Heihe, formerly Aihui or Aigun, is among one of the five oldest cities in Heilongjiang Province. Human beings started to settle in Heihe region as early as the Paleolithic Age. Later it became home to local tribes. During the Qing Dynasty, Heihe was the first place troops sent to Heilongjiang were stationed. The predecessor of today's Heihe was the town established in 1683 some 30 km south of the modern city site (in today's Aihui District) and was known as Aigun, Heilongjiang, "the Black Dragon River" - the name for the Amur River in Chinese and Manchu, respectively. Aigun was the capital of Heilongjiang Province from 1683 to 1690, before the capital was moved to Nenjiang. Later the governor office was transferred to Qiqihar. However, Aigun remained the seat of the Deputy Lieutenant-General (Fu dutong), responsible for a large district covering much of the Amur Valley within the province of Heilongjiang as it existed in those days.