Láiwú

Laiwu was a major ironworking district in the hills east of Mount Tai. Mines and furnaces supported settlements such as Shimenye, whose smelting works became large enough for the place to be known as the Iron Smelting City. Under the Yuan, officials at Laiwu supervised mines and smelters across much of Shandong. The early Ming continued to value its production, establishing one of thirteen government ironworks here in 1373; the Daye smelting site remained in use into the Xuande reign.