Qīngyáng

Qingyang lies amid the steep valleys of the Taihang Mountains. In the early sixteenth century the rugged district became the centre of an uprising led by Chen Qing and his son. After the revolt was suppressed, the Ming official Xia Yan argued that a new county was needed to govern the difficult terrain. Land was taken from neighbouring counties and a seat established at Qingyang village, named Pingshun in the hope of lasting peace and order.