fu

The term "fu" can refer to two distinct subjects:

1. A Chinese bronze vessel: Used for holding food, these vessels were primarily produced during the middle Zhou period through the Warring States period (approximately 900–221 bc). They are rectangular, supported by feet, and have a lid similar to the bottom. Ancient texts also refer to this vessel as hu or hulian.1

2. A Chinese government unit: In the Ming dynasty, a fu was a supervisory prefecture, typically governed from and dominated by a large city. These prefectures were subordinate to provincial-level governments and comprised clusters of districts (xian).2