The name
长治 means "long-lasting order", given in 1529 by the Ming Jiajing Emperor after he suppressed a local rebellion. Historically known as
上党 (Shangdang, "highlands"), it sits on a plateau that was strategically coveted in antiquity - the battle of
长平 (260 BC), where Qin buried 400,000 Zhao soldiers alive, took place nearby.
