Treatise on Armament Technology

The following place names are presented in rectangular cartouches on the map, representing administrative divisions—specifically prefectures and counties—within the western and northern stretches of Huguang Province.

• Northern Region: Yun County, Zhushan, Shangjin, Yunxi, Fang County, Gucheng, Guanghua, Jun County, Nanzhang, Zaoyang, Yicheng These areas represent the mountainous northern border near the Han River, traditionally a strategic buffer zone between central China and the northwest.
• Central Region: Yuan'an, Jingmen, Dangyang, Zhijiang, Qianjiang, Jingzhou, Gong’an, Songzi, Shimen, Cili, Lizhou, Anxiang, Taoyuan Jingzhou was a historically significant military stronghold and administrative hub on the Yangtze River.
• Western Region: Xingshan, Zigui, Badong, Jianshi, Lichuan, Enshi, Xuan’en, Xianfeng, Hefeng, Wufeng, Laifeng, Changyang, Yidu, Yichang This region contains the rugged Three Gorges area and the "Tusi" ancestral territories where local chieftains often held sway under imperial oversight.
• South-Western Region: Yuanzhou, Yuanling, Luxi, Chenxi, Xupu, Suining, Jingzhou, Huitong, Tianzhu, Tongdao, Qianyang, Zhijiang, Huangzhou, Chenzhou, Fenghuang, Mayang, Yongshun, Longshan, Baojing, Guzhang, Sangzhi Fenghuang and Yongshun are notable centers of Miao and Tujia ethnic culture; these areas marked the frontier with the southwestern provinces.

Technical terms used in the source:

• Huguang Province (湖廣省): A major province during the Ming and Qing dynasties that was later split into Hubei ("North of the Lake") and Hunan ("South of the Lake").
• Gazetteer (輿圖/方輿): A geographical record or map detailing the land, history, and administration of a region.
• Boundaries (界): Used here to indicate the administrative limits where Huguang ends and neighboring provinces like Henan or Shaanxi begin.