The Fen River, a major tributary of the Yellow, flows westward through the county.

The county executive, legislature, and judiciary are in Longxing Town (龙兴镇), together with the CPC and PSB branches.

Until recently, its industry was dominated by the production of handicrafts, including lacquerware, embroidery, and leather goods, as well as the manufacture of drugs.

The county is the home of the Jiangzhou Drum Troupe (山西绛州鼓乐团, also known as Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Art Ensemble, 山西绛州鼓乐艺术团), China's most famous traditional percussion ensemble, which was founded in 1987.

[4] Until the Xinhai Revolution, Xinjiang was known as Jiangzhou (Chinese: 绛州; pinyin: Jiàngzhōu).