Things to do in Zhongxiang

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Jingmen

Xianling Mausoleum Cultural Tourism Scenic Spot

Built in the 14th year during the reign of Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, Xianling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is composed of large architectural complexes surrounded by mountains and water. Its layout and architecture are unique with a golden flask-shaped outer wall. The nine-bend imperial river and dragon scale road winding among the Mausoleum buildings are rare in Ming tombs. Two mysterious dumbbell-shaped underground palaces connected by towers have been hailed as a wonder — a masterpiece combining architectural art and environmental aesthetics.

No. 1 of Night Attractions in Jingmen

Mochou Village

Mochou Village is located in Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province. It is adjacent to the Ming Mausoleum, a world cultural heritage site, in the north and Mochou Lake National Wetland Park in the south. Mochou Village is named after the Chu State artist Mochounv who grew up here. For thousands of years, many moving stories have been circulated around Mochou Village, Mochounv, "Yangchun Baixue", Yangchun Terrace, Baixue Tower, etc., and have been admired and visited by literati and poets of all generations.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Jingmen

Huangxian (Yellow Fairy) Cave

Huangxian Cave is located in the southern part of the Dahong Mountain Range. The cave gets its name because, according to legend, Huang Shigong once rested here. On the right side of the cave stands a great hall with a stone pool, which was created by a naturally formed dam of calcified rock. The pool, dam, stalactite said to resemble General Shi Yong from the Water Margin and a three-arched cavern are some of the wondrous sights within. Many magnificent and glorious scenes lay inside the cave, with evocative and imaginative names like Strong Cave Mouth, Jigong Prays, the Whisper, Panda and Butterfly, Yellow Fairy Promenade, Fairy Path, the First Night, Harmoniously Together, Nezha's Birth, the Golden Shower and a Fairy's Lost Dress.

Mochou Lake National Wetland Park

Mochou Lake refers to Zhongxiang Mochou Lake, located in Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province. Mochou Lake Scenic Spot integrates mountain water resources and human resources, and is a bright pearl on the land of Jingchu! The hundreds of islands on the lake are handsome, and the water and sky are the same color. On Baixue Island in Yangchun, Baixue Tower and Yangchun Terrace face each other across the water, as if Mochou reappears; the Lantai Palace sings and dances, and King Xiang enjoys wine and recreates the charm of Chu State. On the Lower Riba Island, men ploughing and women weaving, fishing and hunting, folk songs are brilliant, and love is also Tao Tao. The military field island, with rumbling guns and killing sounds, is thrilling and fascinating.

Zhongxiang Museum

The predecessor of Zhongxiang City Museum was the cultural relics exhibition room established in Zhongxiang County Cultural Center in the early 1950s, located in the Shanxi and Shaanxi Guild Hall in the old county town. In 1959, it moved to Wujun Academy, and in 1961 it moved to the county auditorium. In 1977, the Zhongxiang County Library Museum was established with the approval of the Zhongxiang County People's Government, and it was co-located with the Zhongxiang County Library. In February 1979, the Zhongxiang County Museum was established with the approval of the Zhongxiang County Revolutionary Committee. In March 1980, the Zhongxiang County Museum was officially separated from the library, and the museum was moved to the Yuanyou Palace, an ancient building complex of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. On June 18, 2012, the new Zhongxiang City Museum was officially opened. The newly completed Zhongxiang Museum has a total investment of 60 million yuan and covers an area of ​​80,040 square meters, of which the main building has a construction area of ​​10,000 square meters and an exhibition area of ​​more than 3,300 square meters. Its design concept is based on the theme of Ming culture, garden-style and multifunctional. The entire building is like a seal in a natural landscape painting. The plane absorbs the skeleton of Chinese character seals, presenting a "Ming" structure, a "sun" main building, and a "moon" annex. The entire building is immersed in a landscape pool, forming the outer garden of the museum. The outdoor corridors and open spaces between the main and annexed halls form the inner garden of the museum, presenting the spatial image of a garden in a garden. There are windows on both sides of the building. The corridors, terraces, and windows are mainly gray and elegant, with white exterior and gray interior. The entrance and exit are equipped with dragon-shaped copper doors. The entire function is divided into five areas: exhibition area, collection warehouse area, technical protection area, public service area, and administrative office area. It is one of the landmark buildings in Zhongxiang. The museum consists of five basic exhibition series, namely the Ming Dynasty Emperors Hall, Chu Culture Hall, Ceramics and Paintings Hall, Longevity Culture Hall, and Li Ji Memorial Hall, as well as temporary exhibition halls and multimedia halls.

Yuanyou Palace

Yuanyou Palace faces south and features a symmetrical layout along a central axis, a typical characteristic of traditional Chinese architecture.

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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is where Zhangjiajie tourism starts. "The world knows Zhangjiajie, but who knows Wulingyuan?" Many travelers cannot distinguish the relationship between Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan. Generally, Zhangjiajie has two concepts: Zhangjiajie City and Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Zhangjiajie Scenic Area refers to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which together with Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu, and Yangjiajie forms the Wulingyuan attraction. Because Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was developed early and is well-known, even Zhangjiajie City was renamed after it, and people are accustomed to using Zhangjiajie National Forest Park or Zhangjiajie Scenic Area to refer to the Wulingyuan attraction. "Three thousand exotic peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters." The three thousand exotic peaks, in particular, are renowned worldwide. The mountains of Wulingyuan are entirely different from famous mountains around the world. Within its 398-square-kilometer area, more than 3,000 dense and intact sandstone peak pillars are scattered throughout, including 243 peak pillars over 1,000 meters tall. When the sea of clouds surges, these peak pillars appear to have no base, rising abruptly from the ground and piercing straight into the sky. Together with the redwood forests of North America and the glacial landscapes of Greenland, they constitute one of the world's four major natural geological wonders. Wulingyuan has a low elevation and is located in the subtropical zone. The area features lush forests and abundant water sources, and is home to a large number of endangered animal and plant species. Every peak pillar is full of vitality. Peak pillars, natural bridges, gorges, waterfalls, streams, pools, caves, and dense broad-leaved forests are often shrouded in mist and clouds on site, enhancing the beauty of the view. Together with the unique landforms, they form a distinctive view characterized by "steep mountains, elegant waters, wondrous peaks, secluded gorges, and beautiful caves," and are hailed as "an enlarged bonsai and a miniature fairyland." On December 14, 1992, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee unanimously approved the inclusion of Wulingyuan in the World Heritage List, filling the gap of China having no World Natural Heritage sites. The recognized outstanding universal value is: the quartz sandstone peak forest landform is rare in the world and has extremely high aesthetic value. UNESCO points out: "In terms of scenery, Wulingyuan can be compared with several national parks and monuments in the United States, such as the Grand Canyon, and can also be compared with the prominent sandstone peak areas of the Kimberley in Western Australia. However, because Wulingyuan has a lower elevation and is located in the subtropics, it has lush forests and abundant water sources. It also possesses a large number of peaks, displaying a more vertical profile than the heritage sites of the United States and Australia." At the end of 2009, the mesmerizing planet Pandora in the globally popular movie "Avatar" attracted countless viewers, and the prototype of its floating mountains originated from Wulingyuan. Meanwhile, Wulingyuan is also a live-action filming location for the Chinese classics "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West," as well as for films and TV dramas such as "Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal" and "Monster Hunt." In 2010, the unique landform of Wulingyuan was named "Zhangjiajie landform," becoming a globally recognized term and a rare landform type in the world named after a region. Attraction highlights Yuanjiajie: Landing on Pandora, the planet of Avatar Yuanjiajie is the filming location for the "Hallelujah Mountain" in the movie "Avatar," where you can explore the magical world of floating and scattered mountains from the film. If you happen to encounter a light rain in the mountains, or wait until the sky clears after the rain, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of misty fog and layered peaks even more. The Mihun Platform is an ideal viewing spot; standing on it, you are surrounded by hundreds of towering stone peaks with magnificent momentum. Tianzi Mountain: once you've seen Tianzi, no other mountain will do When visiting Tianzi Mountain, you will see various uniquely shaped geological views and oddly formed peaks, such as Yubi Peak, Fairy Presenting Flowers, Dianjiang Terrace, Hanging Garden, and Immortal Bridge. There is no need to worry too much about whether these natural formations resemble what they are named after, because "the primitive scenery and natural beauty" are what make Tianzi Mountain so captivating. Especially in the hazy fog after a fresh rain, it feels as if you are in a fairyland. By winter, when the mountain is covered in silvery white, the scenery becomes even more enchanting. Huangshizhai: see all the other mountains as small from the summit "If you don't climb Huangshizhai, your trip to Zhangjiajie is in vain." Huangshizhai is a viewing platform in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, surrounded by sheer cliffs and lush trees, and the top of the village is often shrouded in mist and clouds. Standing atop Huangshizhai and looking around, you can experience the lofty sentiment of "seeing all the other mountains as small." Yangjiajie: Thrills found in danger Yangjiajie is primarily known for its pristine natural beauty. With high mountains and narrow paths, it is famous for being "perilous" and is deeply favored by backpackers and adventurers. Wulong Village within the attraction is a very magical place in Zhangjiajie. It was once inhabited by bandits from western Hunan, and was later renamed after the TV series "Tales of Suppressing Bandits in Wulong Mountain." The village is built along the mountain, and there is a path up and down the mountain that requires using both hands and feet to climb to the summit. Suoxiyu: A natural ink wash landscape painting Suoxiyu is also called Suoxi, named because the stream within the attraction is shaped like a rope. Unlike other parts of the forest park, which are so steep and rugged, this place is shrouded in mist and clouds year-round, with clear streams flowing continuously through all four seasons and graceful peaks visible everywhere. Ten-Mile Gallery is the highlight attraction of Suoxiyu; within the 5 km-long gorge, wildflowers fragrance the air and fantastic peaks and unusual rocks abound. Walking through it is like stepping into a natural landscape painting. Golden Whip Stream: filming location of Journey to the West Jinbian Stream Gorge is the earliest developed area in the attraction. A clear stream runs through the valley, with towering peaks on both sides and lush greenery as far as the eye can see. This is also one of the filming locations for the classic version of Journey to the West, where fans can come and see iconic scenes such as the Water Curtain Cave and Cleaving the Mountain to Save the Mother.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Hubei

The Three Gorges Dam Tourism Area

The Three Gorges Dam Tourism Area is located in the Xiling Gorge section of the Yangtze River in Yichang, Hubei. It is a scenic attraction built around the Three Gorges hydro project, covering over ten square kilometers. Currently, it offers travelers three viewing spots: Tanzi Ridge, the 185 viewing platform, and the river closure memorial park. The dam crest itself is not open to travelers, so visits primarily revolve around these three attractions. Tanzi Ridge is the highest accessible point in the dam area, named for its jar-shaped summit viewing platform resembling an overturned jar. It also served as the survey site for the dam's initial location selection. From the ridge top, visitors can overlook the Three Gorges Project in its entirety—the dam, power station, and twin five-level ship locks are all visible. The five lock chambers cascade down the mountainside, earning the nickname "Fourth Gorge of the Yangtze." The park displays engineering artifacts like ancient riverbed stones, river closure rocks, and foundation stones from the dam site, complemented by model exhibits that help visitors intuitively understand the origins and development of this mega-project. The 185 observation platform is located on the left bank of the dam. It gets its name from sharing the same elevation of 185 m as the dam crest. Standing on the platform feels like being atop the dam: on one side, the dam and vertical ship lift are within close reach, offering a chance to witness ships "riding the elevator" over the dam; on the other side lies the vast, tranquil reservoir upstream. The stark contrast between the stillness above and the dynamism below the dam is striking. The closure memorial park is situated on the right bank downstream of the dam, preserving artifacts like tetrahedral closure stones and large loading machinery used during the construction. It's an ideal spot to view the dam's full frontal grandeur. During flood seasons when the dam releases water, torrents rush out from the deep outlets, creating towering mist and thunderous echoes that reverberate through the valley—a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. The three attractions are far apart, and the scenic area provides shuttle buses for transportation. It is recommended to reserve half a day to visit them in order.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Yellow Crane Tower

Yellow Crane Tower is a landmark building of Wuhan. It is located on the bank of the Yangtze River and above Snake Hill in Wuchang. Many celebrities have written famous poems about the tower. Yellow Crane Tower was built during the Three Kingdoms period, but it was destroyed many times. What we see now is the reconstructed version built in 1985. When you climb the Yellow Crane Tower, you can see the spectacular view of the Yangtze River and Wuhan's three districts.