Jǐnglíng

Jingling was the county in Hubei later renamed Tianmen. In 1370 the early Ming military administration was replaced by a county under Mianyang Prefecture. Subsequent changes placed it within Mianyang Subprefecture and then Chengtian Prefecture.

In the late Ming, two local writers, Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun, brought the older name Jingling into literary debate. Their selections and commentaries on ancient and Tang poetry, collected as Shigui, drew both followers and criticism. Their approach prized subtle, secluded meanings and fresh perception rather than routine imitation; early Qing critics continued arguing over its merits. The Jingling school took its name from their native county. In 1726 the Qing government changed Jingling County to Tianmen, avoiding the name of the Kangxi emperor's mausoleum and adopting that of Mount Tianmen in the county's northwest.