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Jinhua in Yuanhe junxian zhi

Description of Wu Prefecture from The Treatise (with maps) on Commanderies and Counties of the Primal Harmony ( Yuanhe ) Reign Period (806-814) by Li Jifu

(Wuying dian ju zhen ban ed. 27.4a-7a)

Wu Prefecture Dongyang ,   higher class #1.

Kaiyuan reign period (713-41): households 99,409             xiang registration units #2 198
Yuanhe reign period (806-814): households 48,036 #3      xiang registration units 200

In the Tribute of Yu it is located in the Yang Region. In Spring and Autumn period it was the western border of the state of Yue . In Qin it belonged to Guiji Commandery. Today's prefectural boundaries include the territory of Wushang and Taimo from Guiji Commandery. Originally the western part of Guiji . The Defender (in charge of the commandery's military) was once located here. When Sun Hao first divided Guiji he established Dongyang Commandery. Emperor Wu of Chen established Jin Prefecture [in its stead]. In the 9 th year of The Beginning of Augustness period ( Kaihuang ; 589) Sui subdued Chen and established Wu Prefecture. It must have taken the name from the fact that this area corresponded to the Weaving Maiden constellation's portion of the heavens. When the Sui house lost control it fell into rebel territory. In the 4 th year of “Martial Virtue” reign period (Wude; 621) Tang subdued Li Zitong and established Wu Prefecture here. In the 6 th year (623) Fu Gongyou rebelled and it was lost again. In the 7 th year Tang subdued Fu Gongyou and once again established Wu Prefecture.

Extent of the prefecture

east to west:   303 li #4
south to north 456 li

Eight Reaches

NW to the superior capital 3995 li
NW to the eastern capital 3035 li
SE to Chuzhou 260 li
W 190 li to Quzhou
NNE to Yuezhou 390 li
NNW to Muzhou 160 li, by water 180 li

Tribute

Beginning of the Prime ( Kaiyuan ) period:   the tribute was rattan paper and the requisition was hemp cloth
Primal Harmony ( Yuanhe ) period: the tribute was floss silk, fine white rattan paper

Overseeing 7 Counties

Jinhua (“Golden Floresence ”) County honored class, urban districts

Originally the area was in the Han dynasty's Wushang County. In the 2 nd year of the “Beginning Peace” period (191) of Emperor Xian, Wushang was divided and Changshan ( Long Mountain ) was established under Guiji Commandery. When Sui subdued Chen and changed it to Wuning County. In the 12 th year it changed it again to Dongyang County . In the 18 th year it changed it again to Jinhua County. One name for the Changshan was Jinhua Mountain, thus it took its name from that.

The Dongyang River has two sources. The one from the south flows in from Yongkang county border, The one from the east flows in from the Yiwu county border. When they reach the south of the county seat border they become one and are called the Dongyang River .

The Jinhua Mountain is north of the county 20 li . It is the place Master Red Pine apprehended the Dao. It produces Dragon Whisker Grass

Yiwu (“Righteous Crows”) County Important class. South to the prefecture is 151 li .

Originally “Crows Injured” (Wushang) County of the Qin period. The filial son Yan Wu was burying his parents. A flock of crows helped him by pecking out the earth, and the crows beaks were all inured. People of the time took it to be that they were moved to act by his pure filial piety, so they set up the county at this place and called it “Crows Injured”. In the 4 th year of the Martial Virtue period Chou prefecture was established at the county and the county made part of it; they also changed the name to Yiwu (“Righteous Crows”).

Yongkang (“Ever Hale”) County Honored class. Northwest to the prefecture is 109 li

Originally the area was in the Han dynasty's Wushang County .   Established under Emperor Da of the Wu by dividing off the southern frontier of Wushang. Sui abolished it. In the 4 th year of the “Martial Virtue” (Wude) reign period (621) Li Prefecture was established at the county. In the 8 th year it was abolished and the county was placed under Wu Prefecture.

Dongyang (“Eastern Light”) County Honored class. West to the prefecture is 150 li .

Originally the area was in the Han dynasty's Wushang County . In the 2 nd year of the “He Governs with Ease” (Zhuigong) reign period (685) established by division from Yiwu County ; it took its name from the former Dongyang County .

Lanxi (“Orchid Stream”) County Important class. Southeast to the prefecture is 50 li .

Established in the 5 th year of the “Everything Prospers” reign period (674) by detaching the western frontier of Jinhua County .

Orchid Stream is seven li south of the county seat, in the northeast it floes into the Dongyang River .

Wuyi (“Martial Righteousness”) County Upper class . North to the prefecture is 90 li .

In the 2 nd year of the “Heaven Bestows” (Tianshou) reign period (691) Yongkang's western frontier was partitioned to make Wuyi County .

Puyang (“Southern Bank”) County Upper class . Southwest to the prefecture is 102 li .

It was established in the 13th year of the “Heaven's Treasure” (Tianbao) reign period (754) by partitioning the western frontier of Yiwu County .

The Puyang Rivers is 40 li to the Northwest of the county; it comes out of the Shuangxi Mountains and flows east into Zhuji County in Yue Prefecture .

NOTES

1. In Tang and Song there were five classes, based on population, for counties outside the national capital Honored (with at least 4000 households), Important, Higher, Medium, and Lower

2. In Tang times the xiang was supposed to be a unit of 500 registered households. By the eleventh century it had become a territorial unit.

3. These population figures are thought to reflect a breakdown in the registration of taxpaying households rather than a loss in population

4. The li is 150 lengths of ten feet. During the last 1000 years the length of the foot has varied and the length of the li has varied between 460 and 500 meters. We shall assume the li to have been constantly at 500 meters.