Songzhou or Song Prefecture (宋州) was a zhou (prefecture) in imperial China centering on modern Shangqiu, Henan, China. It existed (intermittently) from 596 to 1006. Songzhou was established in 596, during the Sui dynasty, with its administrative seat at Suiyang County. This region got its name because of the Song state which existed in the Zhou dynasty, from 11th century to 3rd century AD. Historically, the founder of Liu Song dynasty, Emperor Wu of Song adopted this as the name of his country.