Jiaozhou Province

Lore & Background

In 111 BC, Emperor Wu's armies conquered the rebel state of Nanyue and organized the area as the circuit of Jiaozhi, under the rule of a cishi. Six original commanderies—Nanhai, Hepu, Cangwu, Yulin, Jiaozhi, and Jiuzhen—were established, and new territories on Hainan and south of the Ngang Pass were added as Zhuya, Dan'er, and Rinan. In 203 CE, the Jiaozhi circuit was raised to a province named Jiaozhou. Following Shi Xie's death in 226 CE, Eastern Wu divided Jiaozhou into Guangzhou and a new Jiaozhou.

After suppressing Shi Hui, Shi Xie's son, Wu re-annexed Guangzhou into Jiaozhou. In 264 CE, Jiaozhou was re-divided: Guangzhou took Nanhai, Cangwu, and Yulin, while the new Jiaozhou held Hepu, Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan. That same year, a Roman envoy arrived in Jiaozhi and was hastened to the Wu court. In 229, Eastern Wu sent an embassy to Funan, where merchants from India and beyond gathered.

The Wu regime was harsh. In 231, Lac Viet people in Jiuzhen revolted but were pacified by a Wu general. In 248, Lam Ap forces seized most of Rinan and marched into Jiuzhen, provoking uprisings. A Jiaozhi rebel commanded thousands and invested several walled towns before Wu officials got him to surrender.

In Jiuzhen, a Lac Viet woman named Trieu Au (Lady Trieu) led a rebellion in 248, but was suppressed by Lu Yin. In 263, 'Yue barbarians' in Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen under La Hung revolted against Wu, handing the region to the northern Chinese kingdom of Jin. In 268 and 269, they held off large Wu armies and fleets, which retook Jiaozhi's ports and main towns in 271. Fighting continued until 280, when Jin destroyed Wu, reunifying China.

Reader's Guide

Jiaozhou's history is defined by its commanderies: Nanhai, Hepu, Cangwu, Yulin, Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and later Zhuya, Dan'er, and Rinan. Key events include the 264 CE division by Eastern Wu, the 248 rebellion of Lady Trieu, and the 263 revolt of La Hung. The province saw the rise of Ly Bon's Van Xuan kingdom in 544 and its fall to Sui in 602. The Annan Protectorate replaced Jiaozhou in 679. The Ming dynasty revived the name 'Jiaozhi' for northern Vietnam.

Did You Know?

• In 446, Liu Song invaders plundered Lam Ap's capital, carrying off 100,000 pounds of gold.
• In 583, local leader Ly Huu Vinh sent a trained elephant to the Chen court.