Mingzhou or Ming Prefecture (738–1194) was a zhou (prefecture) in imperial China located in modern northeastern Zhejiang, China, around modern Ningbo. The prefecture was called Yuyao Commandery from 742 to 758.

Located on the coast of the East China Sea and the southern bank of Hangzhou Bay (which connects it to Hang Prefecture and the Grand Canal), Ming Prefecture was one of the most important international ports during the Tang (618–907), Wuyue (907–978) and Song (960–1279) dynasties. Cargo ships to and from Japan, Silla (57 BC – 935 AD), Goryeo (918–1392), and Liao (907–1125) frequented this prefecture. Ming Prefecture also administered Zhoushan, an island archipelago off the Zhejiang coast, including Zhoushan Island.

Counties For most of its history, Ming Prefecture administered the following 4–6 counties (縣): #Tang dynastyWuyueSong dynastyModern location1Wengshan (翁山)Yin (鄞)Changguo (昌國)Zhoushan2Mao (鄮)YinNingbo (City Proper)3Wanghai (望海)Dinghai (定海)Zhenhai District, Ningbo4Fenghua (奉化)Fenghua District, Ningbo5Cixi (慈溪)Cixi, Zhejiang6Xiangshan (象山)Xiangshan County, Zhejiang Before 764, Xiangshan (which is separated from the prefectural seat by Xiangshan Harbor) was under the administration of Tai Prefecture.

History Tang dynasty Ming Prefecture was created on 3 August 738 by splitting Mao County (鄮縣) from Yue Prefecture and dividing the area into 4 counties. Around 500 homeless people from Run Prefecture were brought over to resettle in Ming Prefecture.

In 739, it was determined that 207,032 people from 42,027 families resided in Ming Prefecture.

In 744, Mao County's magistrate Lu Nanjin (陸南金) had laborers expand the Wanjin Lake (now known as Dongqian Lake) to facilitate irrigation and agricultural water management.

In 744, while waiting for the typhoon to pass before embarking on his third journey to Japan, the Buddhist monk Jianzhen stayed at the Temple of King Ashoka.

In 752, three ships carrying Japanese diplomats from Empress Kōken's court arrived in Ming Prefecture.

In 762, Yuan Chao (袁晁) rebelled from the Zhoushan Archipelago, and quickly took several prefectures including Ming Prefecture. In 763, Yuan Chao was destroyed and captured by the Tang army led by Li Guangbi.

In 798, military officer Li Huang (栗鍠) rebelled in Ming Prefecture. He was defeated in 799.

In 804, a Japanese ship carrying 127 people from Emperor Kanmu's court arrived in Ming Prefecture, the Buddhist monk Saichō among them.

Prefects Tang dynasty

Qin Changshun (秦昌舜), 738 Lü Yanzhi (呂延之), 758–759 Pei Jing (裴儆), 771–773 Cui Yin (崔殷), 773–? Wang Mi (王密), 770s Zhao Heng (趙恒) Li Chang (李長), 770s Wang Mu (王沐), 788–? Ren Dong (任侗), 793–? Han Cha (韓察), 821–823 Ying Biao (應彪), 823–? Li Wenru (李文孺), 829–? Yu Jiyou (于季友), 832–? Zhang Cizong (張次宗), 840s Li Jingfang (李敬方), 847–? Yin Sengbian (殷僧辯) Li Xiugu (李休古), 850s? Li Kang (李伉), 865 Cui Qi (崔琪), 874–? Zhong Jiwen (鍾季文), 881–892 Liu Wen (劉文), 880s? Yang Zhuan (羊僎), 880s? Huang Sheng (黄晟), 892–909

Wuyue

Qian Hua (錢鏵) Shen Chengye (沈承業), 916–? Qian Yuanqiu (錢元球), 916–? Qian Yuanqu (錢元[𤣩瞿]), 924–926? Qian Yuanxiang (錢元珦), ?–933 Yang Renquan, 933–? Kan Fan (闞燔), 945–? Qian Hongyi (錢弘億), 949–? Qian Weizhi (錢惟治), 975–978

Song dynasty

Wang Su (王素), 980–981 Xu Xiufu (徐休復), 981–982 Zhao Yizhi (趙易知), 982–983 Xi Ping (席平), 983–984 Qian Xiangxian (錢象先), 984?–987? Chen Jin (陳矜), 988–989 Sun Fu (孫扶), 989–990 Qiu Chongyuan (邱崇元), 990–992 Ling Jingyang (凌景陽), 990s Chen Chong (陳充), 992–994 Hu Dan (胡旦), 994–995 Bao Dang (鮑當), 996–997 Xu Jizong (徐繼宗), 997–1000 Ding Gunian (丁顧年), 1000? Wang Ying (王膺), 1008–1009 Su Qi (蘇耆), 1009–1011 Fan Feng (范諷), 1011–1013 Kang Xiaoji (康孝基), 1013–1015 Liu Chuo (劉綽), 1015–1017 Li Yigeng (李夷庚), 1017–1022 Yan Su (燕肅), 1022–1023 Lin Daishu (林殆庶), 1023–1024 Zeng Hui (曾會), 1024–1027 Liu Geng (劉賡), 1020s?/1030s? Zhang Jiao (張交), 1032–1034 Xu Qi (徐起), 1035–1036 Li Zhao (李照), 1036–1037 Zhang Yan (張弇), 1037–1038 Li Zhi (李制), 1038–1040 Bao Yazhi (鮑亞之), 1040–1041 Qian Yannian (錢延年), 1042–1044 Lu Zhen (陸軫), 1044–1046 Wang Zhou (王周), 1040s Fan Sidao (范思道), 1047–1049 Sun Gai (孫沔), 1051–1052 An Zhen (安稹) Lü Changling (呂昌齡), 1053–1054 Shen Tong (沈同), 1055–1056 Qi Kuo (齊廓), 1056–1057 Bao Ke (鮑軻), 1057–1058 Qian Gongfu (錢公輔), 1058–1060 Lang Qi (郎玘) Li Sidao (李思道), 1064–1065 Yu Changnian (俞昌年), 1065–1066 Shen Fu (沈扶), 1066–1067 Miao Zhen (苗振), 1060s?/1070s? Wang Han (王罕), 1069–1071 Zhao Cheng (趙誠), 1072?–1073? Li Yan (李綖), 1073–1074 Li Ding (李定), 1075–1078 Zeng Gong, 1078–1079 Wang Hui (王誨), 1082–1084 Ma Chong (馬珫), 1084–1085 Li Kang (李閌), 1080s?/1090s? Li Cui (李萃), 1086–1087 Zhang Xiu (張修), 1080s?/1090s? Han Zongdao (韓宗道), 1088–1089 Wang Fen (王汾), 1089 Wang Ziyuan (王子淵), 1089–1090 Liu Shu (劉淑), 1090–1091 Lü Wenqing (呂溫卿), 1091–1093 Liu Cheng (劉珵), 1093–1095 Yao Mian (姚勔), 1090s Wang Zishao (王子韶), 1096–1097 Ye Tao (葉濤), 1097–1098 Wei Xiang (韋驤), 1098 Lu Chuan (陸傳) Wang Zishen (王資深), 1102 Ye Di (葉棣) Peng Xiu (彭休) Bai Tong (白同) Qian Jingfeng (錢景逢) Song Kangnian (宋康年), 1109 Tan Zongdan (檀宗旦), 1110–1111 Cai Zhao (蔡肇), 1111 Li Tunan (李圖南), 1110s Lü Zong (呂宗), 1110s Zhou Zhi (周秩), 1114–1115 Zhou Bangyan, 1115 Mao You (毛友), 1116–1117 Lou Yi (樓异), 1117–1121? Li Youwen (李友聞), 1121–1122 Jiang Yi (蔣彝), 1122 Jiang You (蔣猷), 1122–1123 Zhao Yi (趙億), 1123–1125 Wei Xian (魏憲), 1125–1126 Li Biru (李弼孺), 1126 Li Youwen (2nd appointment), 1126–1127 Su Xi (蘇攜), 1127–1128 Jin Shou (金受), 1128–1129 Shen Hui (沈晦), 1129–1130 Zhang Ruzhou (張汝舟), 1130 Liu Hongdao (劉洪道), 1130 Xiang Zimin (向子忞), 1130 Wu Mao (吳懋), 1130–1132 Chen Jian (陳戩), 1132 Lu Changmin (陸長民), 1132–1133 Li Chengzao (李承造), 1133 Guo Zhongxun (郭仲荀), 1133–1135 Qiu Yu (仇悆), 1135–1138 Zhou Gang (周綱), 1138–1139 Pan Lianggui (潘良貴), 1139–1140 Qiu Yu (2nd appointment), 1140–1141 Liang Rujia (梁汝嘉), 1141–1142 Mo Jiang (莫將), 1142–1145 Qin Di (秦棣), 1145–1147 Xu Chen (徐琛), 1147–1150 Cao Yong (曹泳), 1150–1152 Han Jin (韓璡), 1152–1153 Li Zhuang (李莊), 1153–1154 Wang Hui (王會), 1154–1155 Li Chong (李㳘), 1155 Fang Zi (方滋), 1155 Wang Yu (王俁), 1155–1156 Jiang Shizhong (姜師仲), 1156–1158 Zhao Shanji (趙善繼), 1158–1159 Zhang Cheng (張偁), 1159–1160 Shen Gai (沈該), 1160–1162 Han Zhongtong (韓仲通), 1162–1163 Zhao Zisu (趙子潚), 1163–1164 Zhao Bogui (趙伯圭), 1164–1167 Zhang Jin (張津), 1167–1169 Zhao Bogui (2nd appointment), 1169–1174 Zhao Kai (趙愷), 1174–1180 Fan Chengda, 1180–1181 Zhao Yi (趙益), 1181 Xie Shiji (謝師稷), 1181–1182 Yang Xie (楊獬), 1182–1184 Zhao Shikui (趙師夔), 1184–1186 Geng Bing (耿秉), 1186 Yan Xi (延璽), 1186 Yue Fu (岳甫), 1186–1189 Lin Li (林栗), 1189–1190 Cheng Dachang (程大昌), 1190–1191 Lin Ji (林枅), 1191 Yu Chou (虞儔), 1191 Gao Kui (高夔), 1191–1193 Zhu Quan (朱佺), 1193–1194 He Dan (何澹), 1194–1195

References