Liangzhe Circuit
Liangzhe Circuit was one of the major circuits during the Song dynasty. Its administrative area corresponds roughly to modern Zhejiang, Shanghai, and southern Jiangsu. The fertile Yangtze River Delta lay within Liangzhe Circuit, as did Lake Tai. Liangzhe was the wealthiest circuit in Song.
The capital of Liangzhe Circuit was Hang Prefecture.History
Liangzhe Circuit was created in 997, about 19 years after the Wuyue king Qian Chu surrendered his kingdom to the Song dynasty. The name Liangzhe had been in use to refer to the two Tang dynasty circuits Zhejiang East Circuit and Zhejiang West Circuit, both created in 758 and later controlled by Wuyue. Liangzhe Circuit was not identical to Wuyue territory: it included former Southern Tang prefectures like Chang Prefecture and Run Prefecture, but not Fu Prefecture.
In 1074, Liangzhe Circuit was divided into 2 circuits: Liangzhe East Circuit and Liangzhe West Circuit, but quickly recombined. After another brief split between 1076 and 1077, Liangzhe Circuit was permanently split in two in the 1160s.
