Bǎochāng

Baochang lies on the grasslands south of Shangdu. The Yuan created Baochang Prefecture in 1319 by combining Changzhou and Baoshan, retaining the old Changzhou seat. It served travellers and officials moving through the northern country, but in 1358 Red Turban forces burned the town and nearby relay stations on their advance toward Shangdu. The Ming placed Baochang under the Kaiping Guard, and the town became a point of contention with the Northern Yuan. In 1422 the Mongol leader Arughtai captured it. After the Ming withdrew from the area north of Dushikou, the old town gradually fell into ruin and the surrounding grasslands became Mongol pasture.