Jìnchéng

Jìnchéng was the seat of Zezhou in southeastern Shanxi, the high country where the road up from the Henan plain climbs through Tianjing Pass. The Yuan governed Zezhou from Jinning Circuit, and in 1369 the Ming made it a department under the province, with no prefecture above it.

Outside the east gate, Jingzhong Bridge, also called East Gate Bridge, crossed the Sha River. It began as a timber bridge in the Yuan Zhizheng era, in the mid-14th century, and in the Hongzhi reign the Ming rebuilt it in stone on the model of the older Jingde Bridge. In 1728 the Qing raised Zezhou to a prefecture with Fengtai County as its seat, so that the old town became the capital of five counties, and travellers between Shanxi and Henan crossed the bridge, rebuilt in 1738, on their way.