The reason for the name Wanggu, according to literature and legend, is that during the Xianfeng period (1831-1861) Hu Jie from Quanzhou started an open coal mine. After the pit had been exhausted it filled with water, and the Chinese name “Wangkuangkeng” (old mine pit) changed into “Wanggukeng” (ancient pit).
In the early days, few people settled in this barren land, which later became cultivated as Pingxi District. Both Wanggu Station and Dahua Station, formerly known as Qinghe Station, were set up in 1972 to serve the coal miners, but they were train-hailing stations before that.
