Jingzhou

Ancient capital of the Chu state and a famous Three Kingdoms city, with intact Ming–Qing walls you can cycle all the way around, and the Jingzhou Museum's Chu lacquerware and Western Han mummy.

Jingzhou lies in south-central Hubei Province on the Jianghan Plain along the middle Yangtze, and is a National Historical and Cultural City. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the state of Chu kept its capital at Jinan City for over 400 years. In the Three Kingdoms era, the famous stories of "Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou" and "Guan Yu carelessly losing Jingzhou" played out here, and the Ming-dynasty Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng was also born here. Today's urban area consists of the Jingzhou Ancient City (Jingzhou District) and Shashi District to the east; the old city walls are remarkably well preserved and protected as a Major Historical and Cultural Site.

Areas to explore: ① Jingzhou Ancient City — about 11 km of walls and moat encircling the old town, with Binyang Tower at the East Gate and the Great North Gate; inside are the Jingzhou Museum, Kaiyuan Temple, the Guandi Temple, Zhang Juzheng's Former Residence and Xuanmiao Temple, with Taihui Temple outside the West Gate. ② The northern outskirts — the ruins of the Chu capital Jinan City and Fantawild Oriental Heritage Jingzhou. ③ Shashi District — Wanshou Pagoda and the Jingjiang Levee, Zhongshan Park and Zhanghua Temple. ④ Further afield — the Xiongjiazhong Chu tombs and chariot-and-horse pits in Chuandian Town, plus Honghu Wetland and Qujiawan about 120 km southeast (a day trip).

Seasons: March–May and September–November are best for cycling the walls; summers are muggy, but July–August is lotus season at Honghu; winters are damp and cold. Getting there: Jingzhou Station has high-speed trains to Wuhan (about 1 hour), Yichang and Chongqing, and Shashi Airport has flights; in the old city it is easy to get around by bike or taxi. Allow 2 days: one in the old city cycling the walls and visiting the museum, and one for Shashi and Jinan City — or set aside a day just for Honghu. Local food includes Jingzhou fish cake, Gong'an beef "three delicacies" (beef, tripe and tendon hotpot), zaotang noodles and guokui flatbread. Note: the famous Sword of Goujian is held by the Hubei Provincial Museum, and the giant Guan Yu statue formerly at Guan Gong Yiyuan Park has been dismantled and is being relocated.

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