Xiangyang (襄阳; Xiāngyáng), which was called Xiangfan (襄樊; Xiāngyfán), is a city in Hubei Province. It is comprised of two halves, Xiangyang (on the south side of the Han River) and Fancheng (on the north side of the river).
It is best known for being the site of an important battle between the Southern Song Dynasty and the Mongol Empire, which the Mongols won decisively, following which they were shortly able to conquer all of China. The Fancheng area is also known for being the site of an important battle during the late Eastern Han Dynasty between the forces of the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao.
Get in
By plane
- Xiangyang Liuji Airport (IATA: XFN), 32.15°, 112.290556°. Flights from a number of Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Xiamen, Beijing and Shanghai. 2019-06-23
By train
Linked to the Chinese train network.
By bus
Linked to the Chinese bus network.
Get around
By Taxi
See
- Ancient city wall. The ancient city wall is mostly still standing, and it is possible to walk along the top of it. Great views of the Han River from the top of the northern part of the wall.
- Zheng Wu Shan Temple (真武山). A small but active Daoist temple run mainly by Daoist nuns.
- Xiangyang Museum (襄阳市博物馆), 1 North Street, Xiangyang District (襄城区北街1号) (the nearest bus stop is Shizi Street (十字街), which is served by bus routes 6, 8, 13, 21, 24, 28, 29, 512, 517, 532, 537, 539, g03, and k11), 32.019585°, 112.145480°, +86 710 3513330. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays. Free 2021-01-09
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- Zhen Wu Hotel (真武大酒店), 27 Xiangchen Street East, +86 710 3530888. Free internet in rooms (with Ethernet cable). Has a good Chinese-style breakfast buffet.
Connect
Go next
- Wudang Mountain (武当山) — a famous Daoist mountain renowned for its martial arts. It can be a day trip out of Xiangyang (2 hour bus each way), but there are also places to stay on the mountain both for tourists and longer-term guests. Wudang Shan is particularly famous for its Taiqi Quan and offers many multi-week classes (register in advance) open to Chinese and foreigners alike.