Lìyáng

Liyang belongs to the lower Yangtze country of Jiangnan, where cultivated plains, waterways and nearby hills supported a productive rural economy. Rice farming occupied suitable lowlands, while upland resources and household crafts added variety to local production. Canals and rivers helped move grain and other goods toward markets, linking villages with a dense network of towns. Water management and cooperation over fields were essential to maintaining the advantages of this well-connected landscape.

Liyang became a county again under the Ming in 1369, remaining under Yingtian prefecture until its transfer to Zhenjiang prefecture in 1730. Ming water-control works on the Xu River reduced incoming water, and local lakes and marshes gradually silted up and were reclaimed for cultivation. In the wider Jiangnan region, active markets linked agriculture with towns and specialised production. County administration, local families and community institutions shaped life within these networks, though prosperity did not remove the risks of poor harvests and political upheaval.