City of Xiangyang

Updated: 2011-07-16

Xiangyang, formerly known as Xiangfan, is one of the oldest region in China. Human beings has been dwelling and flourishing on this land since 600,000 years ago. It was listed as the National Historical and Cultural City in 1986.

Thi city of Xiangyang has a history of 2,800 years, but the ancient city wall is well preserved. Zhuge Liang, the greatest and most popular strategist during the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220-280), lived here for 10 years and wrote many well-know literary works. Thirty-one of 120 chapters of the famous Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms occurred on this land.

Xiangyang city wall was erected in Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), rebuilt in Tang (AD 816-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties and enlarged in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The square-shaped wall, 7.5 kilometers in perimeter, 8.5 meters tall, is composed of an earth-rammed core and brick surface. The city wall was used to protect the city from military attacks and floods. Surrounded by Han River to the north and the moat on other sides, the Xiangyang city has won the reputation of "an iron-built city".

The war-ravaged Xiangyang still remains the outline of the ancient city. The northern city wall is the most complete, the tower protruded from which gives you a fantastic bird's eye view over both the human landscape of the whole city and its natural surroundings. New parks along the moat, combining ancient sites with gardens, are set to be popular resorts.

In Xiangyang, Flower Drum drama, Huojudao Music, Mountain Drums and Gongs are major folk arts. Local specialties are Xiangyang kohlrabi, Anjule honeyed dates and Longzhong green tea. Other local cuisines include beef fat noodle, tofu noodle, beef noodle, soybean noodle and rice wine. Longzhong Scenic Area, covering 209 square kilometers, includes five parts: the ancient Longzhong, Water and Mirror village, Cheng'en Temple, Qili Mountain and Hezi Chuan. In 1994, Longzhong was listed as national key scenic spots in China, and in 1996, it was designated as the national key cultural heritage protection units.

The ancient city of Longzhong, with a history of 1,700 years, is located 13 km to the west of Xiangyang city. It was where Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Kingdom Shu in the Three Kingdoms period, lived from AD 197 to 207 before he became the prime minister. Memorial buildings began to show up since the Western Jin dynasty (AD 265–316), and there were “Top 10 Sights in Longzhong” in the Ming Dynasty.