Cangwu's territory was located in the modern provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong, with its capital at Guangxin (廣信), present-day Wuzhou.
[1] Cangwu Commandery was established in 112 BC, when the Han dynasty annexed the Nanyue kingdom.
In late Western Han period, it had a population of 24,739 households (146,160 individuals) in its 10 counties, namely Guangxin, Xiemu (謝沐), Gaoyao (高要), Fengyang (封陽), Linhe (臨賀), Duanxi (端谿), Fengcheng (馮乘), Fuchuan (富川), Lipu (荔蒲), Mengling (猛陵).
When Jin dynasty unified China in 280, Cangwu consisted of 12 counties and recorded a population of 7,700 households.
[4] During the reign of Emperor Mu of Jin, three more commanderies – Jinkang (晉康), Xinning (新寧) and Yongping (永平) – were created on the lands of Cangwu.