Overview
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Huibei, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River on the Jianghan Plain, with an area of 14,100 square kilometers (5,431 sq mi). It is identified AS National Historical and Cultural City, China’s Excellent Tourist City, National Garden City, National Double –Support Model City. Jingzhou has jurisdiction over two districts, three country-level cities and three countries: Jingzhou District, Shashi District, Shishou City, Honghu City, Jiangling County, Gong’an County and Jingzhou Economic and Technological Develoment District.
Cradle of Chu Culture
Jingzhou, a cultural ancient city with 2000 years history with the reputation of “the finest under heaven, being overwhelmed by 9 divisions”; one of the cradles of Chu Culture, and used to be the capital of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn Period for totally 20 emperors, who had left extremely valuable cultural relics from their 400 plus years’ reign equally comparable with the ancient Greek and Roman culture. Situated in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, this has been a strategic location of military importance since ancient times. In the Three Kingdom Period (220-589), the city was the focus of many disputes and wars. It is said to have been built with earth by Guan Yu. One of the four Chinese ancient classic works, Romance of the three Kingdoms by Lo Kuan-Chung, was created just bsed on this period of history. Jingzhou, as the focus of quarrels then, has left many cultural relics that are related to the stories of Three Kingdoms. Many legends and myths were also produced in this spiritual city.
Climate
Jingzhou has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers, and damp, chilly, but drier winters. Monthly daily average temperatures range from 4.1 °C (39.4 °F) in January to 28.0 °C (82.4 °F) 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.
Land of Fish and Rice
Jingzhou, which was crowned as “land of fish and rice”, “the granary of China”, has plenty of resources and products. It is the core area superior agricultural resource and a comprehensive agricultural production base of China. Food production of Jingzhou accounts for about one percent of the country’s. The city also produces large quantities of cotton and oil plants, which supply the local needs of the province and are also shipped elsewhere. An agricultural products processing industry system (such as cotton, grain, oil, fruit, vegetable, livestock and poultry, fish, forest and paper) has been formed in Jingzhou.
Jingzhou hold an abundance of mineral resources with 35 kinds of minable minerals, the K-rich brines with approved reserves reach10 billion ton. Jingzhou has a sound industrial foundation, which has 700 up-scale industrial enterprises. Leading industries include machinery, automobile parts, chemicals, agricultural products processing, textile, clothes, light and building materials.
City with Vitality
In addition to Jingzhou’s important river port along the Yangtze, expressways and a bridge across the Yangtze provide the city with easy access to Hubei’s other major cities. State Highway 318, State Highway 207, the Yichang-Huangshi Highway as well as 14 province-level highways lead away from the city in all directions. The Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway and the Jingmen-Shashi Railway also connect the city with other cities throughout China. Yanka Port in Jingzhou is the third largest port in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River, after Wuhan and Chongqing.
In 2011, the total output in Jingzhou reached CNY 104.31 billion CNY, which led the economy of Jingzhou into “100 Billion CNY Club”, increased 13.4% compared to the last year, local financial revenue reached CNY 7.45 billion, increased 25.9%; local capital asserts investment reached CNY 77.37 billion, increased 37.4%; total retail sales of social consumer goods reached CNY 16513, and farmers per capita net income reached CNY 7664.
Striving to be the “Steel Waist” of the Yangtze River Economics Belt, Jingzhou government is putting their effort into industry cultivating, traffic building, and city construction. In the near future, a city, named Jingzhou, will be unveiled to the world with its economic strength, vitality and enchantment.
Population: 6.46 million
Temperature: average 16.5 °C(61.7℉)
