Xiangyang

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For other uses, see Xiangyang (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Xianyang.
Xiangyang
襄阳
Prefecture-level city
襄阳市
Top:View of firework at Lunner New Year event in Han River area, Middle left:Great Virtue Temple, Middle right:Longzhong scenic area, Bottom upper left:View of Xiangyang Castle with Green Shadow Wall and Huchang canal, Bottom lower left:View of south side of Huchang canal, Bottom right:Zhongxuan Gate
Location of Xiangyang City jurisdiction in Hubei
Xiangyang
Location of the city centre in Hubei
Coordinates: 32°01′01″N 112°07′59″E / 32.017°N 112.133°E / 32.017; 112.133Coordinates: 32°01′01″N 112°07′59″E / 32.017°N 112.133°E / 32.017; 112.133
Country People's Republic of China
Province Hubei
County-level divisions 8
Township-level divisions 159
Municipal seat Xiangcheng District
Area
 • Total 19,700 km2 (7,600 sq mi)
Elevation 71 m (232 ft)
Population (2007)
 • Total 5,820,000
 • Density 300/km2 (770/sq mi)
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Area code(s) 710
GDP 2007 ¥78.545 billion
GDP per capita 2007 ¥14478
License Plate Prefix 鄂F
Website xiangyang.gov.cn

Xiangyang (simplified Chinese: 襄阳; traditional Chinese: 襄陽; pinyin: Xiāngyáng) is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, People's Republic of China. It was formed from two ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng. It was known as Xiangfan (Chinese: 襄樊; pinyin: Xiāngfán) until December 2, 2010.[1] Xiangyang is divided by the Han River, which runs through its heart and divides the city north-south. The city itself is an incorporation of two once separate, ancient cities: Fancheng and Xiangzhou. What remains of old Xianyang is located south of the Han River and contains one of the oldest still-intact city walls in China while Fancheng was located to the north of the Han River. Both cities served prominent historical roles in both the Ancient and Pre-Modern Periods of Chinese history. Today, the city is, after the capital Wuhan, the second largest in the province, located about halfway between Wuhan and Xi'an.

Xiangyang has an urban population of around 466,000 while its outlying county contains approximately 5,787,700 people.

Administration

Overlooking Fancheng District from Xiangcheng District on the other side of the Han River, which is a branch of the Yangtze River.

The prefecture-level city of Xiangyang administers 9 county-level divisions, including 3 districts, 3 county-level cities and 3 counties.

The government website of Xiangyang City:

These are further divided into 159 township-level divisions, including 106 towns, 29 townships and 24 subdistricts.

History

Xiangfan has a history of over 2800 years. It was the location of major battles during the Three Kingdoms period in 191 A.D. between Sun Jian and Liu Biao and in 1267-1273 A.D. between the Southern Song and the Mongols.

Its major scenic spots and cultural sites include Xiangyang City Moat, the Pseudo-classic Street, Ancient Longzhong, Memorial Temple to Mi Fu, Lumen Temple.

The wall of Xiangfan city is very old, but the condition is fine now. The region's premier tourist attractions are Dahongshan scenic area and some historical relics, including the Lumenshan relic, the Zhanggongci Temple, the Cheng' en Monastery, and the Baishui Monastery.

Geography

Xiangyang has a latitude range of 31° 14'−32° 37' N, or 154 km (96 mi), and longitude range of 110° 45'−113° 43' E, or 220 km (137 mi), and is located on the middle reaches of the Hanshui, a major tributary of the Yangtze River. The urban area, however, has a latitude range of 31° 54'−32° 10' N, or 29 km (18 mi), and longitude range of 112° 00'−112° 14' E, or 21 km (13 mi). It borders Suizhou to the east, Jingmen and Yichang to the south, Shennongjia and Shiyan to the west, and Nanyang (Henan) to the north. Its administrative border has a total length of 1,332.8 km (828.2 mi).

Xiangyang has a monsoon-influenced, four season humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with cold, damp (but comparatively dry), winters, and hot, humid summers.

Economy

A foggy day at a Xiangyang Park

Xiangyang possesses large water energy resources whilst its mineral deposits include rutile, ilmenite, phosphorus, barite, coal, iron, aluminum, gold, manganese, nitre, and rock salt. The reserves of rutile and ilmenite rank highly in China. Textile production is the mainstay industry of Xiangfan followed by machinery manufacture, chemical processing, electronics, and manufacture of construction materials. Agricultural resources are significant with Xiangfan's chief farm products including grain, cotton, vegetable oil crops, tobacco, tea and fruit. As the home of Dongfeng Motors, Xiangfan is a well known automobile hub. In addition, there are a number of chemical fibre enterprises in the city including Birla Jingwei Fibres, a member of the Aditya Birla Group.

Transportation

Rail and highway transportation facilities in Xiangfan are very good. Xiangfan is a railway junction for the Xiangfan-Chongqing (Xiangyu), Hankou-Danjiangkou (Handan), and Jiaozuo-Liuzhou (Jiaoliu) Railways. Three National Highways including Route 207 pass through the city. The Han River and four other rivers are open to commercial navigation year-round. The Xiangfan Airport has commercial airline service to major cities throughout China including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

References

  1. ↑ "湖北省襄樊市更名为襄阳市(图)" (in Simplified Chinese). 163.com. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xiangfan.
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