Dōng'ē

Dong'e is an old county seat near the Yellow River in western Shandong. Its town occupies the site of ancient Gucheng, a place whose long history of meetings and warfare was recorded in local gazetteers. The county seat moved more than once as floods damaged earlier settlements. In 1375 the Ming authorities established the seat at the old site of Gucheng. Temple fairs held here from the Wanli reign onward drew crowds in spring and autumn, while local black dates found buyers as far away as Jiangnan. Dong'e remained under Dongping before passing to Tai'an prefecture in 1735.