Xingshan County 兴山县

History

In the Han the area belonged to Nan Commandery (南郡). Xingshan was created in AD 260, under Emperor Jing of Wu (吴景帝), by splitting off the northern part of Zigui. The county seat is now Gufu (古夫镇). The legend of Wang Zhaojun, told mainly in Xingshan and in Hohhot, went onto the national intangible-heritage list in 2008; the local stories explain place names and recall her character.

Xingshan folk songs (兴山民歌), on the national list since 2006, use an interval that falls between a major and a minor third, known as the "Xingshan third"; some scholars see the songs as survivals of the ancient songs of the Jingchu (荆楚) region. Xingshan weigu (兴山围鼓) is a band form that alternates sung narration with wind and percussion. Its forerunner, the "dahuopao" (打火炮) of the area around the Wudang Mountains (武当山), reached Xingshan around 1855 and has more than 300 tunes, and bands play in all eight townships.

What to see

Zhaojun Village (昭君村) stands on the Xiangxi River (香溪河) and was renamed after Wang Zhaojun, who was born there in the Western Han. The county government counts more than 20 sites in the village, among them the Niangniang Spring (娘娘泉), a dressing terrace and a statue of Zhaojun, and the village was named one of China's most beautiful villages in 2019.

The Chaotianhou rafting run (朝天吼漂流) is a national AAAA scenic area. The run is 6.5 km long with a total drop of 148 m, past rock features such as Reclining Buddha Mountain (卧佛山) and General's Pillar (将军柱). Its exit on the Shanghai–Chengdu Expressway is at Gaolan (高岚).

Highlights

• Zhaojun Village 昭君村: Birthplace of Wang Zhaojun on the Xiangxi River, with more than 20 named spots.
• Chaotianhou Rafting 朝天吼漂流: National AAAA scenic area; a 6.5 km run with a 148 m drop.
• Xingshan folk songs 兴山民歌: National intangible heritage (2006), known for the "Xingshan third" interval.
• Xingshan weigu 兴山围鼓: Sung and instrumental band music whose forerunner came from the Wudang area around 1855, with more than 300 tunes.