Yánchí

Yanchi takes its name from the salt lakes of the dry country east of Ningxia. The natural salt deposits were known by several names over the centuries; from the Ming period one of the best known was Huamachi. Salt from the district travelled toward northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong, and its revenues helped supply the frontier garrisons. The fortified town of Huamachi guarded this valuable district. In the early sixteenth century the official Yang Yiqing stationed troops there, and the town became an important base for organising the defence of the frontier.