A Trip to the Ancient City of Xiangyang

Passing through Xiangyang on a road trip, I arrived at the chivalrous world described by Jin Yong as "a river of blue water flows through the city, and ten miles of green mountains half enter the city." Xiangyang is located at the throat of north-south transportation and is a key hub connecting the Central Plains with the Jianghan Plain. Viewed from a macro geographical perspective, it connects Sichuan and Shaanxi to the west, Jianghan to the east, Hunan and Guangdong to the south, and the Central Plains to the north. It can be said to "span Jing and Yu, controlling the north and south." Its geographical location is truly a gift of nature, and it has been a strategic location since ancient times. I arrived in Xiangyang in the evening and first tasted the special "Duck Three Treasures" recommended by the hotel staff, which was both spicy and oily. Then, I took a night tour of the ancient city. The ancient city is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side. The Han River, like a wide jade belt, meanders and surrounds the ancient city, forming a natural and insurmountable moat. The city wall of the ancient city is very wide, probably enough for four cars to drive side by side. It's the widest city wall I've ever seen. Standing on the city wall of the Small North Gate, the deafening sound of square dancing, the off-key karaoke, and the clanging of gongs and drums were overwhelming. Looking out, the small square between the Han River and the city wall was filled with the locals enjoying their nightlife with singing and dancing—this was originally the wish for the construction of Xiangyang City. The night market in the ancient city is all about eating and drinking. Besides the new Chinese-style milk tea, I saw Xiangyang's local brown sugar cakes for the first time. The plump, round brown sugar cakes are hollow, and the inner layer is coated with a thin layer of brown sugar. Freshly baked, they are crispy and sweet, very interesting. Many people were selling Kongming lanterns, which, after ascending, complemented the city walls, creating a peaceful scene with twinkling lights under the night sky. The next day, I visited the Xiangyang Museum, which was quite impressive. The museum opened not long ago. In the Xiangyang City Museum, I found that most of the relics were unearthed after 2000 AD, about more than 4,000 (sets) of cultural relics, including gold and silverware, bronzes, ceramics, jade, lacquerware, ancient paintings and calligraphy, epitaphs, stone carvings, and wood carvings. In the course of the evolution of Chinese civilization, Xiangyang has always resonated with it, never missing any great era. Its rich history has also created what may be the strongest city-level museum. One of the treasures of the museum is a bronze horse from the Three Kingdoms period. It is strong and tall, and I imagine Zhao Yun riding such a horse back to Changbanpo. The mutton-fat jade grip is delicate and oily, even seen through the display case. The many pottery dogs are adorable, each one naive and cute, some smiling, some dazed, some angry, some silly. The pottery figurines also have different expressions. The Southern Song Dynasty murals and painted bricks are also very impressive. The museum also created an animation of a kitchen scene and a drinking preparation scene, which is projected onto the murals to dynamically illustrate the relationships between the characters. This display method is worth learning from other museums. Last year, when I visited the Northern Qi Mural Museum, the relationship between several murals required careful consideration from visitors. Time was limited, and I couldn't appreciate everything slowly. I wanted to buy related books at the bookstore to read later, but there were only a few bland cultural and creative products, not a single book for sale 😂. I look forward to the Xiangyang Museum publishing books.