Héjiān

Hejian was the seat of a large prefecture south of the Ming capital. In 1368 the new dynasty changed the Yuan administration of Hejian Circuit into Hejian Prefecture. Its jurisdiction eventually included the subordinate prefectures of Jingzhou and Cangzhou and sixteen counties. The city contained both the prefectural headquarters and the office governing Hejian County, two distinct levels of administration occupying neighbouring sites.

The local gazetteer records repeated repairs to the prefectural offices after warfare and fire. Prefect Jia Zhong rebuilt them in 1470, and their scale expanded again early in the Hongzhi reign. A fire in 1511 reduced the offices to ashes, requiring another reconstruction. The headquarters comprised much more than an audience hall: offices dealt with grain, waterways, military registration and judicial business, while stores, a prison and clerks' quarters supported their work. In 1370 the county office was moved south of the prefectural headquarters. This concentration of offices made Hejian a working administrative centre for a substantial part of the northern plain.