Theng Hai (variant: Tenghai) (澄海, in Mandarin: Chenghai), was one of historical Teochew prefecture's eight counties. Occupying the Hang-kang (韓江) river delta, it was formed from areas carved out of Hai Yor (now Teo Ann) and Gek Yor in 1563. Theng Hai is today administered as a district of the Swatow (汕頭, Shantou) prefectural-level city. Swatow was part of Theng Hai before it attained the status of a city in 1921.
Map from Qianlong Teochew prefectural gazette (乾隆潮州府志) circa 1762.
Unlike Teo Yor and Gek Yor that were prosperous because of their rice economies, Theng Hai was a poor area inhabited mainly by fishermen. Poverty and oppression drove them to engage in smuggling and piracy during the Ming dynasty, but also to spearhead the development of powerful trading and migratory networks in Siam (Thailand), Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia after the mid-18th century.
Theng Hai is commonly denoted as "澄邑" on the gravestones of the overseas Teochews with ancestry from here.
Below is a full list of towns & villages in Theng Hai county
Villages, according to township
- 下外莆都（十八村）：闢望、南嶺、嶺亭、詹來、港口、埭頭尾、定安、信寧、秀水、外埔、東胡、埔尾、尾埭、上埭、下窖、田寮、冠隴、上窖
- 中外莆都（十三村）：華富、官湖、下坑、上坑、石牌、斗門、東頭、後溪、馬頭隄港、新溪、石斗坑、仙人橋、渡頭
- 上外莆都（十村）：東村、洪橋、橫隴、荘湖心、林湖心、許湖山、溝頭、南界、莿林、曲池
- 蘇灣都（三十村）：南洋、州子寨、程洋岡、前溪、管隴、里美、梅州、董坑、仙門、唐隴、梅圃、埭頭尾、仙市、大沙頭、南砂寨、新市、北汕頭、西隴、水寨、月窟、樟林、塘西、鴻溝、鹽灶埔、曹坑、杜王洲、潮巷、溝內、港口、灣興村
- 蓬州都（二十七村）：大牙、富砂、沈洲、東隴、西隴、內隴、外沙下尾沙尾、下埔、橫窖、漁洲、蛋家園、石厝隴、吉貝隴、黌塢、鷗汀背、浮隴、林鐵隴、東墩、沙尾、西𥨫、官埭大路、打鐵洲、流尾溪東西、赤窖、岐山、洋邊、金砂
- 鮀江都（十九村）：西隴、溪東、流合嶺港尾、鮀浦市、下底、大井、天港箔子、大塲、蓮塘、沙浦、西程、埭頭舉橙坑、所內、北門外、港尾、西園隴、石嶺頭、新寮、北山寮
- 鱷浦都（十三村）： 園前、長橋、月浦長隴、溝頭、前洋新渡、小山兜、西隴紫服菜園、湖頭市、水吼橋、瓦尾、沙溝、山兜、原隴
Cities & market towns （墟市）
- 縣前市、南關市、冠隴市、鮀浦市、湖頭市、甌汀背市、南洋市、樟林市、埭頭市、程洋岡市
Source: Biographies of Overseas-Teochew leaders with History of Teochew districts《南洋潮僑人物志與潮州各縣沿革史》，編著者周漢人，新加坡：中華出版社，1958
~o0o~
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Ng Simon says...
My father was from Thenghai city-（Big North Door门） Can I know presently where is this place located．ｔｈａｎｋ
February 07, 2017
Barth Chua says...
我的先祖是澄海.城关鎮,西门鄉,郑厝巷人..
./
January 30, 2017
Barth Chua says...
我的先祖是澄海.城关鎮,西门鄉,郑厝巷人..
./
January 30, 2017