Mayang Miao Autonomous County
Mayang ( ""Mayang Miao Autonomous County"", ; usually referred to as ""Mayang County"", ) is an autonomous county of Miao people in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Huaihua. Mayang is located on the west central margin of Hunan Province, adjacent to Guizhou Province. It borders Bijiang District of Tongren, Guizhou to the west, Fenghuang County to the northwest, Luxi County to the northeast, Chenxi County and Hecheng District of Huaihua to the southeast, and Zhijiang County to the south. The county covers , as of 2015, It had a registered population  of 403,400 and a resident population of 349,000. The county seat is the town of Gaocun () and it has seven towns and 11 townships under its jurisdiction. Etymology. Mayang derives its name from Mayangshu (), a military garrison established in the year 562 by the Southern Chen dynasty to guard against southern tribes. The Garrison was located at the mouth of Taiping Creek, where the Creek flows into the Chenshui (Jinjiang River) and forms a wide and deep pond called Matan (). Seated on the northern bank of the pond, the place was named "Mayang" according to Chinese traditions of naming places . History. Ancient History. In 562, the Southern Chen dynasty established Mayangshu () at what is now Taipingxi, Lüjiaping Town (). In 620, the Tang Dynasty established Mayang County, with the county seat located in what is now Jiuxian, Huangsang Township (). In 1075, the Song Dynasty incorporated Jinzhou Fort () and Zhaoyu County () into Mayang County, with the county seat located in what is now Jinhe Town (). Modern History (1949-). On September 29, 1949, Mayang was liberated by the People's Liberation Army. On March 28, 1950, the People's Government of Mayang County was established. In March 1953, the county seat was relocated  to Gaocun Town. On October 31, 1988, under the approval of the State Council, the county was renamed "Mayang Miao Autonomous County".