The Empire of Yanjing (pronounced yann-JIHNG, soft "j") was a country in the eastern part of the Emelanese Universe. It was based on China and the years were named after animals, e.g. Year of the Crow, Year of the Cat and Year of the Turtle. The latter was in 1039 K.F.. Yanjing was famous for its shakkan trees, which were developed by Yanjingyi gardeners over a period of a thousand years. The emperor of Yanjing had the largest known collection of miniature trees. Snow leopards were known to live in the southern mountains of Yanjing. A strong blend of black tea came from Yanjing, which, combined with stimulants like foxglove, allowed Yarrun Firetamer to retain his concentration and stay awake during the fires in Gold Ridge in 1035 KF.