Xiāngtán

Xiangtan grew beside a deep stretch of the Xiang River, its waterfront providing a sheltered place for boats. Rice from the surrounding country and goods from farther afield made the town one of Hunan's great commercial centres. Its lotus seeds were prized as tribute, and its riverside streets stretched for miles beyond the old county walls.

From the later Ming, merchants gathered at Xiangtan to trade in grain and medicinal herbs. In 1644 a merchant from Jiangxi opened a medicine shop near the river; others from his home province followed. During the Qing, goods from southern and western China passed through the port toward Hankou and the lower Yangtze. Its merchants also connected the interior with Guangzhou, packing tea and silk for shipment south.