Ruìjīn

Ruijin lies in the hill country of southeastern Jiangxi, near routes connecting the province with western Fujian. Valleys and streams supported rice cultivation, while forested slopes supplied timber and other resources. Market paths linked villages with larger settlements, allowing agricultural and upland products to circulate. Migration and strong community relationships contributed to a regional society in which lineages and local institutions helped organize everyday life.

A gold-working administration called Ruijin was established here in 904 and became a county in 953. The county continued through the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, although its administrative affiliations changed. Roads across the mountains linked its farming settlements with neighbouring districts in Jiangxi and Fujian.