Painted pottery silo

　　A qūn is a place for storing grain, namely a granary. Round ones are called qūn, and square ones are called cāng. Grain is the foundation of governance. In the Han Dynasty, the central official in charge of grain was the zhìsù nèishǐ, later renamed dàsīnóng by Emperor Wu, who was responsible for the collection and distribution of grain throughout the empire. The dàsīnóng had subordinate officials, including the tàicāng lìng. The grain in the tàicāng originated from the commanderies and kingdoms. Local authorities were responsible for safeguarding grain but did not have the power to distribute it.