Jingzhou District 荆州区

Setting and landscape

The walled city marks a divide: north of it the district is mostly hills, south of it plain. Besides the Yangtze, the Juzhang River (沮漳河) and the Hudu River (虎渡河) pass through, and Lingjiao Lake (菱角湖) takes in four lakes. The climate is humid northern-subtropical monsoon, with rain falling in the hot months.

History

In 689 BC King Wen of Chu (楚文王) moved his capital to Ying, today's Ji'nan Cheng, and Chu ruled from there for more than 400 years. The Han set up the Jingzhou regional inspectorate in 106 BC; in the Three Kingdoms period Wei, Shu and Wu split Jingzhou until it passed to Wu. In 1982 the State Council named the old city among China's first 24 historic and cultural cities. The district was created in 1994, when Jingzhou prefecture, Shashi city and Jiangling County (江陵县) were abolished and combined into one prefecture-level city.

What to see

The city wall of Jingzhou Ancient City, a national key cultural relics protection site, keeps its Ming and Qing layout: an irregular oval 3.75 km east to west and 1.2 km north to south, 11.28 km round and on average 8.83 m high, with a moat outside. Its footings are dressed stone and its brick courses are bonded with sticky-rice lime mortar. Over the east gate, Yinbin Gate (寅宾门), stands the Binyang Tower (宾阳楼), first built in the Ming and rebuilt in 1861; the Chaozong Tower (朝宗楼) over the Great North Gate, built in 1838, is the only old building left standing on the wall.

Inside the walls, Jingzhou Museum (荆州博物馆) occupies the Kaiyuan Taoist temple (开元观) and holds more than 130,000 objects. They include Warring States silks, swords of four Yue kings, the spear of King Fuchai of Wu (吴王夫差), early Han bamboo texts such as the mathematical Suan shu shu (算数书), and a Western Han male body. The Guandi Temple (关帝庙) inside the South Gate was founded in 1396 and honours Guan Yu (关羽); the former residence of the Ming chief grand secretary Zhang Juzheng (张居正故居) is in the east of the old city.

Outside the walls, Ji'nan Cheng takes its name from lying south of Mount Ji (纪山); twenty Chu kings ruled from it over 411 years. The Xiongjiazhong (熊家冢) Chu tombs, 45 km from the old city, include a chariot-and-horse pit 131.4 m long. The Baling Mountain (八岭山) scenic area, 12 km from the Great North Gate, is named for its eight ridges.

Highlights

• Jingzhou city wall 荆州城墙: Ming and Qing wall 11.28 km round, stone-footed and bonded with sticky-rice lime mortar.
• Jingzhou Museum 荆州博物馆: In the Kaiyuan temple; Warring States silks, Yue king swords and early Han bamboo texts.
• Ji'nan Cheng 纪南城: Site of the Chu capital Ying, seat of twenty Chu kings for 411 years.
• Guandi Temple 关帝庙: Temple to Guan Yu inside the South Gate, founded in 1396.
• Xiongjiazhong Chu tombs 熊家冢: Chu burial ground 45 km from the old city with a 131.4 m chariot-and-horse pit.