During the Han dynasty, the city was part of the Dingxiang Commandery and is known as Chengle County.
Towards the end of the dynasty, the commandery was abandoned due to the Xiongnu invasions.
Tuoba Gui, the grandson of the last Dai king, founded the Northern Wei empire.
In 398, he moved the capital to the city of Pingcheng (modern-day Datong) in Shanxi Province.
[citation needed] The site would later become the capital of the Zhenwu County of the Liao dynasty.