Lónglǐ

Longli lies east of Guizhou city on a road through the wooded hills of the plateau. The Ming first maintained a relay station here and in 1372 recognised a native chief's office under the Guizhou administration. As the dynasty established its military presence, Longli became a garrison and a walled town was built in 1390. The Qing converted the garrison into Longli County in 1671. The town thus grew around both a route for messengers and a post guarding the eastern approach to the provincial capital.