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Photo: Nyx Ning, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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.
Longzhong is a scenic area with total area of 209 square kilometres (81 sq mi) located approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) away from Xiangyang, Hubei, China. It is known as the former home of the Three Kingdoms-era strategist Zhuge Liang.
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诸葛草庐
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.
广德寺
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.
Xiangyang Ancient City Wall Night Tour
Experience the ancient city wall under the moonlight. This guided night walk offers a completely different atmosphere from the daytime, with dramatic lighting illuminating the fortifications and storytelling sessions about the city's history during the Three Kingdoms period.
襄阳古城
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.
襄阳市博物馆
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.
米公祠
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.