Yongzhou (永州) is the southernmost prefecture of Hunan, set where the Xiao River runs south to north and joins the Xiang on the city's southern bank. The place was anciently called Lingling, a name the sources tie to the tears of the consorts of the legendary emperor Shun, who is said to have died at Mount Jiuyi in the south. With two thousand years of history it ranks among Hunan's four ancient counties, and in 2016 it was added to China's list of National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities. It is also the province's main Yao-population area, with more than half a million Yao people, most of them in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County. The philosopher Zhou Dunyi, whose writings founded the theoretical basis of Neo-Confucianism, was born in Dao County here, and the prefecture still honours him.
Shanggantang is a Zhou-family village of Ming and Qing houses in Jiangyong County, with a stone bridge at its gate that has stood since 1126. The Buyin Bridge carried the old post road, and the village was listed as a historic Chinese village in 2007.
Lingling was the seat of the prefecture of Yongzhou and keeps the street pattern of that administrative town. Its walls went up in 124 BC, a Han garrison map records its early standing, and it is today one of Yongzhou's two urban districts.
ReadZhou Dunyi wrote the diagram that founded Neo-Confucianism, and his home county of Dao still names itself after the Lian stream he took as his title. Born there in 1017, he gave the county's subdistrict, academy and square the Lianxi name it now wears.
ReadShanggantang is a Zhou-family village in Jiangyong County whose stone bridge at the gate dates from 1126.
Lingling is the old prefecture town of Yongzhou, whose walls were first raised in 124 BC.
Lianxi is the home place of Zhou Dunyi, the Song philosopher whose writings founded Neo-Confucianism.
