Gǔchéng

Gucheng lies on the Hebei plain east of Zhending. Its name recalls the ancient state of Gu, while the county itself was established under the Sui in 598. It became the seat of Jinzhou under Mongol rule and was absorbed into the prefecture in 1369, early in the Ming dynasty. The change ended the separate county administration, but the old name continued to preserve the memory of the settlement.