Jīshí

Jishi lies where the Yellow River cuts through the mountains between the valleys of Xunhua and Hezhou. Jishi Pass, close against the river and the steep slopes, has guarded this narrow route since ancient times. The Tang stationed troops here, and the Jin and Yuan established Jishi Zhou in the district. Communities along the river included the Salar, whose settlements formed a series of local divisions known as gong under the Qing. The river corridor connected these villages with the markets farther east.