Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Based on the 2010 census, its total population was 5,691,707, 1,154,086 of whom resided in the built-up area comprising the two urban districts. Jingzhou's central urban area has grown out of Shashi City and Jingzhou Town ; the names are preserved in the names of Shashi District and Jingzhou District, which include the city's historical center, as well as Jiangling County, which administers the suburban areas of the larger historical Jiangling. "Shashi" also remains in the names of a number of local facilities, such as Shashi Airport and a railway freight station.
Geography and climate
Jingzhou occupies an area of with a topography rising from east to west. It is covered by a dense network of waterways, as well as lakes, and is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River on the Jianghan Plain. Downstream to its east lies Wuhan, the provincial capital and to the west the city ofYichang, the Three Gorges, and finally Chongqing Municipality. Jingmen City, also in Hubei, lies to the north; to its south are Yueyang and Changde, both in Hunan Province. Jingzhou has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers, and damp, chilly, but drier winters. Monthly daily average temperatures range from in January to in July. The area receives 1,800 to 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and has a frost-free period of 242−263 days annually.
Demographics
According to the 2010 Census, the prefecture-level city of Jingzhou has 5,691,707 inhabitants and a population density of 405 inhabitants per km².
Jingzhou has been a transportation hub and commodity distribution center for 6,000 years. Situated in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, this has been a strategic location of military importance since ancient times. Ying, within the borders of present-day Jingzhou, was the capital of 20 kings over 411 years of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of the Zhou Dynasty. The city was lost to Eastern Wu by Guan Yu during the Three Kingdoms period leading to the modern phrase '', literally 'carelessness lost Jingzhou'. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, it was the capital of the Western Liang. In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, it was the capital of Jingnan. Jingzhou was the site of one of the last major battles between Republican and Qing forces during the Xinhai Revolution in 1911. At the end of the Qing dynasty, Jingzhou had one of the largest Manchu populations, around half of the city, anywhere outside Beijing.
Sights
Numerous sites have been preserved from the Chu State period, including the ruins of five Chu cities, 73 sites featuring Chu Culture and more than 800 ancient tombs, including those of 18 Chu kings. There are also historical sites dating to the Three Kingdoms period, such as the Wulin Battlefield and the Huarong Path. The city walls were rebuilt in 1646 and measure high and thick. The perimeter of the wall extends for. The city walls, city gates, watchtowers, and battlements have all been well maintained. Many of the towers on top of the majestic city gates have been damaged or rebuilt, leaving only the Chaozong Tower which was rebuilt in 1838 on the Gongji Gate. The Jingzhou Museum has on display a well-preserved 2,000-year-old male corpse. Also on display are silk and lacquerware from the Warring States period.
Cuisine
Jingzhou cuisine's most famous two dishes are rice noodles and guokui.
