Gòngjiāng

The Songhua River's waters supported fishing communities in the country of the Jurchens. Under the Qing, a stretch of the river was reserved for supplying the court with tribute fish and became known as the Gongjiang, or tribute river. In 1761 disputes over fishing nets in the lower Songhua prompted officials to draw boundaries and regulate fishing grounds, showing the importance of the river to both local livelihoods and imperial demands.