiangxi province, is Gongqing City. Gongqing City is a small planned city of around 120,000, but it has a significant history.  Perhaps the most impressive site in the city recalls that history, Hu Yaobang’s Tomb. Hu Yaobang was the General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1982 to 1987, and he founded and named Gongqing City. When he founded it, Gongqing City was a small commune. It has matured into a small but growing city. There is a saying that China’s national bird is the crane, because of all the mechanical cranes being used in China’s construction boom. The saying could have two meanings when applied to Gongqing City because its sky includes both the mechanical kind of crane. and the feathered kind, because of the proximity to Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake.Gongqing City’s lakeside location has also made it a good place to raise ducks and grow oranges. The Yaya company, maker of duck down coats, is probably the city’s most famous manufacturer. The city is also near Mount Lu, one of China’s most famous mountains, rich in history and beauty. Although Gongqing City is small, it is situated about midway between Jiujiang to the north and Nanchang, the provincial capital, to the south. Situated as it is, its size is part of its charm.

It is small enough to avoid many of the disadvantages of a larger, more congested, city while being close enough to major cities to partake of their advantages. It’s small, but relatively clean. It’s small, but relatively quiet. It’s small, but it’s the home of Gongqing College of Nanchang University, with another college under construction. It’s small, but it’s been my home for the last 6 ½ years. It’s small, but it’s where I proposed to the beautiful girl who is now my wife. It’s small, but my 2-year-old son was born in one of its two hospitals.It’s small, but it has a significant history, a sprouting present and stirring future. It’s small, but my family is very happy here. It’s small, but it’s a good place to call “home”. It’s small, but it’s an excellent place to raise ducks and sons.