Where is Baima County, Shandong now?

In the suburbs and counties of Nanning, the genealogies of many Han and Zhuang people record that their ancestral home is Baima County (or Baimayi, Baimayuan, Baimaran, Baimayan) in Shandong. Since the Republic of China, some surnames and families have sent people to Shandong to visit their ancestors many times. After liberation, some responsible comrades of the county magistrate's office in Guangxi also made a special trip to investigate, but to no avail. In 1996 and 1997, due to the need for compilation of records, the "Nanning Suburban Chronicles" office sent people to Huaxian, Junxian, Qinyang City, Anyang City, Zhengzhou City in Henan Province and Qingzhou City and Shouguang City in Shandong Province for inspection many times. We visited chronicle compilation experts, historians, linguists and scholars from the above two provinces and Guangxi, focusing on the relevant records in the chronicles of the above provinces, cities and counties, and also inspected a large number of tombstones from past dynasties. After verification, it is basically believed that "Baima County, Shandong" is actually in the area of ??Huaxian County, Henan Province today.

In ancient times, "Shandong" was not Shandong today

Shandong refers to different regions due to different dynasties. A large number of genealogy records from various parts of Guangxi list the ancestral home as "Baima County, Shandong" , it has not been found that writing "Baima County, Shandong Province" refers to a different era and region with a single word difference.

Shandong as mentioned by the ancients is a geographical term. During the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, the area east of Mount Wei or Huashan was Shandong, which had the same meaning as the so-called Guandong at that time. It generally referred to the Yellow River Basin, and sometimes referred to the territories of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, and Wei outside Qin. "Historical Records: The Chronicles of the First Emperor of Qin" records: "The young men in Shandong counties and counties were bitter against the Qin officials. They all killed their guards and ordered the prime ministers to rebel in response to Chen She..." "Qin annexed more than 30 counties in Shandong, the princes... and repaired armored troops to defend them." "...The heroes of Shandong then united and destroyed the Qin tribe." Shandong in the above quotations generally refers to the territories of the six countries other than Qin. It is also said that the east of Taihang Mountain is Shandong. This is mainly because the Jin State in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Northern Wei Dynasty in the period when its capital was Pingcheng, and the Jin State in the Five Dynasties lived west of Taihang Mountain, so it is called Shandong to the east of Taihang Mountain. "Shandong" was officially established as an independent administrative unit. It belonged to Zhongshu Province in the Yuan Dynasty, the Chief Secretary of Shandong was established in the Ming Dynasty, and was called Shandong Province in the Qing Dynasty, with Jinan as the provincial capital.

Shandong and Henan both referred to the name of a wide area in ancient times, and they covered and included each other. In ancient times, Shandong included the present-day Henan administrative area. In the Tang Dynasty, the present-day Shandong administrative area also belonged to Henan Province. The Zhonghua Book Company's annotation on "Pirates of Henan" in "Huang Chao Zhuan" in "New Book of Tang" says: Henan refers to Henan Road, which is about the present-day Shandong and Henan provinces and northern Jiangsu and other places. Baima County was under the jurisdiction of Yanzhou in the Han, Wei and Jin dynasties. In the Southern Dynasties, the city of Yanzhou was located in the east of Huaxian County, Henan Province. Later, the city was moved to present-day Shandong Province. After Yanzhou was assigned to the jurisdiction of Shandong Administrative Region, Baima County returned to Henan Administrative Region.

"Baima County" is not in Shandong but in Henan

The administrative division of Baima County is "the only one" in Chinese history. In the whole country, only Hua County in present-day Henan Province was called Baima County in ancient times. Baima County has not been found in present-day Shandong Province since ancient times. The establishment of Baima County began in the Qin Dynasty and was abolished in the Ming Dynasty, lasting more than 1,500 years.

Baima County is 10 kilometers east of present-day Huaxian County, Henan Province. The location of Baima County and its county seat has been recorded in detail in history and geography books since the Qin, Han, Tang and Song Dynasties. "Warring States Policy": "Zhang Yi said that King Zhao said: Guard the Tianjin of White Horse." "Historical Records" Li Shiqi said that the King of Han said: "Guard the Tianjin of White Horse."

"Chinese Historical Atlas" records White Horse The earliest place name was Baimakou during the Warring States Period, which is located in the northeast of Huaxian County, Henan Province (see Figure 6 of the "Chinese Historical Atlas" and page 11 of the Place Name Index). "Kuo Di Zhi" written by Li Tai in the Tang Dynasty records: "Huazhou: the old city of Huazhou in Baima County, ancient southern Yan Kingdom, Liyangjin was named Baimajin, twenty miles north of Baima County, Huazhou." "Continued Hanshu" "County Map Chronicles" says: "Baima County has Weicheng, and Jindi is called Qianli Di, which is five miles east of Baima County."

The administrative division of Baima County was first established in the Qin Dynasty, and it went through the Han, Wei, and Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song and Yuan all followed its name. In the Ming Dynasty, Baima County was withdrawn into Huazhou.

"Henan New Chronicles" in the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929) records: "Hua County, the Spring and Autumn Wei Cao County. Baima County in the Qin Dynasty belonged to Dongjun. The Han Dynasty followed it, the Wei Dynasty...the Song Dynasty "In the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, the province of Baima entered Huazhou." Historians agree that the ancient city of Baima County was located 10 kilometers east of today's Hua County. It was changed to the name of Liang Zhuwen's father after the Five Dynasties. Baimaqiang, today’s Baimaqiang Village is its former site. From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Baima County was under the jurisdiction of Yanzhou. In the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Baima County was under the jurisdiction of Damingfu (Road), Shandong. Therefore, it is understandable in ancient times that "Baima County, Shandong" is written in some family trees.

Historically, Baima County not only played an important role in the political, military, and transportation fields, but also had extremely rich cultural connotations. Baima County has its own legend since ancient times. "Baima Kao" in "Rebuilding Huaxian Chronicles" records: "Generally, the name of a city or country is named after a water instead of a mountain. For example, Baima County in East County of Han and Yuan Dynasties was named after Qin's Baima Jin. Qin's Baima Jin It is also named after the ancient Baima River and Baima Mountain. "The Picture of Kaishan" says: "There are always white horses at the foot of the mountain. When the group walks on the mountain, the river bursts and the mountain collapses." Some "Baima County immigrants" live in Guangxi. Similar white horse myths and legends are spread everywhere. There is a horse village on the outskirts of Nanning City. The genealogy records this: Ancestors who went south to guard the border with Di Qing in the Song Dynasty discovered a group of white horses on the mountains when they were choosing a village site along both sides of the Yong River. They went out to forage during the day and returned to the mountains to roost at night. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the land is fertile. It is a geomantic treasure land. Later, a village was built here, and Ma Village got its name from this.