Zhongxiang is connected to Wuhan in the east, Xiangyang in the north, Jingmen in the west, and Jingzhou in the south. It has convenient water and land transportation and controls Yun, Deng, and Jingxiang. It is not only a battleground for military strategists, but also a hometown of developed culture. In history, Zhong Xiang was well-known in the Central Plains and Jingchu, and had a prominent position. Zhongxiang has a long history, including Yao and Shun, and Gun and Yu who controlled the water, built high platforms, dug ditches, and opened up a Han River while smoothing the Yellow River and straightening the Yangtze River. Zhongxiang is on the east bank of the upper reaches of the Han River and at the northern end of the Jianghan Plain. The Lan Terrace, Yangchun Terrace and Zixu Terrace in today's Zhongxiang City were built by the ancestors of the Chu people at that time. Through the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou dynasties, Zhongxiang went through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The civilization period spanned more than 4,000 years. In the Plain of Canglang, on the shore of the Han River, the wise people of Zhongxiang created the splendid Yingzhong culture and left behind a large number of cultural sites and historical sites.

Zhongxiang was called Jiaoying and Yingzhong during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Ying County during the Western Han Dynasty, Shicheng during the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms, Jingling County and Changshou County during the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, Yingzhou during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and Yingzhou during the Yuan Dynasty. It was called Anlu Prefecture at that time. It was called Chengtian Prefecture and Zhongxiang County in the 10th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1531 AD). It was called Anlu Prefecture and Zhongxiang County in the Qing Dynasty. The county seat is still called "Yingzhong" today. Zhongxiang's cultural style and characteristics are reflected in "one main and three auxiliary". First Lord: It is the main birthplace of Chu culture and the center of the prosperity and development of Chu culture; Third Assistant: (1) It is one of the key areas that Wei, Shu and Wu competed for in the Yangtze River and Han River basins in the late Eastern Han Dynasty; (2) Complete Exquisite and splendid ancient architectural groups of the Ming Dynasty - Ming Tombs, Ming Palace and Ming Palace; (3) comprehensive cultural heritage with a long history and continuity across dynasties.

The so-called one master is: Zhongxiang-Yingzhong, which is the main birthplace of Chu culture and the center of the prosperity and development of Chu culture

First, this is where Chu State dominates Jianghan The place where the territory was established. In the eighth century BC, Xiong Tong, the son of Chu, crossed the Han Dynasty with strong troops, made an alliance with the princes, and named himself King Wu of Chu. This was the beginning of the powerful Chu State. Zhongxiang was the outpost where King Wu of Chu raised war eagles, practiced military formations, and conquered the Jianghan kingdoms, and served as the capital suburb of Ying. "Spring and Autumn Zuo Zhuan" records: In 710 BC, Chu Wu began to invade Jianghan; in 706 BC, King Wu of Chu began to attack Sui; in 704 BC, Chu Quxia's army followed Jiaoying to resist the four kingdoms of Sui, Jiao, Zhou and Liao. In 690 BC, King Wu of Chu conquered the army again. He practiced the formation of "Jingshi" and armed the army with halberds. He died of illness at the foot of Qimu Mountain in the suburbs of Ying. Madam Deng Man, Ling Yin Douxi, and Mo Ao Quzhong carried out the legacy of King Wu of Chu and formed an alliance with the marquis to the east of the Han River. The Chu army crossed to the west bank of the Han River before mourning King Wu of Chu.

There is a large group of Eastern Zhou tombs on the hilly loess slope (place name) two kilometers west of the Han River in Zhongxiang today. In 1988, a large number of precious cultural relics were unearthed from the tombs, including important objects from the period of Chu Wu King and his wife Deng Manfu. This place is four kilometers away from Zhongxiang City. There is also the "Thirteen Temples" (place name) tomb group immediately adjacent to the northwest corner of this tomb group. The utensils unearthed from the Huangtupo tombs include jade, copper, iron, pottery and other utensils, and the bronze utensils include tripods, beans, duns, ke, nids, plates, etc. One of the bronze discs is engraved with the inscription "On the first day of the first month of the first lunar month, Ji Dinghai and Deng Zi and his uncle Bing allied themselves with Pan Wuqi, their descendants and grandchildren Yongyang" (preliminary translation): "Deng Zi and his uncle soldiers wash the basin", which is the dish used by soldiers to wash their hands. Deng Man, the wife of King Wu of Chu, was the daughter of Deng Zi, King of Deng State, and Deng Zi was the father-in-law of King Wu of Chu. King Wu of Chu and his wife Deng Man used the suburb of Ying as their base to expand borders and prosper the Chu State. The inscription in "Deng Zi and his uncle's wash basin" coincides with the "Chun Qiu Zuo Zhuan" record of "the beginning of King Chu's strength". At the same time, the "Huangtupo Tombs Group" also coincides with the address where Deng Man Ji Han and then held a funeral to pay homage to King Wu of Chu.

Second, the suburb of Ying—Yingzhong, was once the capital of Chu in the middle and late Warring States Period. "Historical Records: The Family of Chu" records: "King Zhongli of Ying... The prince arrived and established himself as king, and he thought he was the king of Qingxiang... In the eighteenth year, there was a person in Chu who was good at returning to the wild geese with a weak bow and a small pay." He cleverly advised King Qingxiang of Chu to work hard and expand the Chu industry. King Qingxiang of Chu was in charge of the palace in Lantai in Yingzhong, so he asked "Wang Fu to hand over Lantai, drink from the Masi River, and settle in Daliang of Wei". Sima Guang, the author of "Zizhi Tongjian" in the Northern Song Dynasty, has made a final comment.

Third, Ying in the suburbs - Yingzhong, with Lantai Palace as the center, developed the representative literary style of Chu culture, "Chu Ci", and cultivated famous writers such as Qu Yuan (Ping) and Song Yu . During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Liu Xie, a native of the Liang Dynasty, said in his famous literary theory "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons·Chronology": "Only the two countries of Qi and Chu have quite a lot of literature. Qi opened the village of Zhuangqu, and Chu opened the palace of Guanglantai. ... Qu Ping Lian The algae blooms in the sun and the moon, and the jade of Song Dynasty shines in the wind and clouds. Looking at its beauty, it envelopes the elegant song, so we know that the strange meaning of Ye Ye comes from the tricks of Zongheng. "Lantai, a building of Lantai Academy in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. , there is Song Yujing on the east side of the platform, and there is a pavilion above the well. Fourth, shamanic music, singing and dancing are representative art styles of Chu culture. The famous Chu songs "Xia Li", "Ba Ren", "Yangchun" and "Baixue" were all produced in Yingzhong and are sung all over the world. Today, the ruins of Yangchuntai and Baixue Tower remain in Zhongxiang City. Mochou Nu, a famous song and dance artist from Chu State, was good at singing and dancing. Zhongxiang is Mochou Nu’s hometown. Today there are Mochou Village, Mochou Lake and Mochou Ferry ruins. The musical instruments of Chu include copper music, pottery music, stone music, leather music, silk music and so on. A large number of Chu musical instruments have been unearthed in Zhongxiang, such as chimes, chimes, stone cymbals, etc.

The expressions of Chu culture are diverse. The cultural relics displayed in Zhongxiang Museum reflect the characteristics of Chu culture in many aspects, from material civilization to spiritual civilization, from people's food, clothing, housing and transportation to people's aesthetic taste. . For example, there is a Chugo pole base with fine patterns and a chicken-like appearance. There are also a large number of Chu swords, Chu arrows, Chugo spears, Chu coins, etc.

The so-called three auxiliaries are: the first auxiliary. Zhongxiang, due to his important geographical location, from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Battle of Chibi and the Battle of Yiling, has always been the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu on the Yangtze River and Han River. One of the key areas of competition for the river basin.

Zhongxiang, it was called Shicheng during the Three Kingdoms period of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was first under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou Liu Biao, and in the middle was occupied by Wei general Lejin and Shu general Guan Yu. There was a beacon tower on Longshan in the east of the city to convey news, and later it was in the north of Soochow. Important town. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang headed towards Hanjin from Xiangyang to Jiangling, which is west of Zhongxiang City. Huang Gai and Han Dang, the generals of the Eastern Wu Dynasty, both served as officials and were granted the title of duke in Shicheng. To the west of Zhongxiang City and on the ancient Jingxiang Road, Fangma Mountain, where Guan Yu herded red rabbits and horses, was left in ancient Jingyang (now known as Liyang). ) on the road, there is a small bridge with a stone statue of Liu Guan and Zhang San sworn brotherhood erected in the Ming Dynasty. In Zhongxiang City, there are the ruins of Qingnishan and Longshan beacon towers where Guan Yu and Le Jin fought.

The second auxiliary, Ming Dynasty is the best in Chu. Zhongxiang was the hometown of Emperor Shizong Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Zhongxiang City was also the seat of Chengtian Prefecture, and was as famous as Shuntian Prefecture (Beijing) and Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing). The palace in the city was named "San Chu Giant Temple", which is complete, exquisite, and The splendid ancient architectural groups of the Ming Dynasty - Ming Tomb, Ming Palace and Ming Palace. The Xianling Mausoleum, a national key cultural relics protection unit, is the largest single imperial mausoleum in the Ming Dynasty in my country. The circumference of the mausoleum is seven and a half miles, and it covers an area of ??2,747 acres and three and a half acres, with a total area of ??about 183.15 hectares. The Xianling Mausoleum, the Xingwang Palace where Jiajing was born, the Yuanyou Palace where Chunyi Zhuan was built, and the palace walls complement each other.

The third auxiliary is a comprehensive cultural heritage with a long history and continuity across the ages. The long history and dominant situation have made Zhongxiang-Yingzhong, during the Tang and Song Dynasties, already described as "the upper reaches of the Han River are controlled by sails, and the shape is the best in Zhongzhou in ancient and modern times." To the east of Yingzhong City, the ancestors of the Chu people lived here , there is the "Golden Harbor" where gold is mined in the sand; Emperor Shun visited the south and stayed at the Orchid Terrace, planting orchids, the natives offered gold, and led his ministers to sing and dance. Zhang Hua of the Western Jin Dynasty said in "Natural History" that the song "White Snow" is: ""White Snow" is the name of the fifty-stringed harp music played by the emperor's envoy Su Nu." Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty Xiao Yan sent troops to Jinling from Xiangyang and stationed troops east of the Han Dynasty. Jiuli on the shore, today Zhongxiang has Jiuli Township and Xiaojiadian, adjacent to Jiuhuali in the east of Yingzhong Town, the county seat. The white snow in the spring is a legacy of the Song Dynasty. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, many celebrities and people with lofty ideals have visited Zhongxiang-Yingzhong to pay tribute, such as: Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, Chen Ziang, Bai Juyi, Lang Shiyuan, Han Yu, Xu Hun, Ouyang Xiu, Sima Guang, Wang Anshi, Yuan Zhongdao of the Gong'an faction, Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun of the Jingling faction, Zheng Banqiao, Mao Huijian, Zhang Yuzhao, Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, etc., left a large number of poems and calligraphy. The famous Jingling Poetry School of the Ming Dynasty was formally formed in Zhongxiang of Chengtian Prefecture. It was originally called "Jinhe Society" and its site was located on Shicheng Avenue in Zhongxiang today.

The suburbs of Ying - Yingzhong - Anlu - Chengtian - Zhongxiang are just like what Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty once said when he ascended the Snow Tower: "The people of Ying are drunk with the floating clouds, and the women of Ying are flying like birds." "But look at the place where the clouds rise from the city, there are lush green trees and thousands of spring trees." The prosperous history and culture made Zhongxiang famous yesterday; tomorrow, Zhongxiang will be more prosperous and civilized, worthy of the title of a famous historical and cultural city.