The main body of Zhao Yan lies in the Yellow River in the south, the sea in the east, Taihang Mountain in the west and Yanshan Mountain in the north. Geographically, it is a plain, belonging to the northern part of North China Plain, and can also be called Hebei Plain independently. It is an alluvial plain and the soil belongs to secondary loess. Crossing the plain, you often walk for hundreds of miles without seeing the ups and downs of mountains. Yanzhao culture is a plain culture.

Zhao Yan has always been famous for its agriculture. From the culture of Cishan and Peiligang 7000 years ago to An Lushan's reclamation in Hebei during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, it shows that agriculture here has a long tradition and a prosperous situation. Water conservancy irrigation was actually initiated here, but it was not popularized and continued, and it was subdivided. The agriculture here mainly uses dry land farming instead of artificial irrigation. Yanzhao culture is an agricultural culture and a dry farming culture.

In this plain agricultural area, successive governments have many important administrative agencies. During the Yanhuang period, it was called Youzhou and Jizhou. In today's Lu Yuan area of Hebei Province, Yan Di and Huangdi fought the battle between Luyuan and Hanquan. Later, Emperor Yao of Huangdi exiled the descendants of Yan Di to Youdu. Before and after that, a branch of Fuxi and his uncle also enfeoffed Youdu. Youdu, also known as Youzhou and Youling, was an important town in the north during this period. According to the records in Kuozhi of the Tang Dynasty and Landscape of Changping in the Qing Dynasty, there is an ancient Miyagi in Le Yan Village in the northeast of Miyun, Beijing, which is the exile of workers.

Shang Dynasty was the most glorious period of ancient bronze culture in China, and the relationship between merchants and Zhao Yan was particularly close. Businessmen have a legend that "a mysterious bird gives birth to a business" The mysterious bird is a swallow. The reason why Yanshan was named after Yan is probably because the ancestors of merchants once moved in the north and south of Yanshan, taking Yan as a totem. In Huailai, Hebei Province, there is Qixian, an ancient Shangqiu county, where the ancestors of the first generation of merchants lived. Wang Hai, another ancestor of the merchant, clearly recorded in the ancient bamboo book Chronicle that he had been to Yishui Valley to graze cattle and horses. Archaeologically, the cultural relics of the Shang Dynasty are widely distributed in the Zhanghe River Basin, and the largest cultural site in the late Shang Dynasty, Yin Ruins, has also been discovered here. Yin Ruins is located in Anyang City, Henan Province, north of the Yellow River. In addition to these important clues, the capitals built in this area in the Shang Dynasty include: the capital of Qi State, located in Pingshan, Hebei Province today; Gravel, the capital of Zhaoming, lies between Longping County and Ningjin County in Hebei Province. Shang Jia Hui Du Cheng Ye (Tong Gong) is located in the southwest of Linzhang County, Handan City, Hebei Province. The capital of Hejiajia is in the inner yellow of Henan Province (north of the Yellow River); The capital of Zu Ti (also known as Geng and Xing) is now Xingtai City, Hebei Province. During the Spring and Autumn Period of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the enfeoffment system was implemented. The largest enfeoffment country in Yanzhao was Yan, and Jin and Qi also occupied some areas. At the same time, many feudal countries that have continued from Shang dynasty to this day are also widely distributed in various places, and some of them are still quite active. These fiefs are: solitary bamboo, located in Lulong, Hebei Province, Ganoderma lucidum, located in Qian 'an, Luanxian County, Hebei Province; No end, in Yutian, Hebei Province today; Generation, in today's Yuxian County, Hebei Province; Fresh danger, now Zhengding, Hebei; Fat, in Gaocheng, Hebei Province today: Drum, in Jinxian County, Hebei Province today; Xing, in Xingtai City, Hebei Province. Most of these fiefs were established by the Northern Emperor and Bai Di people. After they gradually disappeared, the land they developed and the cities they built were inherited by later generations and integrated into the whole Zhao Yan area.

It turned out that Yan was founded in Hebei, which is now Beijing. Later, he moved to Linyi, now Xiongxian County, Hebei Province; And build a summer capital in Wuyang (now Yixian County, Hebei Province). During the Warring States period, another big country named Zhao was born in the region. Evonne, the first monarch of Zhao State, is a descendant of Zhao Shuai, a doctor of Jin State. After the three tribes were divided into Jin, Zhao, Han and Wei were independent. Zhao is the most active factor in the division of three ethnic groups in Jinzhong. When Sima Guang compiled Zi Tong Zhi Jian, it was in 403 BC that the three clans were divided into Jin, that is, King Weilie of Zhou officially recognized Han, Zhao and Wei as the vassal states as the starting point of the Warring States Period. It can be seen that this incident in Yanzhao region had an important impact on the whole country. Handan, located in the south, was the fief of the doctor of Jin State who was with Zhao Tongzong at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, and was called Handan Wu in history. Evonne annexed Handan. In 386 BC, the capital of Zhao moved from Jinyang to Zhongmou and then to Handan. Zhao's troops began to jump out of Taihang Mountain and spread out in an all-round way on the vast Hebei Plain. Its strength and financial resources soon surpassed those of South Korea, Wei State and ancient Yan State.

Sun Quan was another big country active in the region during the Warring States Period, and its predecessor was Xianyu State established by Di in the Spring and Autumn Period. Taohe River, which originated in Taihang Mountain and flowed out through Niangziguan, was called Mianmanshui in ancient times, also known as fresh water. Xianyu people probably lived in this area from a long time ago. By the Warring States period, Zhongshan had a strong military power, fought against Wei, Zhao, Yan and other countries for many times, joined the alliances of various countries, and attacked the State of Qin, which was repeatedly devastated. Its initial capital was in People's City, and it was moved to Gucheng in the middle, and its capital was established in the later period. 1974, the ancient city of Zhongshan and the site of JI Wang in Zhongshan were discovered in Shan Zhi Village, Pingshan, Hebei Province, and a large number of exquisite cultural relics were unearthed, which confirmed the glory and strength of Zhongshan.

In 296 BC, Zhongshan was destroyed by Zhao. Seventy years later, in 228 BC, the State of Qin destroyed the State of Zhao. In 226 BC, Yan Dou Mall was captured by the State of Qin, and the prince fled to Liaodong. In 222 BC, the State of Qin captured Liaodong and the State of Yan perished. In the war of unifying and annexing Qin, Yan was the last country to perish.

After the reunification of Qin, the county system was implemented, which was divided into 36 counties and later increased to more than 40 counties. There are ten counties in Zhao Yan, namely, Right Beiping County, with endless county governance, now Jixian County, Hebei Province; Yuyang county under the jurisdiction of Yuyang is now Miyun, Beijing; Shanggu County, which ruled Ju Yang at that time, is now Huailai, Hebei Province; On behalf of the county, the county governs the county, and now Yuxian County, Hebei Province; Yangguang County under the rule of Jixian County is now a capital city; Hengshan county, the county is in Dongheng, now Shijiazhuang, Hebei; Julu County, under the jurisdiction of Julu, is now Jize, Hebei Province; Handan county, the county is in Handan, now Handan, Hebei; Hanoi county, which governs Huai county, is now Wuzhi (north of the Yellow River) in Henan Province; East county, the county is in Puyang, now Puyang, Henan (north of the Yellow River).

During the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty, Youzhou and Jizhou were founded by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in Zhao Yan. In order to strengthen centralization, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty divided the whole country into thirteen prison areas, that is, thirteen states, and sent a secretariat to inspect the territory. At first, the secretariat was not an administrative organization, and there was no fixed official office. It was not until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty that the secretariat was transformed into an administrative region at or above the county level, with a fixed office space. The seat of the secretariat of Youzhou is located in Jixian County, Beijing today; Jizhou secretariat is located in Xindu, now Jixian County, Hebei Province. There are five counties under the jurisdiction of the secretariat of Youzhou in the Western Han Dynasty, and there are still five counties in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Jizhou secretariat of ten counties in the Western Han Dynasty and eight counties in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Youzhou and Jizhou cover most of Zhao Yan. In addition, Hanoi County belongs to Lisi Department, Pingyuan County belongs to Qingzhou Secretariat Department, and Dong Jun County belongs to Chongzhou Secretariat Department, all of which are located in the north of the Yellow River.

During the Sixteen Countries and the Northern Dynasties, Zhao Yan was founded by Hou Zhao, Hou Yan, Eastern Wei and Northern Qi. After the founding of Zhao State, Jie people first established their capital in the southwest of Xingtai, Hebei Province. After moving to Ye, I am now in Linzhang, Hebei. In its heyday, the post-Zhao dynasty owned most of Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong and Shaanxi, and some of Jiangsu, Anhui, Gansu, Hubei and Liaoning. After the mutiny, Ran Min, the general of the post-Zhao Dynasty, established Wei Ran, and he still enjoyed the country for three years. Yan Qian was originally established by the Murong Department of Xianbei, with its capital in Longcheng and now in Chaoyang, Liaoning. Then move to Ji, and then move to Ye. It is reported that most of Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and Liaoning have it. After Yan Qian was destroyed by the former Qin Dynasty, Mu Rongchui recovered after the water war and established Zhongshan as its capital, which is now Houyan, Dingxian County, Hebei Province. Houyan was defeated by the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the remaining forces retreated to Liaohe River. After the decline of the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was divided into the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty and the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Yecheng, the capital of the Eastern Wei Dynasty and the Northern Qi Dynasty, was jointly established by Gao Huan and Gao Yang.

The former Qin Dynasty established by Jian Peijun and the Northern Wei Dynasty established by Xianbei Tuoba nationality once unified the north, and their county settings covered Zhao Yan area, but the capital was not here.

Yecheng in this period is particularly noteworthy. Yecheng was built on the bank of Zhanghe River, not far from Yin Ruins of Shang Dynasty in the south, and was the capital of Wei Wenhou in the early Warring States period, with profound cultural accumulation. After the Han Dynasty, Ye was ruled by Wei Jun, and then by Jizhou and Xiangzhou. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao relied on the Emperor to command the princes, Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty took Xuchang and Luoyang as the capitals, and Cao Cao took himself as the capital of Wang Wei. Therefore, from the beginning of Jian 'an, Yecheng actually became the political and cultural center of the north. During the Sixteen Countries and the Northern Dynasties, countries such as Post-Zhao, Yan Qian, Eastern Wei and Northern Qi successively established their capitals here. The urban construction of Yecheng was also expanded twice before and after Cao Wei and Hou Zhao, and the north was the most magnificent, known as the Millennium capital. Although Yecheng has left the title of Wei County in history, it is only a hundred miles north of Handan, and it and Anyang, which is dozens of miles south of it, should undoubtedly belong to the category of Yanzhao culture.

After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the administrative scope at the state level gradually narrowed until it was on an equal footing with the county. On top of the administrative divisions at the state and county levels, the setting of pottery has been added. In the first year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan, the whole country was divided into ten roads, and in the 21st year of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, it was divided into fifteen roads, corresponding to Zhao Yan area and Hebei Road, which was located in Yuancheng, northeast of Daming, Hebei. Jurisdiction over Guangxi, Tan, Youzhou, Shangzhou, Pingzhou, Yizhou, Hengzhou, Dingzhou, Shenzhou, Yingzhou, Cangzhou, Zhaozhou, Jizhou, Xingzhou, Mianzhou and Weizhou. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the road was diverted, and Hebei Daozhi was located in Daming House, including the south of Yixian, Xiongxian and Baxian in Hebei, and the north of the Yellow River in Shandong and Henan. Sixteen states north of Iraq, Xiongan and Pakistan were successively owned by Liao and Jin. In the northern part of Liaoning, there are Nanjing Road, Xijin Mansion, Zhongdu Road, Hebei West Road, Hebei East Road and Daming Mansion Road.

During the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, with Beijing becoming the capital of the whole country, Zhao Yan area also became the capital city. In the Yuan Dynasty, the province system was implemented, and the area north of the Yellow River was called belly, which was directly under the jurisdiction of the central central province. In the Ming Dynasty, Beijing was called the capital, and most of Zhao Yan was directly under the jurisdiction of Beijing. Zhili Province was established in Qing Dynasty, and its administrative offices were successively located in Baoding, Daming and Calm. During the nearly 700 years of these three dynasties, the political, economic and cultural status of Zhao Yan has changed obviously. On the one hand, it attaches great importance to the capital city and is in the sunset, on the other hand, it is also under heavy political and economic pressure from the central government, and no matter from any aspect, Zhao Yan has increasingly lost its independence and cultural characteristics as a region. Zhao Yan area in this period, like Guanzhong area and Heluo area centered on Chang 'an and Luoyang in Han and Tang Dynasties, was no longer a local area, but an area where five parties lived and represented the central government.