Lánshān

Lanshan lies in the hills of southern Hunan, near the Nanling mountains. The county has a long history: established as Nanping under the Han, it was absorbed into neighbouring Linwu under the Sui and restored under the Tang. In 742 it received the name Lanshan, which endured through the centuries that followed.

The county's affiliations changed with successive dynasties. It belonged to Guiyang under the Song and Yuan, and to several jurisdictions before becoming part of Hengzhou Prefecture under the Ming. Its first known county gazetteer was compiled in 1518, under the supervision of magistrate Liu Wenhua, recording the life and institutions of the district.