Nánjiāng

Nanjiang belongs to the northern Sichuan mountain country associated with Bazhou, where valleys and passes connect the basin with the Qinling approaches. Cultivation occupied usable strips of land, while wooded slopes supplied timber, fuel, and other products. Routes through the mountains linked local markets with neighboring districts, making small settlements useful to travelers as well as farmers. River crossings and dependable paths mattered greatly in terrain where a short distance could require substantial effort.

The historical county of Nanjiang was restored under the Ming in the early sixteenth century and renamed, its first syllable now written with the character for 'south'. Accounts differ on the precise year. The Micang road crossed the mountain region, and inscriptions along its route record use over successive dynasties. These passages linked northern Sichuan with lands beyond the mountains.