Shīzōng

Shizong lies among the hills of eastern Yunnan. Its name comes from the Shizong community, which held the Nilong basin before the Mongol conquest. The Yuan established Shizong as a prefecture in 1290, and under the Ming it belonged to Guangxi Prefecture. During the Chenghua reign an appointed magistrate replaced the hereditary prefect, though the local official remained as an assistant. In 1600 the seat was moved to Nilong, returning the administration to the basin associated with the old Shizong community.