s ▁northern ▁channel ▁towards ▁Ch ong ming . ▁Its ▁sh ores ▁were ▁stabil ized ▁and ▁expanded ▁by ▁workers ▁from ▁Ha imen ▁and ▁Q id ong , ▁two ▁county - level ▁cities ▁of ▁N ant ong ▁in ▁Ji ang su , ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁The ▁rec laimed ▁areas ▁were ▁admin ister ed ▁at ▁first ▁as ▁farm st ead s . ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 , 8 0 0 ▁hect ares ▁() ▁under ▁cultiv ation , ▁growing ▁corn ▁and ▁f ava ▁be ans . ▁Another ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁sent ▁by ▁Ha imen ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁rec laimed ▁another ▁ ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁The ▁same ▁year , ▁ 2 0 0 ▁households ▁became ▁the ▁island ' s ▁first ▁permanent ▁inhabitants . ▁Q id ong ' s ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁began ▁to ▁merge ▁with ▁Ch ong ming ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁followed ▁by ▁Ha imen ' s ▁three ▁years ▁later . ▁Now ▁its ▁former ▁area ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁admin ister ed ▁as ▁Ji ang su ' s ▁p ene - enc lave ▁town ships ▁of ▁H ai y ong ▁and ▁Q il ong ▁rather ▁than ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁Shang hai ' s ▁Ch ong ming ▁County . ▁Are as ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁channel ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁islands ▁form ▁the ▁North ▁H eng ▁Ir rig ation ▁Canal ▁▁ ▁p   B ě i ▁H é ng ▁Y ǐ n hé ), ▁a