Sōngzhōu

Songzhou stands in the mountain valleys of the upper Min River, at the meeting of routes from the Sichuan Basin and the Tibetan plateau. Its position made Songpan an important frontier town and a meeting place for exchange between Tibetan and Han communities. The steep mountains around it channelled travel toward a small number of passes, giving the settlement strategic importance as well as a role in the tea and horse trade.

The Ming established the garrisons of Songzhou and Panzhou in the late fourteenth century, soon combining them as Songpan. Its fortified town was built against the mountain beside the river; further forts and passes guarded the southern and eastern approaches. Under the Qing, Songpan became a ting in 1731 and was raised to directly administered status in 1760. The walls and outlying defences reflected the town's enduring place on a contested highland frontier.