Jincheng

Jincheng is a prefecture-level city situated in the southeast of Shanxi province, China. It shares its border with Henan province to the south and southeast. The city is recognized as an industrial hub, with coal mining being one of its key industries. The population of the entire city is estimated to be 2.2 million. Due to the extensive coal industry in the region, Jincheng has gained notoriety for air pollution. However, the local government has recently made significant investments to address this issue. Efforts have been made to enhance the air quality in the city, such as tree planting, developing and maintaining vast parks and ecological reserves, shutting down or relocating some of the most polluting factories, and promoting the use of coalbed methane, which is a cleaner fuel source than coal. Jincheng has a rich history dating back to the Warring States period. During this time, the land of Jinguo was divided and settled by Zhao, Wei, and Han. Later, the Late Jin monarch was settled in Qinshui County of Jincheng. The famous battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao took place in Gaoping City of Jincheng towards the end of the Warring States period. After the first emperor of Qin unified the six countries, China was divided into 36 shires, and most of Jincheng and Southeast Shanxi belonged to Shangdang Shire. Throughout the Han and Wei dynasties, Jincheng remained a part of Shangdang Shire and Pingyang Shire. During the Sixteen States period, West Yan Murong Yong established Jianxing Shire in the southern region of Shangdang Shire, which marked the beginning of Jincheng becoming a Shire. Subsequently, the name of Jianxing Shire was changed several times, first to Jianzhou during the Northern Wei dynasty, then to Zezhou during the Sui dynasty, and finally, it was upgraded to Zezhoufu during the Qing dynasty. These administrative changes were essentially consistent with the five counties under the jurisdiction of Jincheng today. It was not until the Republic of China period that Yuan Shikai issued a policy to transform all Chinese states into counties.