▁of ▁which ▁being ▁rivers ▁and ▁mountains . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁this ▁term ▁is ▁also ▁common ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁phrase ▁Ji ang sh an ▁she ji ▁( ; ▁; ▁lit . ▁" ri vers ▁and ▁mountains , ▁soil ▁and ▁gra in "), ▁suggesting ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁implement ▁good ▁govern ance . ▁ ▁Ji uz hou ▁▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Ji uz hou ▁( ; ▁) ▁means ▁" n ine ▁provinces ". ▁W id ely ▁used ▁in ▁pre - mod ern ▁Chinese ▁text , ▁the ▁word ▁origin ated ▁during ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁W arring ▁States ▁period ▁of ▁China ▁( c . ▁ 4 0 0 – 2 2 1 ▁B CE ). ▁ ▁During ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁Y ellow ▁River ▁river ▁region ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁nine ▁ge ographical ▁regions ; ▁thus ▁this ▁name ▁was ▁co ined . ▁Some ▁people ▁also ▁attribute ▁this ▁word ▁to ▁the ▁myth ical ▁hero ▁and ▁king , ▁Yu ▁the ▁Great , ▁who , ▁in ▁the ▁legend , ▁divided ▁China ▁into ▁nine ▁provinces ▁during ▁his ▁reign . ▁( Cons ult ▁Z hou ▁for ▁more ▁information .) ▁ ▁Sh enz hou ▁ ▁This ▁name ▁means ▁Div ine ▁Land ▁( ; ▁) ▁and ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁period ▁as ▁Ji uz hou ▁meaning ▁" n ine ▁provinces ". ▁It ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁world ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁nine ▁major ▁states , ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁Sh enz hou , ▁which ▁is ▁in ▁turn ▁divided ▁into ▁nine ▁smaller ▁states , ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁Ji uz hou ▁mentioned ▁above . ▁ ▁S ih ai