Xianning & Jiugong Mountain

China's "Home of Osmanthus" and "City of Hot Springs": a summer retreat at Yunzhong Lake on Jiugong Mountain, the Yinshui and Taiyi karst caves, and Wuhan's favorite hot-spring getaway.

Xianning lies in southeastern Hubei, bordering Wuhan to the north and Hunan and Jiangxi to the south, and is known as China's "Home of Osmanthus" and "City of Hot Springs." This destination uses downtown Xianning (Xian'an District) as its base and covers Jiugong Mountain, Yinshui Cave and the Tomb of Li Zicheng in Tongshan County to the south; the Red Cliff battlefield and Yangloudong to the west are covered separately under the "Chibi" destination. The area splits into three parts. In and around the city, hot springs are the main draw: a string of hot-spring resorts lines both banks of the Gan River, and together with Taiyi Cave, Qianshan Forest Park, the Xianning Museum and the Xiangyang Lake former residences of cultural figures, they make an easy weekend break. The east and south of Xian'an District offer seasonal flowers and greenery at Guihua Town, the Xingxing Bamboo Sea and the azalea fields of Damu Mountain. The Tongshan County route is about scenery and history: Jiugong Mountain rises to over 1,600 m, and Yunzhong Lake near its summit is one of Hubei's best-known summer retreats; Tonggubao Peak offers sunrises over a sea of clouds; the Tomb of Li Zicheng at the foot of the mountain is said to mark where the rebel leader died; Yinshui Cave is famous for entering by mini train and leaving by boat; and Fushui Lake and the Wang Mingfan Mansion make good stops on a road trip. Seasonally, osmanthus is in bloom in Sep–Oct, hot-spring season runs Nov–Mar, Jiugong Mountain is a cool escape in Jul–Aug, the azaleas of Damu Mountain peak in mid-to-late April, and in winter you can see snow and ski on Jiugong Mountain. Getting there: Xianning North Station on the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway is about 30 minutes from Wuhan; the city is about 70 km (roughly 1.5 hours' drive) from Jiugong Mountain, on a winding mountain road—check for road closures during winter snow and ice. Plan on 2–3 days: one day for the city's hot springs and Taiyi Cave, and one or two days for Jiugong Mountain, the Tomb of Li Zicheng and Yinshui Cave in Tongshan. Local specialties include osmanthus cake, osmanthus tea, Tongshan baotuo dumplings and Fushui fish. Check each site's official announcements for tickets and opening hours.

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