Yǒngnián

Yongnian belongs to the southern Hebei plain, where cultivated fields and market routes support a landscape of villages and administrative centers. Grain farming and household production supplied local communities, while exchange brought tools, cloth, salt, and other necessities. Water management and seasonal rainfall shaped harvests and the reliability of movement across the lowlands.

The old walled town of Yongnian, also known as Guangfu, served as an administrative seat over successive periods. Its earthen walls were encased in brick beginning in 1542, a project that took thirteen years. Low-lying wetlands surrounded the town, while the Hongji Bridge carried traffic across the Fuyang River to its east.