Shiyan History

Shiyan is one of the birthplaces of ancient humans in China. In the late 1980s, Chinese archeologists excavated skull fossils of ancient humans dating back more than 1 million years in Xuetang Liangzi area along the Quyuan River in Qingqu, Yunyang District, which were identified as Homo erectus by international paleoanthropologists and named “Yunyang Man,” filling the gap in the development of ancient humans in Asia and proving that Shiyan region was the origin of ancient humans.

In the Xia Dynasty (2070B.C.-1600B.C.), the region of Shiyan belonged to Liangzhou (now Shaanxi, Sichuan Basin, Hanzhong and some areas of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces) and Yuzhou (now most of Henan Province). Today’s Yunyang, Yunxi, Fangxian, Zhushan, Zhuxi and other areas belong to Liangzhou, while Danjiangkou City belongs to Yuzhou. In the Shang Dynasty (1600B.C.-1046B.C.), Shiyan was the territory of many ancient city-states. Yong, Peng, Wei and other vassal states and tribal states lived there successively. The center of Yong was located in the Beiba area, Shangyong Township, Zhushan County, the center of Peng was located in Fangxian County, and the center of Wei was located near Huanglong Township of Zhangwan District.
　　
In the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046B.C.-771B.C.), many ancient city-states still coexisted in Shiyan, including Yong, Wei, Jun, Yang, Jiao and Jun(均). Yong occupied the now Zhushan County and Ankang area of Shaanxi province, Wei was located in Huanglong Township of Zhangwan District, Yang and Jun were successively founded in Wufeng Township of Yunxian County, the center of Jiao was in Xijiatian Township of Danjiangkou City, and Jun(均) was at the junction of Danjiangkou City and Xichuan County in Henan Province, which was along the downstream of Danjiang River.

In the Spring and Autumn Period (770B.C.-476B.C.) and around 611 B.C., the ancient state of Chu dispatched troops to the north and annihilated Yong and Jun(麇). It then established Hanzhong County in Yong’s previous territory, and established Shangyong County in Yong’s previous capital. The Shiyan area belonged to Chu, and Chu established six counties including Shangyong in this area with Qin, another powerful ancient state. According to the administration organization system law of building new regions by inheriting the former, the “six counties including Shangyong” of Chu can be identified from the administration organization system of Western Han Dynasty (770B.C.-8A.D.). Besides Shangyong County, there were also Fangling, Yang, Wuling, Changli and Wudang counties.

The 9th year(1376) of the Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), the central government changed the administrative system of province for Provincial Administration Commission. Shiyan was under the jurisdiction of Yunyang Prefecture, Huguang Provincial Administration Commission. Shiyan area had jurisdiction over Junzhou, Wudang, Yunyang, Fangxian, Zhushan, and Shangjin counties. In the 11st year(1498) of the Hongzhi Period, Youwen, Yiyang and other townships of Fangxian County were separated to establish Baokang County. After the 12nd year(1476) of the Chenghua Period, Yunyang Prefecture had jurisdiction over Yunyang, Fangxian, Zhushan, Yunxi, Shangjin and Zhuxi counties. After 1498, Baokang County was added. During the Hongwu Period in the Ming Dynasty, Wudang County was abolished and it was merged into Junzhou. After 1476, Junzhou was still under Xiangyang Prefecture, and there was no county under Junzhou’s jurisdiction. After 1476, Yunyang Prefecture and Xiangyang Prefecture and their counties were all under the control of Yunyang’s governor.

The title of Yunyang’s governor was created and appointed in the end of 1476 by Yuan Jie, the first grand coordinator and the deputy director of the Court of Censors in the Ming Dynasty. The township’s administrative office was set in Yunyang, where Huguang Regional military commission was established, so was the administrative area of Xiajingnandao. Under the jurisdiction of Yunyang’s governor were all prefectures and counties of Yunyang, Xiangyang, Jingzhou and Anlu Prefecture (Zhongxiang City under jurisdiction) in Huguang region, all prefectures and counties of Nanyang Prefecture in Henan Province, all prefectures and counties of Kuizhou Prefecture in Sichuan Province (Fengjie City under jurisdiction), all prefectures and counties of Hanzhong Prefecture in Shaanxi Province and all counties of Shangzhou Prefecture in Xi’an Prefecture.

It has jurisdiction over eight prefectures, nine circuits, nine prefectures and sixty-four counties. Yunyang’s governor was set up and appointed in 1476 and abolished in the 19th year(1680) of the Kangxi Period in the Qing Dynasty(1636-1912). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, in a total of 205 years, 120 court officials served as Yunyang’s governor. In the 18th year(1590) of the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty, the Annals of Yuntai, the only existing special local political chronicles in China, was revised. It has been well preserved and is available to be read now.