Xīhé

Xihe lies among the valleys of the western Qinling, on routes between the Wei River country and Sichuan. To the southwest rises Qiuchi Mountain, a steep natural stronghold once occupied by the Di rulers of the Yang family. Its cliffs surround a summit with fields and springs, reached by a winding path. The valley routes past Xihe continued to connect the Sichuan roads with the Tibetan borderlands.

Under the Yuan, Changdao County was incorporated into Xihe Zhou. The Ming reduced the Zhou to a county in 1377 and moved its seat from an older site. Official roads through the district carried travellers toward Chengxian and the valleys of the Bailong River, while the same routes also served the movement of tea toward the western highlands. Xihe's mountain passes thus joined several neighbouring regions despite the rugged ground between them.