Bǎo'ān

Bao'an was a frontier department on the upper Sanggan River, where the road from the Yanshan passes meets the Huailai basin. The Tang knew the district as Xinzhou, the Liao called it Fengsheng, and the Jin made it Dexing Prefecture. In 1267 the Yuan renamed it Bao'an, 'safeguarding peace', after an earthquake, and placed it under Shunning Circuit, with its seat at the old town of Zhuolu.

The Ming first abolished the department, then restored it in 1415 under the capital prefecture of Shuntian. The road made it a front line for the capital against the steppe. In 1449 the Zhengtong Emperor was captured by the Oirat at nearby Tumu Fort, and in 1451 the seat of Bao'an was moved northwest to New Bao'an, nearer the garrison roads. The Qing later returned the seat to the old town.