Map Introduction

I. Administrative Establishment and the Loose-Rein (Jimi) System

During the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, the western part of the Lingnan Circuit (modern Guangxi and northern Vietnam) formed a governance system centered on the Yong Administration, Rong Administration, and the Annan Protectorate. In the 8th year of Zhenguan (634 AD), Gui Prefecture (seat: modern Guigang, Guangxi) was established, governing counties such as Yulin and Huaize, becoming a hub for controlling the Li and Lao tribal peoples. In the 2nd year of the Linde era (665 AD), Yulin Zhou was established, followed by Yan Zhou in the 2nd year of the Qianfeng era (667 AD). Through the method of "establishing prefectures and counties based on existing tribes," local chieftains were appointed as hereditary prefectural governors. Under the Annan Protectorate, the two counties of Jiaozhi and Songping formed a "dual-city system" of military strongpoints.

II. Transportation Network and Military Defense

The Tang Dynasty reopened the Sui-era route connecting Yong Zhou, Rong Zhou, and Jiaozhi (638 AD) and established a salt warehouse in Qin Zhou to ensure military supplies. In the 2nd year of the Yonglong era (681 AD), Sitang Zhou was established to control the passage through the "Wuxi Man" area in the Qian River basin. Militarily, a three-tiered "Frontier Prefecture Area Command – Garrison Town – Beacon Tower" system was implemented. The garrison in Yong Zhou reached 10,000 troops, overseen by the "Military Commissioner of the Five Prefectures of Lingnan" for coordinated defense. Notably, the Yu River waterway, located fifteen bu (a short distance) north of Gui Prefecture's city, became a lifeline connecting Yulin Commandery with the Central Plains.

III. Economic Development and Ethnic Integration

The "Lingnan Salt Monopoly" was implemented to ensure salt supply, and the annual copper output in Yong Zhou reached ten thousand jin. The Tuntian policy expanded cultivated land in the Gui Prefecture area to eight counties, with registered households reaching 28,930 during the Tianbao era. However, ethnic policies were contradictory: on one hand, the Tang court co-opted Li and Lao chieftains through the Xian family, while on the other hand, it suppressed reverse integration due to fears of "barbarization," leading to the Lao rebellion in Dang Zhou in the 1st year of the Yongchun era (682 AD). Regarding trade, Yong Zhou became a distribution center for "tea and medicines entering Lingnan," with merchant caravans transshipping goods via the port of Qin Zhou for overseas trade.

IV. Historical Impact and Subsequent Development

The governance model of western Lingnan provided a template for the later Tusi (native chieftain) system of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The repeated administrative changes of Gui Prefecture (established 634 AD → renamed Huaize Commandery in Tianbao era → restored name Gui Prefecture in Qianyuan era) reflect the power dynamics between the central government and local authorities. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang shifted to a defensive strategy, but the system of loosely administered prefectures under the Yong Administration persisted until the Southern Han period. Tan Qixiang's historical atlas indicates the Tang's actual controlled territory in this region was approximately 150,000 square kilometers, accounting for 23% of the total area of the Lingnan Circuit.