Gànyú

Ganyu's medieval and early modern county seat stood at Chengli in present-day Ganma. The county had previously been called Huairen, before the Jin government adopted the name Ganyu in 1167. This same seat continued through Yuan, Ming and Qing rule, providing an enduring administrative centre near the northern end of the Haizhou coast.

The county also bore military and transport obligations. Its gazetteers record an early Ming guard of a hundred soldiers, abolished during the Xuande reign. Horse breeding imposed a more persistent burden: households could be required both to maintain horses and to pay money toward the state's supply. After several reductions and reversals, the quota of breeding horses was halved in 1569. In 1578, the obligation was converted into a silver payment, bringing the actual levy of horses to an end. Qing arrangements continued monetary contributions for military horses. Alongside its role as a county town, Ganyu therefore belonged to a coastal administrative landscape where defence and the supply of transport animals drew upon local households.