Sànmáo

Sànmáo was a hereditary chiefship in the mountains of southwestern Hubei, ruled by the Qín family. Its territory covered the country around later Láifèng and extended into neighbouring valleys. The Ming raised the office to a pacification commission in 1415, under Shīzhōu Guard. It survived into the Qing, but in 1735 the government replaced the hereditary chiefship with appointed officials and established Láifèng County. The old chief's seat remained a reminder of the long era of native rule.