Zhanjiang, is a prefecture-level city at the southwestern end of Guangdong Province of Southern China, facing the island of Hainan to the south. Its population is 6,993,304 inhabitants at the 2010 census. 1,400,685 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts (Chikan, Xiashan, Potou and Mazhang). During the Qin Dynasty (22BC-206BC), the area of today's belonged to Xiang Shire and the central government of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) set Xuwen County administering the whole Leizhou Peninsular. It was one of the earliest departure points on the Marine Silk Road. The population spiked during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.