Jiayu County 嘉鱼县

Setting and landscape

The Yangtze runs for about 109 kilometres along the county, which lies between Wuhan to the north and Chibi to the south, with Honghu (洪湖市) across the river to the west. The land slopes from east to northwest and most of it lies between 19 and 50 metres above sea level; the highest point, Dayan Mountain (大岩山), reaches only 243 metres. The county government sums up the land as one part hills, three parts water, four parts fields and two parts roads and homesteads. Larger lakes include Dayan Lake (大岩湖), Futou Lake (斧头湖) and Xiliang Lake (西梁湖).

At Paizhou Bay (簰洲湾), described by the county government as the first bend of the Yangtze, the river that elsewhere flows east turns west for some thirty li. The Sanhu Lianjiang (三湖连江) scenic area, whose name means three lakes joining the river and where the river wraps around the county town, and Zhenhu National Wetland Park (珍湖国家湿地公园) are the other named water landscapes.

History

The county town was once called Shayang Fort (沙阳堡), and a Shayang County was set up here in 280 under the Western Jin. In 953, under the Southern Tang, it took the name Jiayu, 'fine fish', from the line 'In the south there are fine fish' in the Book of Songs (诗经). Lukou (陆口), today's Luxi town (陆溪镇), was the base of Zhou Yu's Wu army at the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208. In 1135 the Song general Yue Fei (岳飞) garrisoned the county town while campaigning against Yang Yao (杨么). Surviving sites include the Wu King's Shrine (吴王行祠), the place where Zhuge Liang is said to have gathered arrows (孔明取箭所), the Yuan-dynasty Jingbao Bridge (净堡桥), the Ming residence of Jin Sheng (金声) and a Ming–Qing flagstone street; the county counts more than 100 protected heritage sites.

Two local arts are the wudu (呜嘟), a clay whistle once blown by herd boys around Paizhou to call cattle and sheep and later developed into a stage instrument, and Paizhou storytelling (簰洲说唱), performed in dialect by two to eight people who play small drums, gongs and cymbals between spoken and sung passages.

Food and local products

Jiayu grows winter melon, pumpkin, cabbage and Chinese cabbage, along with lotus root, fish and crabs. Jiayu wild lotus root appeared in the documentary series A Bite of China (舌尖上的中国), and the county government says Jiayu has the country's largest channel catfish breeding base; the county holds the title 'China's home of the catfish' (中国鮰鱼之乡).

Highlights

• Paizhou Bay 簰洲湾: Bend where the Yangtze flows west for about thirty li.
• Sanhu Lianjiang Scenic Area 三湖连江: Lakes linked to the Yangtze around the county town; site of the Yue Fei pavilion (岳公亭).
• Zhenhu National Wetland Park 珍湖国家湿地公园: Wetland park pictured by the county government as green lotus leaves over clear water.
• Wudu clay whistle 呜嘟: Herd boys' clay whistle from the Paizhou area, developed into a stage instrument.
• Paizhou storytelling 簰洲说唱: Dialect storytelling with drum, gong and cymbal accompaniment for two to eight performers.