Xìnyí

Xìnyí is an old town in the hills north of Gāozhōu. Founded as Xìnyì County under the Tang, it served for centuries as the seat of Dòuzhōu. The Song changed its name to Xìnyí in 976 to avoid the personal name of the emperor, and abolished Dòuzhōu in 1071, placing the county under Gāozhōu. Its old streets and county school preserve the memory of a local centre that remained under Gāozhōu through the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.