Xiangyang

Xiangyang Ancient City, built during the Western Han dynasty, is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in China. The city wall stretches about 7.3 km, surrounded by water on three sides with a moat averaging 180 m wide. Known as “Iron Xiangyang,” it served as a key military and administrative center. Notable sites include Zhenhua Gate, Linhan Gate, Zhongxuan Tower, and Zhaoming Terrace. The site is a National Key Cultural Relic and a national 4A-level tourist attraction.

A small but active Daoist temple run mainly by Daoist nuns.

The Xiangyang Museum, a national first-class museum founded in 1975, features Tang-style architecture and six main exhibition halls covering periods from prehistory to the Qing dynasty. It displays over 4,000 cultural relics, including bronzes, ceramics, jade, calligraphy, and stone carvings, with inscribed pre-Qin bronzes as a highlight.

Gulongzhong Scenic Area, a national 5A tourist attraction, is renowned as the retreat of Zhuge Liang during his youth and the site of the famous “Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage” and “Longzhong Plan” stories. Key sites include Zhuge’s Cottage, the Hall of Three Visits, and the Wuhou Shrine, with the preserved “Ten Views of Longzhong” from the Ming dynasty adding to its cultural and scenic appeal.

The hut where Three Kingdoms warlord/Shu-Han King Liu Bei visited three times to recruit Zhuge Liang. The scenic area is supposedly where Zhuge Liang lived and studied at the time. There's an academy where he studied, temple dedicated to him, a cave, and a well that he used. The hut is a replica but based supposedly on a very old one from Yuan dynasty. The temple has been rebuilt many times after burning down and expanded about once every dynasty.

Guangde Temple was built during the Tang dynasty and renamed during the Ming dynasty. It features traditional Ming and Qing architectural styles. Highlights include the Mahavira Hall, Sutra Library, and the brick-and-stone Duobao Pagoda, a national protected relic from the Ming period. The temple’s ancient ginkgo tree, revered since imperial times, adds to its rich historical and cultural significance.

Mi Gong Temple, built in memory of Mi Fu, a renowned calligrapher and painter of the Northern Song dynasty, dates back to the Yuan period and features preserved Qing-style architecture. The temple houses numerous stone inscriptions and rubbings, including reproductions of Mi Fu’s works. It’s an excellent place to appreciate traditional Chinese calligraphy and explore Xiangyang’s cultural heritage.

Tangcheng Scenic Area, a national 4A tourist attraction covering about 3.7 million square meters, features grand Tang-style architectural complexes such as the Triumph Tower, Mingde Gate, and Qinglong Temple. It serves as a filming location for many productions and hosts live performances that recreate the splendor of the Tang dynasty. Nearby shops offer costume and photography experiences, allowing visitors to dress up and capture the charm of the Tang era.