Yánhé

Yanhe lies along the Wu River in northeastern Guizhou, where the water winds through steep wooded country. Its name recalls the riverbank, while nearby Youxi gave a second name to the hereditary chieftaincy established under the Yuan. The Ming retained the Yanhe Youxi office under Sinan Prefecture, with a Zhang chief and a Ran deputy holding their posts by succession. The river connected the scattered settlements of their district, forming a route through a landscape otherwise divided by mountains.