Get to know Xianning
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Hubei
- Chinese name
- 咸宁市
- Local areas
- 6 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 9,750.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 2,658,316
- Administrative seat
- Xian'an District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Transportation
Xianning has major rail lines, including the Beijing-Guangzhou line, many national highways, and a large stretch of the Yangtze River, making it an important transportation and shipping center.
Tourism
Xianning's biggest tourist draw is its natural scenery. There are many sites including Taiyi Cave (太乙洞), Star Bamboo Sea (星星竹海), Mount Jiugong (九宫山, in Tongshan County), Lushui Lake (陆水湖), as well as the historical site the Chibi Ancient Ruins (赤壁遗址).
At the "Underground Project 131" site, some 15 km southeast of downtown Xianning (within Xian'an District, tourists can visit a system of tunnels that were built in 1969–71 to accommodate national military headquarters in the case of a war, but never used. The Xianning Sports Centre Stadium is located in the city. It has a capacity of 12,000 and it attracts many football fans from the region.
Explore Xianning
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Xianning
Yunzhong Lake at Jiugong Mountain · 九宫山云中湖 Photograph date recorded by the source: 17 September 2024, 14:03:57.Jiugong Mountain九宫山
Jiugong Mountain rises above Tongshan with a high lake settlement, wooded ravines and exposed summit viewpoints. Yunzhong Lake is the practical centre for a mountain stay, while Tonggubao offers broad ridge views and Shilong…
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The main gate of the Three Kingdoms Red Cliffs Battlefield scenic area in Chibi · 湖北赤壁三国赤壁古战场景区大门 Source-recorded photograph date: 2015-07-22 13:10:15.Three Kingdoms Red Cliffs Battlefield三国赤壁古战场
The Red Cliffs battlefield attraction at Chibi presents the history and later cultural memory of the Three Kingdoms battle beside the Yangtze.
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View over Xianning city from Qianshan National Forest Park, Xian'an District, Xianning · 湖北省咸宁市咸安区潜山国家森林公园俯瞰市区 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 25 July 2011.Qianshan National Forest Park潜山国家森林公园
Qianshan National Forest Park (潜山国家森林公园) is a wooded hill of 683 hectares rising directly above the Wenquan urban area of Xian'an District in Xianning, southern Hubei, approved as a national forest park by the former Ministry of Forestry in 1996.
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AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Sanhu Lianjiang Scenic Area三湖连江
Sanhu Lianjiang (三湖连江) is a scenic area of linked lakes and river frontage at Jiayu County, in the Xianning area of southern Hubei, on the south bank of the middle Yangtze.
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The rock-face entrance and pool of Yinshui Cave, Tongshan County · 通山县隐水洞地质公园，洞口与水潭 Source-recorded photograph date: 2019-04-26.Yinshui Cave隐水洞
Yinshuidong (隐水洞) is a karst cave and geopark in Tongshan County, in the Xianning area of southern Hubei, formed in limestone country and carrying an underground river through its passages.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Xianning local specialties
咸宁市特色美食 · 9 specialties to discover
Heshengqiao chicken soup 贺胜桥鸡汤AI illustration · AI 示意图
The broth is savory and rounded, while the chicken retains a more definite bite than a blended or heavily thickened soup.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Xianning Osmanthus Rice Cake 咸宁桂花糕Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Xianning Osmanthus Rice Cake (咸宁桂花糕) is a cake made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and honeyed osmanthus blossom (蜜桂花) in Xian'an district (咸安区) of Xianning (咸宁), Hubei.
Read the dish guide →
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Jiayu Paizhou Fish Balls 嘉鱼簰洲鱼圆AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Jiayu Paizhou Fish Balls (嘉鱼簰洲鱼圆) are fish balls from Jiayu County (嘉鱼县) in Xianning (咸宁), Hubei, whose towns include Paizhouwan (簰洲湾镇).
Read the dish guide →Chibi Steamed Fish Cake 赤壁鱼糕AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Chibi Steamed Fish Cake (赤壁鱼糕) is a steamed cake of finely scraped freshwater fish from Chibi (赤壁), a city in Xianning (咸宁), Hubei.
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Tongshan Sweet Potato Starch Dumplings 通山包坨
Tongshan Sweet Potato Starch Dumplings (通山包坨) are round parcels of sweet-potato starch dough around a savoury stir-fried filling, made in Tongshan county (通山县) in Xianning (咸宁), Hubei.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Chongyang Fried Dough Twists 崇阳麻花
Chongyang Fried Dough Twists (崇阳麻花) include the small, ridged twists made by Zhongwang (众望) in Chongyang (崇阳).
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Tongcheng Steamer-Cooked Cake 通城甑蒸糕AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Tongcheng Steamer-Cooked Cake (通城甑蒸糕) is a small steamed rice cake from Tongcheng County (通城县) in Xianning (咸宁), Hubei.
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Hesheng Chicken Soup 贺胜鸡汤Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Hesheng Chicken Soup (贺胜鸡汤) is a chicken soup from Hesheng (贺胜) in Xian'an District (咸安区) of Xianning (咸宁), Hubei, made with farm-raised hens, spring water and sweet-potato starch noodles.
Read the dish guide →
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All dish names · 全部菜名 (9)
- Heshengqiao chicken soup · 贺胜桥鸡汤
- Xianning Osmanthus Rice Cake · 咸宁桂花糕
- Jiayu Paizhou Fish Balls · 嘉鱼簰洲鱼圆
- Chibi Steamed Fish Cake · 赤壁鱼糕
- Tongshan Sweet Potato Starch Dumplings · 通山包坨
- Chongyang Fried Dough Twists · 崇阳麻花
- Tongcheng Steamer-Cooked Cake · 通城甑蒸糕
- Hesheng Chicken Soup · 贺胜鸡汤
- Cured Pork Braised with Bamboo Shoots · 腊肉炖笋
More dishes from across Hubei are in the Hubei food guide.
Counties & districts in Xianning
6 areas belong directly to Xianning.
6 areas
Xian'an District 咸安区
Xian'an is a district of the city of Xianning, Hubei, China.
Explore the area →CountyJiayu County 嘉鱼县
Jiayu County (simplified Chinese: 嘉鱼县; traditional Chinese: 嘉魚縣; pinyin: Jiāyú Xiàn) is a county of southeastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, located on the southeast (right) bank of the…
Explore the area →CountyTongcheng County 通城县
Tongcheng is the governmental seat and the name of a county in Xianning City, Hubei, People's Republic of China, bordering the provinces of Jiangxi (to the east) and Hunan (to the south and west).
Explore the area →CountyChongyang County 崇阳县
Chongyang County (simplified Chinese: 崇阳县; traditional Chinese: 崇陽縣; pinyin: Chóngyáng Xiàn) is a county of southeastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hunan province to the west and…
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Tongshan County 通山县
Tongshan (simplified Chinese: 通山县; traditional Chinese: 通山縣; pinyin: Tōngshān Xiàn) is a county of Xianning City, in the southeastern part of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Jiangxi to…
Explore the area →County-level cityChibi 赤壁市
Chibi is a county-level city in southeastern Hubei province, China. Neighboring Wuhan in the north and Yueyang in the south, Chibi is called the "South Gate of Hubei".
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 咸宁市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Jiugong Mountain and Three Kingdoms Red Cliffs Battlefield are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Hubei →More in Hubei
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Background text adapted from Xianning — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1352400309.
Photo: Jiugong Mountain · Ddayzzz · Ddayzzz — 九宫山云中湖景区.jpg — CC BY 4.0 · CC BY 4.0. The exact downloaded source bytes are separately retained and hashed. Prepared JPEG is proportionally reduced to a maximum 720-pixel long edge; full frame retained, no subject alteration. Final website rendition: full frame retained, proportionally resized to at most 720 pixels and converted to WebP. No additional retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Three Kingdoms Red Cliffs Battlefield · Ddayzzz · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Qianshan National Forest Park · xianning · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Yinshui Cave · Hbysyg502 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.