The old town has formed a market town in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, after the invasion of Japanese pirates was suppressed at the end of Jiajing, the navigation trade with Southeast Asia was opened in the first year of Qin Long. The foreign trade ships in the old town could pay taxes in Yuegang, and the foreign products were detected from Kuiyu Island at the mouth of Jiulong River. The local products in the hinterland of Zhangpu were transported to the old town by boat for export. The war in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties once made the old town desolate. Since the unification of Taiwan Province in the 2th year of Kangxi, the merchant ships in the old town can pay taxes from Xiamen and sail to Taiwan Province and Southeast Asia, and the domestic ships can pay taxes at the customs of the old town.
Especially after the "five-port trade" in the late Qing Dynasty, the navigation trade between the old town port and Xiamen, Shantou, Wenzhou, Taiwan Province, Hongkong and other ports became more frequent, and the old town became a distribution center for native products and imported goods. From the early days of the Republic of China to the eve of the Anti-Japanese War, the economy of the old town was extremely prosperous, and there appeared five major businesses, namely Zhencheng, Jiefa, Mobil, Yihe and Baocheng, which were called "five elements".
the main enterprises are flour, shipbuilding, cement, building materials, machinery, chemicals, stone plates, automobile repair, catering services and other industries. Agriculture mainly produces rice, peanuts, wheat, sweet potatoes and sugarcane, and is rich in litchi, longan, peach, plum, banana, bayberry, loquat and black-leaf litchi, which enjoys a good reputation at home and abroad. Seafood includes perch, cockroach, prawn, yellow croaker and so on.
During the "Eight-year Anti-Japanese War", the old town was once depressed, but it resumed its prosperity after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Merchants bought steamboat Haiping, joint venture Qiaotong, Jiping from other places and Meicheng often came to the old town port. In the early days of New China, foreign trade failed to develop because the Taiwan Province Strait was still at war. After the reform and opening up, foreign trade has made new progress, and with the abundant resources and manpower and the advantages of hometown of overseas Chinese and hometown of Taiwan compatriots, foreign-funded enterprises have been established. The old town was designated by the provincial government as a small-scale trade port with Taiwan in 1984; In 1991, it was designated by the municipal government as a demonstration zone for agricultural economic and technological cooperation and exchange with Taiwan;
In p>1992, more than 3 mu of land in Lizaiyuan was requisitioned and developed into an old town industrial park to attract investment. In 1996, it was designated as a pilot town for cross-strait agricultural cooperation and exchange by the Ministry of Agriculture, and various economic cooperation and trade exchanges between the old town and Taiwan Province continued to develop. There are building materials, electrical appliances, electronics, food, agricultural products processing and other industries. By 21, more than 2 foreign-funded enterprises had been established. Mainly include: Chengmao Aquatic Products Co., Ltd., Luhe Fishery Co., Ltd., Wenhai Aquatic Products Development Co., Ltd., Sanfeng Aquatic Products Co., Ltd., Prince Flower Co., Ltd., Leipyroxene Products Co., Ltd., Minghong Decoration Products Co., Ltd., Guangmei Hardware Industry Co., Ltd., Fushan Decoration Products Co., Ltd., Shenquan Food Co., Ltd., Dingshengxin Hardware Products Co., Ltd., Rongchang Hardware Products Co., Ltd., Hansheng Industry Co. Dacheng Food Co., Ltd., Xinsheng Feed Co., Ltd., Longbao Industry Co., Ltd., Fucheng Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., Shangzhun International Seawater Hot Spring Development Co., Ltd., Tianfu Sightseeing Tea Garden, etc.
The old town is also a big agricultural town with 36,3 mu of cultivated land. More than 2, mu of grain, sugarcane and 12, mu of vegetables were planted. There are about 53, mu of fruits, including 16, mu of litchi, 12, mu of peaches and plums, and 6, mu of longan. The annual output of fruit is 11, tons, and "Wushi Litchi" is famous far and near. The total output of vegetables is 56, tons. In 21, the total output value of industry and agriculture was 1.937 billion yuan, of which the total output value of industry was 1.59 billion yuan and the total output value of agriculture was 347 million yuan, increasing by 7.1% and 56% respectively.
The coastline of Zhenhai in the old town is 885km, and the tidal flat is vast. Since ancient times, offshore fishing and tidal flat culture fishery have been developed, and "truss" nets have been set up in Caiyu Islands for fishing. At present, there are fewer fishing boats, but the beach culture has grown to 26, mu, with an annual output of 19, tons, mainly oysters, fish, shrimps, shellfish, etc., and the oyster in the old town port is famous far and wide.