Zi Collection, Page Position: Lower Radical: Child (ér) Character: Yan Kangxi strokes: 9 Page 125, Entry 15 Pronounced yan (rising tone) According to the Tang Rhyme (Tangyun), Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), and Rhyme Meeting (Yunhui), the pronunciation is yan (rising tone). According to the Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun), the pronunciation is yan (rising tone), following the initial sound of yan in the rising tone. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen), the character Yan in Yanzhou refers to one of the Nine Provinces with moist soil. Book of Documents (Shangshu), section Tribute of Yu (Yu Gong): The area between the Ji and Yellow Rivers is Yanzhou. Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu), Yuanyuanmingbao: The five stars correspond to Yanzhou. Yan means to be upright and to be trustworthy. According to the Rhyme Meeting (Yunhui), the name is derived from flowing water. During the Northern Wei dynasty, Southern Yanzhou was established in Qiao, and Western Yanzhou was established in Dingtao. During the Sui dynasty, it was renamed Luzhou. During the Tang dynasty, it was restored as Yanzhou. During the Song dynasty, it was known as Xiqing Prefecture. It is also a surname according to the Rhyme Meeting (Yunhui). According to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), it is interchangeable with the character Yan.