In the long historical process of Chongming Island for more than 1,300 years, under the long-term infiltration of the island’s unique history, location, culture and customs, the working people have created many stories, which spread widely and accumulated over time, forming a unique treasure house of folk stories. Among the stories, those about Yang Seyan, a witty figure, stand out for the vivid plot, being good at ingenuity, winning by ingenuity, interesting and fascinating. Yang Seyan turned out to be a household name to Chongming islanders in the 1960s.

According to the folklore, Yang was born in the Guanjian Village of Jianshe County in Chongming during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. He lived through the ruling years of Emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing, but the then so-called peace and prosperity did not hide the sufferings of the poor people. The miserable and oppressed poor hoped that someone could do justice for them. Born from a humble background, Yang failed in the imperial examination before working as a lawsuit monger. A brilliant mind with a good command of law helped him do whatever he could to fight against the corrupt officials and the evil. He came up with many plans for evil sweeps and help the poor people. As a result, Yang Seyan became the focus of many stories. People portrayed and idolized him as the incarnation of justice over evils. These stories, oral creations of working people in Chongming, were widely spread first on the island, and later on to Pudong, Baoshan in Shanghai as well as the south region of the Yangtze River and Qidong, Haimen and Tongzhou in Jiangsu Province.