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| Yanzhou | |||||||
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| Chinese | 兗州 ／ 兖州 | ||||||
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| alternative spelling | |||||||
| Chinese | 沇州 | ||||||
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Yan Province orYanzhou was one of theNine Provinces of ancientChina, a list of regions compiled byYu the Great when he toured the land after stopping theGreat Flood and succeedingEmperor Yao.
In theShang Shu, translated by Martin Palmer, Yu's report on Yanzhou is as follows:[1]
Yanzhou Area: between the Ji and Yellow River. Nine rivers returned to their proper way. Leixia is an area of lake once again and functioning properly. Yong and Ju rivers flows into it. Mulberry bushes grow here now – people have settled here from the hills to cultivate the fields. Soil: rich and dark. Grass – good; woodlands healthy. Tax: middling. Fields: upper middling. Note – over the past thirteen years productivity has risen. Tribute: dyes, silks – in special coloured containers. Route: via the Ji and Ta rivers into the Yellow River.
— Confucius, translated by Martin Palmer, Shang Shu
During theHan dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), Yanzhou covered roughly present-day southwesternShandong, easternHenan, and the northwestern corner ofJiangsu. The name is reflected in the modern city ofYanzhou, Jining, Shandong.[citation needed]
In 1265, during theSong dynasty, Yanzhou was upgraded toJiande Fu, overseeing six counties:Jiande County,Chun'an County,Sui’an County,Shouchang County,Fenshui County andTonglu County.[2]
During theQing dynasty, Yanzhou influence started to decline.[2]
In 1912, Yanzhou was revoked and in 1914 it was integrated into theDao (道) prefecture.[2]
The Yanzhou government seat was located at the northern end of the central axis, halfway up the mountains, to avoid floods caused by the nearby rivers and to create "a sense of oppression" in the inner city.[2]
In 1578, the government inner walls were dismantled, with its citizens gaining access to their headquarters. The government also moved to the northern end of the city.[2]
| Sili |  Han provinces and commanderies in 219 CE | |
|---|---|---|
| Yu Province | ||
| Ji Province | ||
| Yan Province | ||
| Xu Province | ||
| Qing Province | ||
| Jing Province | ||
| Yang Province | ||
| Yi Province | ||
| Liang Province | ||
| Bing Province | ||
| Shuofang Province | ||
| You Province | ||
| Jiaozhi Province | ||
Full list(202 BC – 220 AD) | ||
