Suìchāng

Suichang lies among the mountains of southwestern Zhejiang, in the historical region of Chuzhou. The county's valleys supported farming communities, while paths connected settlements across wooded hills. The Ming playwright and official Tang Xianzu served as magistrate here from 1593 to 1598. Local accounts remember his encouragement of agriculture and education, as well as his literary work: he wrote the celebrated play The Peony Pavilion while serving in Suichang. Mining also had a long history in the county; local accounts trace gold and silver extraction back to the Tang period. Suichang's history thus brings together the practical concerns of a mountain county and the literary culture of the late Ming.