Zhongxiang
Encyclopedia
Zhongxiang is a county-level city
of Jingmen
, central Hubei
province, Central China. Zhongxiang means "Blessed with propitious omen", which was gifted by Emperor Jiajing
in the Ming Dynasty
. Zhongxiang is a well-known historical and cultural city in China.
culture. It was the alternate capital of the Chu state in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period
.
Because the Ming Dynasty
's Jiajing Emperor
(known also under the temple name Shizong; reigned 1521–1567) was born and had lived in the city before he succeeded to the throne, Zhongxiang, the place where the Chengtian Prefecture (fu) Government Office was located, became one of the three major prefectures directly under the central government. Once on the throne, the Jiajing Emperor controversially
had his dead father Zhu Youyuan (1476–1519) retroactively styled as the Gongruixian Emperor; his mother became the Zhangsheng empress dowager. They were buried at a sumptuous mausoleum, knowns as the Xianling Tomb, a few kilometers northeast of Zhongxiang.
During Jiajing's reign, a large estate owned by the emperor occupied a significant part of Chengtian Prefecture, and was run by the same eunuch who was in charge of the protection of the mausoleum.
The mausoleum complex is now a tourist site; it was included on the List of UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in 2000, as one of the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
.
As of 2009, 265 main industrial enterprises contribute 19.563 billion yuan to the city's industrial output value with a sales value of 18.9747 billion yuan, export delivery value of 307.16 million yuan.
With diversified terrain, there are different kinds of agricultural products. Main agricultural products include grains, cotton, oil, pigs, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and edible fungus. Main crops includes rice, wheat, corn, soybean silkworm peas, and cotton, rapeseed, peanut, sesame, vegetables, citrus fruit, pears, grape, red jujube, peaches, tea, etc.
In 2009, the municipal agricultural output value reached 8.2 billion yuan. Total agricultural production includes 816500 tons total grain output, 144100 tons cotton output, 120700 tons oil production; 92000 tons animal production; 110000 tons output of aquatic products; 193300 tons fruit production.
. After the building of the Three Gorges Dam
a number of people from the Gaoyang
area moved to the area around Zhongxiang.
Zhongxiang has abundant precipitation throughout the year, with average precipitation of 961.6 mm every year. Rain and heat occurring in the same season. Snow commonly occurres on December and January. Zhongxinag receives plenty of sunshine, with about 1930.8 to 2114.3 hours every year.
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
of Jingmen
Jingmen
Jingmen is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Jingmen is within an area where cotton and oil crops are planted. The population of the city is approximately 2,984,000 . The urban area of Jingmen City has a population of about 350,000...
, central Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province, Central China. Zhongxiang means "Blessed with propitious omen", which was gifted by Emperor Jiajing
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
in the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. Zhongxiang is a well-known historical and cultural city in China.
History
Zhongxiang is one of the cradles of ChuChu
Chu or CHU may refer to:Surname:* Chu , a common Chinese surname for 朱 , but it can also refer to any Chinese surname whose pinyin is "chu", such as 楚, 储, 褚, 初, 除 and other possible surnames....
culture. It was the alternate capital of the Chu state in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
.
Because the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
's Jiajing Emperor
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
(known also under the temple name Shizong; reigned 1521–1567) was born and had lived in the city before he succeeded to the throne, Zhongxiang, the place where the Chengtian Prefecture (fu) Government Office was located, became one of the three major prefectures directly under the central government. Once on the throne, the Jiajing Emperor controversially
Great rites controversy
The Great rites controversy took place in 1524 in China.The young and newly empowered Emperor Shizong tried to posthumously give his father the title of emperor in order to legitimize his claim to the throne...
had his dead father Zhu Youyuan (1476–1519) retroactively styled as the Gongruixian Emperor; his mother became the Zhangsheng empress dowager. They were buried at a sumptuous mausoleum, knowns as the Xianling Tomb, a few kilometers northeast of Zhongxiang.
During Jiajing's reign, a large estate owned by the emperor occupied a significant part of Chengtian Prefecture, and was run by the same eunuch who was in charge of the protection of the mausoleum.
The mausoleum complex is now a tourist site; it was included on the List of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites in 2000, as one of the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties is the designation under which the UNESCO has included several tombs and burial complexes into the list of World Heritage Sites. These tombs date from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China....
.
Industry
After years of construction, an industrial structure has been initially formed by the development of machinery, building materials, chemicals, light industry, textile and food industry. Among more than 600 industrial products, 20 of them entered international markets, 45 species are at national leading level and 130 species are at the leading level in Hubei province.As of 2009, 265 main industrial enterprises contribute 19.563 billion yuan to the city's industrial output value with a sales value of 18.9747 billion yuan, export delivery value of 307.16 million yuan.
Agriculture
ZhongXiang has diversified terrain and appropriate subtropical monsoon climate. The total land area is 4760 square kilometer, with 1300 square kilometer cultivated land 300 square kilometer uncultivated land. Area for forest, waters and pasture is 1300 square kilometer, 50 square kilometer and 1200 square kilometer respectively. The total amount of freshwater resources is 5104.2 billion cubic meters.With diversified terrain, there are different kinds of agricultural products. Main agricultural products include grains, cotton, oil, pigs, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and edible fungus. Main crops includes rice, wheat, corn, soybean silkworm peas, and cotton, rapeseed, peanut, sesame, vegetables, citrus fruit, pears, grape, red jujube, peaches, tea, etc.
In 2009, the municipal agricultural output value reached 8.2 billion yuan. Total agricultural production includes 816500 tons total grain output, 144100 tons cotton output, 120700 tons oil production; 92000 tons animal production; 110000 tons output of aquatic products; 193300 tons fruit production.
Geography
Zhongxiang,with a total land area of 4,488 square kilometers, is situated in the central part of Hubei Province. It lies at the north of Jianghan Plain, and the middle reaches of the Hanjiang River. Zhongxiang is at 66 m above sea level. Another city not far from Zhongxiang is JingmenJingmen
Jingmen is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Jingmen is within an area where cotton and oil crops are planted. The population of the city is approximately 2,984,000 . The urban area of Jingmen City has a population of about 350,000...
. After the building of the Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
a number of people from the Gaoyang
Gaoyang
Gaoyang may refer to:*Gaoyang dialect , a dialect of Cantonese*Zhuanxu, or Gaoyang, legendary monarch of ancient China-Places in China:*Gaoyang County , of Baoding, Hebei*Gaoyang Township , in Shunchang County, FujianTowns...
area moved to the area around Zhongxiang.
Climate
Zhongxiang has a subtropical monsoon climate.The average annual temperature is 15.9 °C. July is the hottest month, with an average temperature 27.8 °C or above, The highest temperature recorded in the city is 39.7 °C, reached on June 22, 1961. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 3 °C. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Zhongxiang was -15.3 °C on January 30, 1977.Zhongxiang has abundant precipitation throughout the year, with average precipitation of 961.6 mm every year. Rain and heat occurring in the same season. Snow commonly occurres on December and January. Zhongxinag receives plenty of sunshine, with about 1930.8 to 2114.3 hours every year.
Administrative divisions
Zhongxiang is administratively equal to a county and is divided into 19 townships:- Yingzhong (郢中街道), 49 km², 170.991
- Yangzi (洋梓镇), 403 km², 68.341
- Changshou (长寿镇), 275 km², 27.535
- Fengle (丰乐镇), 162 km², 68.700
- Huji (胡集镇), 393 km², 129.891
- Shuanghe (双河镇), 235 km², 46.220
- Linkuang (磷矿镇), 219 km², 47.092
- WenjiWenjiWenji is a township-level division situated in Fuyang, Anhui, China....
(文集镇), 128 km², 44.405 - Lengshui (冷水镇), 314 km², 47.393
- Shipai (石牌镇), 295 km², 84.296
- Jiukou (旧口镇), 201 km², 103.514
- Chaihu (柴湖镇), 225 km², 95.663
- Changtan (长滩镇), 153 km², 20.338
- DongqiaoDongqiaoDongqiao is a village in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in northern Tibet north of Lhasa. It lies at an altitude of 4652 metres . The village has a population of about 155 people.It lies approximately 14.6 miles west of Sima....
(东桥镇), 256 km², 24.085 - Kedian (客店镇), 293 km², 14.581
- ZhangjiZhangjiZhangji is a township-level division situated in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China....
(张集镇), 289 km², 22.805 - Jiuli (九里回族乡), 99 km², 16.718
Sights
- Xianling Tomb (显陵)
- Mountain Dahong National Scenic Area (大洪山国家森林公园)
- Huangxian Cave (黄仙洞) famous for its karst landform
- Wenxia Reservoir (温峡水库)