Yíchūn

Yichun is an ancient county seat in western Jiangxi and the centre of Yuanzhou. Tradition connects its name, meaning “pleasant spring”, with a nearby spring whose waters were cool in summer and warm in winter. The Yuan governed the district as Yuanzhou Circuit; in 1369 the Ming changed it to Yuanzhou Prefecture, still seated at Yichun. The Xiujiang postal station was built by a county magistrate during the Hongwu reign and later moved to the eastern gate, serving the roads that connected the town with neighbouring counties.