Han dynasty bamboo slips from Xuanquan regarding the daily operation of the Xuanquan zhi, a postal institution of the Han dynasty, have provided much information about local social and political systems due to its close association with local institutions. The changes of "ling" and "zhang," senior officials of the counties within the Dunhuang Prefecture, and the system of acting officials of both prefectures and counties were historical facts previously missing in other historical records. A discussion of these changes will be useful for better understanding Han Dynasty official systems and for researching the regional political history of northwest China.
