Map Introduction

I. Early Tang Establishment and Geographical Layout

Following the unification under the Tang dynasty, inheriting the Sui's system of prefectures and counties, the empire was divided into ten circuits in the first year of the Zhenguan era (627 AD), with the Huainan Circuit being one of them. Its jurisdiction stretched to the sea in the east, reached Jing and Chu in the west, bordered Yue prefectures in the south, and extended to the Huai River in the north, encompassing the areas south of the Huai River in modern Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, as well as parts of eastern Hubei and southeastern Henan. Its administrative seat was established at Yangzhou (modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). Situated between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, crisscrossed with waterways, the Huainan Circuit held a strategically vital position as a hub for water transport, becoming a central node for the distribution of goods between north and south. Yangzhou, as its seat, leveraging its location at the confluence of the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River, rapidly rose to become an international commercial metropolis, attracting Persian and Arab traders to settle and contributing to the famed prosperity encapsulated in the saying "Yang[zhou] is first, Yi[zhou] is second."

II. Enhanced Strategic Role after the An Lushan Rebellion

After the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion (755–763 AD), the Huainan Circuit became a crucial barrier protecting the Tang court from the rebel advance southward. The Jiang-Huai region, serving as the financial lifeline, contributed one-third of the nation's tax revenue. The Salt and Iron Transport Commission, headquartered in Yangzhou, monopolized the salt trade, underpinning the court's military expenditures. During the Zhide era under Emperor Suzong, the Salt and Iron Commissioner Liu Yan reformed the salt administration, implementing an indirect monopoly system described as "produced by the people, collected by the state, transported by merchants, sold by merchants," which significantly increased salt tax revenue and alleviated the fiscal crisis. Salt farms within the Huainan Circuit, such as those in Chu Prefecture (modern Huai'an, Jiangsu) and Hai Prefecture (modern Lianyungang, Jiangsu), yielded abundant output, transported north via the canal network, becoming a pillar of the state economy.

III. Military-Political Turmoil and Separatist Tendencies in the Mid-Late Tang

From the mid-Tang period onward, the Military Governors of Huainan saw their power expand, gradually slipping from central control. In the second year of the Jianzhong era (781 AD) under Emperor Dezong, the Military Governor of Huainan, Li Xilie, colluded with northern warlords and asserted his independence, forcing the court to mobilize forces to suppress the rebellion, exposing the weakening central grip over the regions. During the late Tang Huang Chao Rebellion (875–884 AD), the Huainan Circuit became a key battleground. In the first year of the Guangming era (880 AD), after Huang Chao's forces captured Luoyang, the Military Governor of Huainan, Gao Pian, led troops to block them but ultimately failed to prevent the rebel army from moving south due to being outmatched. In the aftermath, the economy of the Huainan Circuit was severely devastated, with Yangzhou's city walls left in disrepair and its commercial activities decimated.

IV. Regime Changes during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period

After the fall of the Tang, the Huainan Circuit descended into warlord strife. Yang Xingmi established the state of Wu in the second year of the Tianfu era (902 AD), with his capital at Guangling (modern Yangzhou), making the Huainan Circuit its core territory. The Wu state pursued a policy of "securing the borders and letting the people rest," reviving agricultural production and constructing hydraulic projects like the Baishui Pond and Pofu Pond to enhance drought resistance. During the Southern Tang period, the Huainan Circuit's economy saw some recovery. However, in the third year of the Xiande era (956 AD) of the Later Zhou, Emperor Shizong (Chai Rong) launched three expeditions against the Southern Tang, capturing the fourteen prefectures of Huainan, thereby breaking the North-South stalemate. After the war, the Huainan Circuit was incorporated into the Later Zhou, laying the groundwork for the eventual unification under the Northern Song.

V. Culture and Social Customs

The Tang-era Huainan Circuit was notable for its cultural synthesis. Yangzhou, a key center for the spread of Buddhism, housed famous temples like the Gaomin Temple and Daming Temple; the monk Jianzhen lectured here before his journeys to Japan. In literature, while serving as a secretary to the Military Governor of Huainan, the poet Du Mu wrote poems like "Inscribed on the Chan Zhi Temple in Yangzhou," reflecting the city's ambiance. On a social level, the salt merchant class rose to prominence, with Yangzhou seeing the emergence of extremely wealthy families whose "wealth of a thousand gold pieces rivaled that of a lord of a capital," fostering a climate of lavish extravagance.

VI. Historical Impact and Legacy

The rise and fall of the Huainan Circuit reflects the contest between central authority and regional power in the Tang dynasty. Its water transport system and salt administration reforms provided models for later economic management, while the vibrant nightscape of Yangzhou, where "a thousand lamps illuminate the green clouds" (from a poem), became an epitome of Tang urban culture. Historical sites in modern Yangzhou, such as the Slender West Lake and Daming Temple, still bear witness to the former glory of the Huainan Circuit.