Map Introduction

Yang Province
During the Southern Qi Dynasty, Yang Province served as a core administrative region, with its seat located at Jiankang (modern Nanjing). Its jurisdiction covered the area south of the lower Yangtze River and the Jianghuai region. Alongside Jing Province, it stood as one of the two leading provinces in the eastern and western sectors, functioning as the economic and political center of the Southern Dynasties.

Xu Province and Northern Xu Province
During the Southern Qi, Xu Province was renamed Northern Xu Province, with its seat moved to Yan County (modern Fengyang, Anhui). Its territory included southern Shandong, northern Jiangsu, and northern Anhui. This adjustment aimed to distinguish the Southern Dynasties' Xu Province from its Northern Dynasties counterpart, creating an administrative structure reflective of the North-South confrontation.
Northern Xu Province was established and abolished multiple times from the Eastern Jin through the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Under the Southern Qi, it functioned as an exile province and was later renamed Chu Province in the 7th year of the Wuding era of Eastern Wei (549 AD).

Yu Province and Southern Yu Province
During the Southern Qi, the seat of Yu Province was located at Shouchun (modern Shou County, Anhui). Its jurisdiction shrank to the Huai River basin, facing the Northern Dynasties' Yu Province across the river.
Southern Yu Province was separated from Yu Province in the 3rd year of the Yongchu era of Liu Song (422 AD). Its seat was established at Xuancheng (modern Xuancheng, Anhui), administering the region south of the Jianghuai area. During the Liang Dynasty, its seat was briefly moved to Shouchun before returning to Xuancheng.

Southern Yan Province
Southern Yan Province was an exile province, with its seat at Guangling (modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). Its jurisdiction included the area between the Yangtze and Huai rivers and parts of southern Shandong. Together with Northern Yan Province (seat at Huaiyin), it formed the Northern defense system of the Southern Dynasties.
During the Liang Dynasty, Southern Yan Province was renamed Huai Province, and its seat was moved to Huaiyin, reflecting the Southern Dynasties' strategic emphasis on the Huai River basin.

Qing Province and Ji Province
Qing Province was an exile province, with its seat at Yuzhou (near modern Lianyungang, Jiangsu). Its territory was limited, largely serving as a settlement for displaced populations. The Southern Dynasties' Qing Province and its Northern Dynasties counterpart represented a divided administration.
Ji Province was also an exile province, with its seat also at Yuzhou. Its jurisdiction was even smaller, with many of its commanderies and counties existing only nominally, resulting in minimal practical control. Together with Qing Province, it formed a defensive strongpoint along the eastern coast of the Southern Dynasties.

Characteristics of the Administrative Structure
The provincial-level administrative divisions of the Southern Qi exhibited a "Jing-Yang dichotomy", with Yang Province and Jing Province as the leading entities in the eastern and western sectors, respectively. Other provinces, such as Xu, Yu, and Yan, were distributed around these core regions.
Exile provinces (e.g., Qing, Ji, Southern Yan) were mostly established in border areas, serving dual purposes of resettling displaced populations and providing military defense. However, their actual territories were small, and their administrative efficacy was limited.

Interactions with the Northern Dynasties
Provinces such as Northern Xu Province and Southern Yan Province in the Southern Dynasties faced off across the Huai River against their Northern Dynasties counterparts (e.g., Northern Wei's Xu Province and Yan Province), illustrating the unique political geography of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.