The town was the site of a major battle, the siege of Caizhou, in the war between the Mongol Empire and Jurchen Jin dynasty. Emperor Aizong, the Jurchen ruler, had fled to Caizhou after the Jin capital of Kaifeng was captured by the Mongols. He committed suicide in Caizhou and his successor, Emperor Mo, was killed in the besieged town. The Jin dynasty ended in Runan in 1234.