were over a hundred zhou all across China. The Sui and Tang dynasties merged zhou with the next level down, the commanderies or (). The Tang also added another level on top: the circuit or (). Henceforth, zhou were lowered to second-level status, and the word becomes translated into English as "prefecture". Thereafter, zhou continued to survive as second- or third-level political divisions until the Qing dynasty. The People's Republic of China recycled the name, using it to refer to the autonomous prefectures granted to various ethnicities. See also Administrative divisions of China Provinces of China References Administrative divisions of ancient China Types of administrative division Subdivisions of Korea