Hǎiníng

Haining stands on the northern shore of the Qiantang estuary, where the powerful tide threatens the fertile plain behind the riverbank. Protecting the land required seawalls that could withstand both the current and the incoming bore. The Ming repeatedly repaired the embankments, but the danger persisted. In the Qing, destructive tides brought further rebuilding, including stone walls whose overlapping courses resembled fish scales. In 1773 Haining was raised from a county to a prefecture, a change reflecting the importance and heavy administrative burden of the coastal defences.