Hēishuǐ

Heishui takes its name from the dark waters of a tributary of the upper Min River. Deep valleys cut through the mountains here, with snow peaks rising above wooded slopes and settlements. Tibetan and Qiang communities inhabit the region, where old stone carvings and fortified residences recall a long local history. In the Qing period, the chiefdoms of Greater and Lesser Heishui were associated with Maozhou. The river and its tributaries provide the chief routes through a landscape divided by steep ridges.