Wu Kingdom Capital in Ezhou

( chinadaily.com.cn, ezhou.gov.cn )

Updated: 2012-02-07

Ezhou, hometown of King of Wu

Ezhou city (photo from nipic.com)

In the 5,000- year history of Chinese nation, there are two cities named Wuchang: the present one is Wuchang district of Wuhan city, and Ezhou city was also named Wuchang in ancient time.

Ancient Wuchang (Ezhou) had witnessed the stateliness of the Wu Kingdom Capital, the great teams of ships and the large groups of merchants.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), the king of Chu conferred the title "King of E State” on his son--Xiong Hong who once built the castle for himself here. That is why “E” is for short of Hubei province now.

Summer house of the King of Wu

In AD 221, with a large population of the Wu State and Yue State and the drainage area of the three rivers, Sun Quan—King of Wu State proclaimed himself the emperor of Wu Kingdom, renamed the E County as Wuchang with the meaning of “prosperity due to martialism” and made it as the capital of the kingdom. From then on, time-honored and rich, Ezhou has become stronger and stronger for over 1,750 years.

The ancient Wuchang (Ezhou) and the present Wuchang have a close affiliation. Before the Tang Dynasty, the Wuchang provincial government office was set in Ezhou, and after the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty, provincial government office was set in the present Wuchang and Ezhou, which became a county government.

The statue of Sun Quan

"The past events have faded away, whereas the relic is still showing us silently about the story”, as one poem says. a large number of remains of the Three Kingdoms, such as Castle of King Wu，Wuchang Tower, Sword-testing Stone and so on，tell the people about the brilliance and glory of ancient Wuchang (Ezhou) a thousand years ago. The glorious ancient capital of King Wu-Ezhou will win a new period of prosperity.

Wuchang Building on West Hill