[1][2] In 1101 BCE, Yu the Great, the leader of China under the Xia dynasty allocated a piece of land on the riverbanks of the Huai River to Genchu (Chinese: 玄仲) under the Fengjian system.

The capital of Jiang at the time was a rectangular plot of land measuring 175,000 m2 in size and existed until the Han dynasty.

[5] The State of Jiang became more wary of Chu territorial expansion, and they allied with the hegemon of China, Duke Huan of Qi, in 658 BC.

The invasion was unsuccessful as the State of Jin intervened and drove Chu forces back to their homeland temporarily.

The city was called the 'Phoenix's Watchtower (Chinese: 鳳凰台)' in ancient times, and locals nicknamed the ruins 'watchtower' nowadays.