Yicheng District 驿城区

History

The district government traces the place to a post station (驿站) set up in the Chenghua reign of the Ming and calls it the birthplace of post-station culture. The earlier city was replaced by the district in 2000. The district also calls itself the home of Yang Jingyu (杨靖宇), the anti-Japanese resistance leader who commanded the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army and was killed when surrounded by Japanese troops in Mengjiang county, Jilin, in February 1940.

What to see

Jinding Mountain (金顶山), in Yifeng town (蚁蜂镇), is a 4A scenic area and national forest park where the Funiu (伏牛山) and Tongbai (桐柏山) ranges meet, on the transition between subtropical and northern temperate climates. It has six peaks, with a water park and a zoo in the scenic area.

The Royal Post Station (皇家驿站), a 4A scenic area 500 metres west of the junction of Tianzhongshan Avenue and Yulan Road, is a Ming-style town built around post-station culture on 3,359 mu. Its buildings include a Huanghua Palace (皇华宫), a Zhuma post house (驻马驿) and an express-relay post (急递铺).

The Yang Jingyu Memorial (杨靖宇将军纪念馆) stands at his former home in Liwan village (李湾村), Gucheng township (古城乡). Begun in autumn 1966 and opened after enlargement in 1981, it has a stone statue of Yang facing south, a nine-room exhibition hall, and the house where he was born, with furniture he used and a Chinese scholar tree he planted as a child.

The district also contains Banqiao Reservoir (板桥水库), a large water-control project that supplies Zhumadian's water, and Suya Lake (宿鸭湖), which the district calls the largest artificial lake on a plain in Asia.

Highlights

• Jinding Mountain 金顶山: 4A scenic area and national forest park where the Funiu and Tongbai ranges meet.
• Royal Post Station 皇家驿站: 4A Ming-style post-station town on 3,359 mu.
• Yang Jingyu Memorial 杨靖宇将军纪念馆: Memorial and birthplace house in Liwan village, opened after enlargement in 1981.
• Suya Lake 宿鸭湖: Called by the district the largest artificial lake on a plain in Asia.