Huòshān

Huoshan was re-established as a county under Lu'an in 1494. The historical geographical account explains the decision through the difficult distance between Lu'an and Yingshan: the new county was placed at Gubu town. County formation thus addressed the practical problem of governing mountain country rather than marking the beginning of settlement there.

Tea connected this upland district to the imperial court. Much of the tea known by the regional name Lu'an was actually produced in Huoshan. Under the Ming tribute allocation, Huoshan supplied 253 jin out of a total of 300, with Lu'an forwarding the tea to the capital. In the Qing period the allocation increased; by 1684 Huoshan was responsible for 263 of the 300 tribute bags. These obligations gave cultivation and preparation an administrative dimension. Growers and processors supplied a product whose recorded name could refer to the superior jurisdiction, while county and prefectural arrangements determined how the tribute was assembled and delivered.