Ancient Capital of Chu, Three Kingdoms Jingzhou | Starting to Collect My Jingzhou Stories

When I think of Jingzhou, the scene of Guan Yu 'carelessly losing Jingzhou' comes to mind. A friend invited me to go to Jingzhou together long ago, and just recently I had the time, and the weather had turned to autumn, with a cool breeze perfect for a trip to Jingzhou.

Jingzhou is located in the south-central part of Hubei Province. It was the capital of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and it borders Hunan. I had always heard the saying 'Yu divided the nine provinces, beginning with Jingzhou.' While studying in Hunan, I had heard of it but never visited. Only after arriving in Jingzhou did I truly understand its stories.

This is a city where history and modernity blend. Jingzhou has a history of over 3,000 years as a city. Since 689 BC, when the Chu State established its capital at Ying, also called Jinan Cheng, six dynasties and 34 emperors made this their capital. From Sun Shu'ao, 'the first virtuous official under heaven,' to Zhang Juzheng, the chief grand secretary of the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, 138 prime ministers have come from Jingzhou. It truly is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources. Today, you can still visit Zhang Juzheng's former residence.

Departing from Nanjing, I first arrived at Jingzhou Station, then traveled from Jingzhou city to Songzi. Our first stop was the Weishui Auto Camp. This is a five-star self-driving sports camp. It's not just an auto camp; its rooms also have different themes. We chose a wooden cabin. Ours had two separate rooms plus a tatami, accommodating six people, with a shared living room and kitchen—perfect for a group trip like ours.

Because we arrived too late on the first day, we decided to settle in and rest, saving our energy to explore the next day.

Early the next morning, I strolled around the auto camp. A few sporadic raindrops fell from the sky. Our area was all wooden cabins, each slightly different in design. Besides these, there were separate RV parking spots, RV hotel suites, fairy-tale-themed treehouses, waterside luxury camping tents, and even stargazing tents. I've always wanted to try staying in a glass bubble-shaped stargazing tent. Maybe next time.

Next to our cabin was a huge children's play area, perfect for families with kids.

There were also many adult recreation zones: a super-sized competition-grade fishing spot, an airborne 'Huayong Path' (similar to the jungle zipline in Thailand), and team-building areas for activities like archery tag and bubble soccer. I was surprised to find that there was a package covering all these facilities for just over a hundred yuan, making it ideal for team outings or self-driving trips.

And you might think that's all, but there was also a large hotel and a water recreation area. We had lunch at the Weishui Holiday Hotel, drinking a cup of authentic kudzu root powder—warm, nourishing for both heart and stomach—along with several local dishes.

As I mentioned earlier, Jingzhou is very close to Hunan, and Songzi's flavors reflect that. It's not purely Hubei cuisine; it's a blend of Hunan, Sichuan, and Chongqing influences. I tried Songzi's zhà chili pepper for the first time—crispy, spicy, and perfect with rice.

It seems that eels and fish heads are also local favorites. Over the next few days, we had fish and eel prepared in various ways almost every day.

After lunch, we took a walk nearby. The 'First Dam of Asia' was right next to us, so we went to check it in. Construction began in the 1950s and took 22 years of manual labor to complete. Many people lost their lives building it. Now it's become a popular photo spot: the long dam creates a seaside-like perspective.

In the distance, we could see the Weishui Auto Camp below.

The Weishui Reservoir, dammed up, is now collectively called the Weishui Scenic Area. It consists of four parts: the Weishui artificial freshwater lake, Weishui National Forest Park, a group of karst caves represented by the extraordinary Xinshen Cave, and the Weishui Auto Camp.

First, we took a boat to the national forest park. We even encountered people riding jet skis—I didn't expect to find that here. I planned to try it after getting off the island.

Weishui National Forest Park has very dense vegetation. Slowly climbing the trail, we could see the entire reservoir landscape.

It had been a long time since I did any water sports. I thought there were only jet skis, but there were many more activities: banana boats, water sofas, and so on. The reservoir water is of excellent quality—meeting national first-class drinking water standards. When the jet ski accelerated, water splashed everywhere, thrilling and exciting.

A staff member, seeing us waiting for a friend to change, showed us their newest toys: electric surfboards and jetpacks. I'd been wanting to learn surfing, and I was instantly tempted.

After playing, we decided to return to the city center, as our remaining itinerary was all in Jingzhou city, making it more convenient.

We booked the Pullman Hotel in advance. It's right next to the train station, with classic hotel rooms. The room was spacious and had a bathtub, making for a pleasant stay.

The restaurant's food was also excellent. I tried the signature 'bijia fish maw' and fish cake. Jingzhou has been rich in fish since ancient times, and fish cake is the first of Jingzhou's eight famous dishes. I had long been intrigued after seeing it online. Legend has it that it was created by E Huang and Nü Ying, the consorts of Emperor Shun, and became widespread in the Jing-Chu region. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it became the first dish of the Chu court, and even in the Qing Dynasty, it remained a court dish. It is said that after tasting Jingzhou flower cake, Emperor Qianlong recited: 'Eat fish but see no fish, commendable lily cake.'

Fish cake (yú gāo) is homophonic with 'surplus height,' symbolizing 'abundance year after year and rising step by step.' You must try this dish when visiting Jingzhou.

The restaurant's sweet-and-sour shredded eel was also delicious. I often eat sweet-and-sour pork, but this was my first time with eel. If I had come earlier, I could have also enjoyed plump crawfish, for which Hubei is famous. There's even a crawfish festival earlier in the season.

Other dishes were great too—fried lotus root sandwiches and thousand-layer pork belly were my favorites.

After a good night's rest, we started the third day's trip. First, we visited the Jingchu Intangible Cultural Heritage Skills Transmission Center, co-built by Jingzhou Entrepreneurship School and Jingzhou Intangible Heritage Inheritance Center.

The whole compound is very large. As soon as we entered, we saw a group of students rehearsing a dance, changing into Hanfu and dancing gracefully.

Inside, there are 12 venues, including the Lacquer Art Exhibition, Chu-style Lacquerware Skills Exhibition, Master Lacquerware Boutique Exhibition, Jingzhou Intangible Heritage Exhibition, Jinghe Opera Theater, and Jingzuo Chusheng Living Experience Hall.

The sacred lacquer tree symbolizes the life worship of Chu culture. Various restored lacquerware pieces showcase the essence of Chu culture. Here you can also learn how each piece of lacquerware is made.

Every piece of lacquer work here is exquisite and finely crafted. My friend said that an expensive lacquer gift box she bought during a trip to Japan isn't as beautiful as these.

I saw the 'grinding eagle kite' for the first time. When the wind blew, the eagle's eyes spun continuously, looking lifelike. The teacher's kite could have its wings detached, solving the problem of carrying kites. The teacher said that even without wind, the grinding eagle kite can soar—quite amazing.

Gourd pyrography is also an intangible heritage item here. Many students practice burning patterns on gourds. It's much harder than it looks—you have to carve delicately on a curved surface, which is extremely challenging.

The center also features Chu-style zither making, Yingcheng clay pottery, freshwater shell carving, Jingchu embroidery (Chu embroidery), and paper-cut carving.

If you have time, you can calmly experience the charm of these intangible heritages.

When tired, you can rest in the library here. I heard they will soon serve coffee and other drinks. Reading a book and sipping coffee makes for a leisurely day.

After that, we visited the Jingzhou Xiaomeisha Ocean World. Here you can see cute dolphins, adorable beluga calves, colorful jellyfish, various tropical fish whose names I don't know, and even mermaid performances.

Little penguins swim freely in the water, and there are various shows. Be sure to check the show times.

I really love the colorful jellyfish, radiating unique charm under the lights. You can silhouette photos with friends.

We had lunch at a restaurant near the ocean world. We had to have something spicy. We ordered lotus root and pork trotter soup—definitely one of my favorite Hubei dishes. The soft, sticky lotus root paired with pork trotters is perfect for autumn.

The Chuwang Chariot and Horse Pit is also a landmark of Jingzhou.

'In the north, the Terracotta Army of Qin Shihuang; in the south, the Chariot and Horse Pits of the Chu King.' The Xiongjia Tomb is the largest, best-preserved, and most complete Chu royal mausoleum excavated so far. Archaeology and Chu culture enthusiasts must visit this place.

Currently, some chariot and horse pits are open. The entire formation is very orderly. Based on the different kinds of recovered chariots, you can distinguish war chariots from ceremonial ones. The grandeur is impressive, giving you a sense of the Chu king's splendor and the state's strength, which was several times greater than the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng.

You can also practice archery in the park. Imagine yourself as a general in the age of cold weapons, fighting on the battlefield—quite imposing.

If you ask me what scenic spot you must visit in Jingzhou, I would recommend the Jingzhou Ancient City.

Jingzhou Ancient City, historically known as Jiangling City, consists of structures such as Binyang Tower, Zhang Juzheng's Former Residence, Jingzhou City Wall, Jingzhou Guandi Temple, Guan Gong's Righteousness Garden, and Jingzhou Museum. The ancient city wall was first built during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, once serving as the Chu State's official boat dock and palace. However, through the passage of history, most of the existing wall dates from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

We mainly explored Binyang Tower. Dressed in Hanfu, we ascended the tower and gazed into the distance. On one side was the ancient city rich in history; on the other, modern Jingzhou. The past unfolded like a movie in my mind.

By the time we reached the top, the sunlight was just right. The setting sun shone on the ancient tower, like an old man telling stories, waiting for willing listeners.

We had dinner at a local restaurant nearby, offering great value.

After dinner, we hurried to the dock to board a sightseeing boat. Passing through the city gate, we saw classic figures projected onto the city wall.

At night, a brilliant light show is projected onto the wall of Jingzhou Ancient City, with shows at 8 PM and 9 PM.

The best view is from the boat: on one side, the stories of Jingzhou on the wall; on the other, the cityscape along the shore. If you want to dive deep into the history of Jingzhou from ancient times to the present, this is definitely a good choice.

The bridge over the river was decorated like a rainbow with fountains and lights.

After the light show, we strolled around. People were doing square dancing, children playing with colorful slingshots, and groups chatting—a very lively atmosphere.

On the last day, we decided to visit Jingzhou Fantawild Oriental Heritage Theme Park. Coincidentally, it was the park's first anniversary. They were handing out small cakes and holding special performances at the entrance.

This is the largest theme park in Hubei Province. The last time I visited a theme park was about a year ago. As soon as I entered, I was attracted by the ancient-style streets. As a Hanfu enthusiast, I could wear Hanfu for photos.

The park combines Chu culture with Eastern mythology and integrates many modern attractions, making it very exciting. I recommend planning ahead to avoid long queues.

Nuwa Mends the Sky: Similar to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, a popular 4D attraction with an excellent sensory experience.

Qu Yuan: The story of Qu Yuan. Whether you remember 'Li Sao' or not, the experience takes you back to that era.

Chu Music: The stage effects are amazing. Remember 'huán huán yī niǎo chǔ gōng yāo'? The story of the Chu king's fondness for slender waists is told here, with superb stage art that immerses you in the Chu kingdom.

Shenzhou Tower: An indoor drop tower, extremely thrilling.

Circus Carnival: A suspended roller coaster.

Soaring with You: A huge curved screen takes you across the beautiful landscapes of China in minutes.

Interstellar Crossing and Yu the Great Tames the Flood are water rides. Many attractions are suitable for children, so no need to worry they can't handle the thrill.

I recommend checking the showtimes for Chu Music and Qu Yuan in advance and arriving about 30 minutes early to secure good seats. Currently, you can reserve your session online; good seats are first-come, first-served.

If you want to take photos, you can wear JK uniforms or Hanfu, but remember to bring a raincoat or waterproof clothes because of the water rides.

Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and a hat.

Some food items are not allowed inside the park. Check beforehand; there are inspections at the entrance.

The park is really huge. Many people rented electric carts that seat about three people. Seeing those after walking a lot was very tempting.

My four-day trip to Jingzhou ended. I hadn't expected that besides being the place where Guan Yu 'carelessly lost Jingzhou,' there would be so many cultural stories, fun places, and delicious food—a continual surprise. I'm looking forward to my next trip to Jingzhou!