Níngzhōu

Ningzhou lies south of Qingyang among the ravines and loess tablelands of eastern Gansu. The Malian River passes west of the old town on its way toward the Jing River, while wooded ridges rise to the east. The name Ningzhou was used from the Northern Dynasties through the Ming and Qing. Under the Yuan several neighbouring counties were absorbed into the Zhou, which retained Zhenning as a subordinate county. In the Ming it belonged to Qingyang Prefecture, a centre linking the valleys of Gansu with the roads toward Guanzhong.