Shízhǔ

Shizhu lies in the wooded mountains south of the Yangtze, a Tujia region governed for generations by hereditary chiefs. Its name is said to derive from two mountain passes, Shitong and Zhupu. Steep ridges gave local rulers places to build strongholds, while paths through the mountains linked the district with the river valleys beyond.

In the late Ming, the chieftain Qin Liangyu led troops from Shizhu in service of the dynasty. Her soldiers were known as the White Shaft troops, after the wood used for their spear shafts. They fought in several campaigns, including the struggle against the rebellion of She Chongming and An Bangyan. On Wanshou Mountain, Qin had fortified gates and strongholds built to shelter and defend her people.