Both the director and the governor are the names of the head of the East Factory, generally held by the big eunuch, who is the head of etiquette and the eunuch who holds the pen.

Dongchang is the earliest national spy intelligence agency established in the history of the world, with branches as far as the Korean peninsula. The location is in the north of Dong 'anmen (now Beijing) in Shi Jing (next to Donghuamen). In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Royal Guards were juxtaposed with the East and West Factories, and their activities were strengthened. They are usually collectively referred to as "factory guards". The power of the East Factory is above the Royal Guards, and it is only responsible to the emperor. Without the approval of the judicial organs, they can supervise and arrest their subjects at will, thus opening the door for the eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty to interfere in politics.