Ganhuang
Demographics
While Ganhuang has the typical human majority found across Covenant, this isn't quite as wide as it is in other places. This is due to the goblinoid beiren found throughout Duanjia. Most of Ganhuang's beiren are goblins or hobgoblins. Bugbears are very much a minority in the non-human population.
Foriegn travelers are quite rare for a port city, as most ships coming and going are Jiayuanese. What few foreign ships arrive are most often from Sakkal, Kemet, or much more rarely Polisia. This makes most non-human travelers found here minotaurs or tabaxi.
Government
As home to the emperor and empress, the city is nominally ruled by them. However, their attention is usually on greater matters. The city is also home to the very heart of the Jiayuanese bureaucracy, and the ministers appointed by them do most of the work in running the city. In particular, a governor is appointed to run city affairs.
The laws are enforced by a military-like city guard that serves as a wing of the Ministry of Justice. Just as it is with the rest of the Jiayuanese government, promotion within the city guard is through merit and is taken very seriously, leading to an integrity that is practically unmatched in all of Covenant.
Defences
Compared to other such communities, Ganhuang is relatively undefended. They lack a city wall and watchtowers. Their primary defense is their sheer distance from any enemies. This is the furthest place from Sokoku, so invaders from that nation must cross the entirety of Jiayuan to attack. It is separated from other lands by the largest stretch of ocean in the world.
This place is not entirely undefended, however. The city watch is made up of surprisingly effective combatants compared to other such organizations, and is perfectly capable of effectively supplementing the Jiayuanese army. The city is also home to the Academy of the Harmonious Soul, one of the most prestigious centers for the study of martial arts. Such people would be more than willing to fight for Ganhuang.
Industry & Trade
Ganhuang is the most active and prosperous trade cities in all of Duanjia, bringing in goods from Sakkal, Kemet, Polisia, and even so far as Acitern. As such, this is the best place in the entire continent to find foreign goods, such as Polisian wine and Kemetan jewelry.
This is also one of the places that all the best craftsmen of Jiayuan, and occasionally even Sokoku gather. All of the best weavers, smiths, and other professionals gather here to learn their crafts, which also makes this one of the best places to find native goods, as well.
Infrastructure
This port city was built on a peninsula jutting into the ocean. The long coastlines are used for two separate waterfronts, the one closer to to the mainland is for larger merchant vessels. Markets serving these merchants, as well as middle and upper-class housing can be found here. This is where most foreigners spend much of their time.
The other one, further from the main shoreline, serves far smaller vessels such as fishing ships. This is also where the city's poorest residents can be found. This part of Ganhuang is, in some ways, one of the most important economic centers of the city, providing much of the food that supports the population.
There is also a large island with a certain mountainous quality just off the coast. This is home to the imperial palace, the largest such complex in all of Covenant. The highest parts of the palace are built on the very top of the peak, with a commanding view of both the city and the seemingly endless waters of the sea.
History
The story goes that the city of Ganhuang dates back to the mythical period when the mortal yin and yang were at odds. Even then, Ganhuang was the most important place sought by both sides. This was the most active battleground, as if this were already the very heart of Jiayuan.
All of this changed when Zhinu, goddess of love brought together the two leaders that represented both sides in eternal love in Ganhuang. These were the first emperor and empress of legend, and the story goes they created the framework of what would become the Jiayuanese empire.
The city has rarely been threatened since, but once there was a threat so grave a hero was needed to defeat it. A t'ien lung dragon corrupted by infernal power had impersonated and replaced the emperor Tao Wei in an attempt to take control of Jiayuan.
He did not kill the emperor, however. He found it far more amusing to change his form so that no one would recognize him. Now in the body of a woman, the emperor denounced the Dragon Emperor as an imposter, but no one believed her. She was thrown into the palace dungeon.
The empress, however, recognized her and released her, ultimately sacrificing her own life. The former emperor escaped into the mountains and studied martial arts and chi manipulation. Now going by the name Tao Sing, she started to fight against the rule of the Dragon Emperor.
Eventually, Sing had the power to confront the dragon directly and challenged him. She fought him hand-to-hand and slew the creature. She then refused the title of empress allowing life in Ganhuang and Jiayuan as a whole to return to normal.
Architecture
Ganhuang is one of the greatest examples of the distinctive architectural style of Duanjia. These buildings are usually made of stone and wood, with slanted, tiled roofs like those of many other places. However, this is where the similarities end. These roofs are usually upturned in the corners. Many of the larger buildings have multiple levels, each one with the same styling on the corners.
Due to the peninsula the city is built on, there isn't quite as much room as here as there is in other places. As such, the streets are narrower and there isn't quite as much vegetation as there normally is. There simply isn't the room in most of the city for the beautiful gardens the Jiayuanese enjoy. The buildings in the upper-class parts if town often have more gliding and statuary than those of other Jiayuanese communities.
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