Joy of Life Season 2's Hit Run Puts Spotlight on Hubei's Second Largest City

With the hit TV series "Joy of Life 2," filmed in Xiangyang, the ancient city has once again become the focus of public attention.

The Nanyang Basin (also known as the Xiangyang Basin) between Hubei and Henan provinces has long been a vital bridge connecting north and south in central China, once hailed as the "Center of the World."

In ancient times, Xiangyang was a strategic military stronghold. "Xiangyang is the waist and spine of the world. Whoever holds it in the Central Plains can dominate the southeast, and whoever secures it in the southeast can aspire to the northwest." Out of the 120 chapters of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," 32 are set in Xiangyang; over 4,000 of the 42,863 poems in the "Complete Tang Poems" mention Xiangyang; and in Jin Yong's martial arts novels, Xiangyang appears more than 260 times...

Today, since 2016, Xiangyang has surged ahead, consistently ranking second in Hubei's GDP rankings, just behind the provincial capital Wuhan. Economically, Xiangyang has long been the undisputed "Second City of Hubei." It is the first prefecture-level city in Hubei, apart from Wuhan, to construct inner, middle, and outer ring roads...

The "Center of the World" and the "Thoroughfare of Seven Provinces"

Gu Zuyu was right: Xiangyang, located in the "Center of the World" Nanyang Basin, connects Sichuan and Shaanxi to the west, borders Jianghan to the east, links Hunan and Guangdong to the south, and reaches the Central Plains to the north. It is a transportation hub for the adjacent regions of Hubei, Henan, Chongqing, and Shaanxi, historically a crucial thoroughfare known as the "Thoroughfare of Seven Provinces."

The Han River enters Xiangyang from the northwest and exits to the southeast, meandering 195 kilometers and dividing the city into northern and southern halves. With a basin area of 17,300 square kilometers, it has carved out vast plains in central and southern Xiangyang, nurturing over 6 million residents as the city's "Mother River."

The Han River is indeed a great "mother": it nurtured the Chu State in the Jing Mountains during the Warring States period, a power capable of rivaling the mighty Qin. It also collaborated with the Nanyang-Xiangyang Corridor to transform Xiangyang into a prosperous commercial hub of "southern boats and northern horses," making its fame far surpass that of Wuhan, Yichang, and other Hubei cities as early as the Western Han Dynasty.

If the Han River helped Xiangyang "reach out," then Mount Xian helped Xiangyang "settle down."

This small mountain range is rich in exquisite ancient stone. Research shows that the chime stones unearthed from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Suizhou were polished from Mount Xian's rocks, as are the replica chime stones displayed in the Hubei Provincial Museum—though people seem to remember only the bronze chime bells. Beyond its tangible relics, Mount Xian is also the "Father Mountain" in the spiritual world of Xiangyang's people.

Backed by the towering Jing Mountains and facing the surging Han River, it embraces Xiangcheng and overlooks Fancheng, complementing the river's softness with its strength to forge Xiangyang into the "Foremost Fortress of China." The moment the mountains and waters met, they sealed the city's destiny—like a treasure basin, it attracted countless historical figures and became a battleground for military powers.

On October 30, 2018, when Jin Yong passed away, Xiangyang's people spontaneously lit candles along the ancient city walls, once again showcasing the chivalrous spirit of his martial arts world. The people of Xiangyang are grateful to Jin Yong and take pride in their own history.

Jin Yong brought Xiangyang to the world's attention, but it was Liu Biao of the late Eastern Han Dynasty who built it. He moved the capital of Jingzhou from Changde (Hanshou) in Hunan to Xiangyang, governing it so well that scholars from Guanzhong, the Central Plains, and Shandong flocked there. "...over a thousand came, and Liu Biao provided for them all, establishing schools and promoting Confucianism..."

Thus, while warlords ravaged Chang'an and Luoyang, Xiangyang rose as the nation's cultural center.

At that time, Xiangyang gathered luminaries like Pang Degong, Pang Tong, Huang Chengyan, Mi Heng, and Song Zhong. But the most influential figure, known to all, was Zhuge Liang, who lived west of the city (some say in modern Nanyang; both Xiangyang and Nanyang were under Jingzhou's jurisdiction then). Liu Bei, thirsting for talent, visited him thrice, and Zhuge Liang proposed the "Three Kingdoms" strategy at Longzhong, marking the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era.

Open "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and familiar tales like "Ma Yue at Tanxi," "Drowning the Seven Armies," and "Scraping the Bone to Heal Poison" all unfold in Xiangyang. Historically, Cao Wei's capture of Xiangyang opened the Han River Plain's gates; Guan Yu's defeat there shattered Shu Han's dream of holding Jing and Yi; and Sun Wu's failure to take Xiangyang confined them to the southeast. Xiangyang was the starting point and turning point of the Three Kingdoms, and that era remains the most glorious chapter in its history.

Xiangyang gained fame again through Jin Yong's fictional "Battle of Xiangyang," but the history was real—the Mongol conquest of the Southern Song saw its fiercest fighting here. The "Foremost Fortress of China" held out for six years under siege before falling in 1273.

With Xiangyang lost, the Song Dynasty collapsed swiftly. The Han River Plain lay exposed, and three years later, Mongol cavalry entered Lin'an. Another three years, and Lu Xiufu carried the young emperor to his death at Yashan, followed by 100,000 subjects—the Song was no more.

The grand tides of history are but fleeting shadows on Xiangyang's walls, scattered by time's wind. Yet Xiangyang remains vibrant.

How was the "Second City of Hubei" forged?

After 2016, Xiangyang's economy surged ahead, surpassing Yichang, which had long held the second position, and became a "new powerhouse." In fact, those familiar with Xiangyang's history know that its prosperity began as early as the Western Han Dynasty.

At that time, Xiangyang was a crucial port along the middle reaches of the Han River. Leveraging the Han River, Xiangyang "connected the south to three provinces, gathered resources for the northern capital, controlled the Longdi region upstream, and linked to rivers and lakes downstream, facilitating trade and wealth flow." During the Tang Dynasty, Xiangyang was a bustling hub where "ships came and went, lining the shores, with thousands of sails gathered and merchants flocking." In the Ming and Qing periods, Xiangyang saw "merchant ships moored in rows, shops thriving, and visitors crowding like a forest," boasting over 20 commercial guilds and 30 docks, with its trade influence extending across the Yellow River and the Yangtze regions.

In modern times, the construction and improvement of railways and highways diminished the role of water transport, and Xiangyang rode the "express train" of rail development. In the 1950s, benefiting from the Handan, Jiaozuo-Liuzhou, and Xiangyang-Chongqing railways, Xiangyang became a vital railway hub in China, gaining a developmental edge.

When the high-speed rail era arrived, Xiangyang seized the opportunity once again. In 2019, the Han-Shi section of the Xi'an-Wuhan high-speed rail, the Zhengzhou-Wanzhou high-speed rail, and the Mengzi-Huaibei railway were completed. Planned lines like the Hohhot-Nanning, Xiangyang-Guiyang, and Hefei-Anqing high-speed rails will also pass through Xiangyang, undoubtedly bolstering its role as the "economic leader of northwestern Hubei."

Visitors drawn to Xiangyang for tourism are often surprised to discover upon arrival by high-speed rail: it is also a city of automobiles.

Before the reform and opening-up, Xiangyang had seven enterprises producing parts for Dongfeng Motor Corporation (originally the Second Automobile Works, hereafter referred to as "Erqi"). After the reform, Erqi established a second base in Xiangyang, then called the "Erqi Xiangfan Base," setting Xiangyang on the path of automotive industrialization.

Riding this momentum, Xiangyang advanced from producing parts to complete vehicles, and from traditional fuel cars to new energy vehicles... Step by step, it grew from weakness to strength. After over 40 years of development, the automotive industry has become the "flagship" of Xiangyang's industry. In 2019, Xiangyang ranked 46th in GDP among China's 347 prefecture-level cities, a feat owed largely to its automotive sector.

Strolling through Xiangyang's streets, seasoned film buffs may recognize familiar scenes. For instance, the Tang City Film Studio, where *The Legend of the Demon Cat* was filmed, also served as a location for the recent blockbuster *Mulan*. This studio, also a national AAAA-level tourist site, not only channels the Han River to recreate the "Eight Waters Surrounding Chang'an" but also revives the footprints of Tang Dynasty literati like Meng Haoran in Xiangyang...

Standing on Xiangyang's ancient city walls and gazing at the downtown skyscrapers, one can't help but marvel: Xiangyang seems like a city gliding effortlessly through time, both ancient and brand-new. Following locals to a noodle shop behind the Han River Bridge piers for a bowl of beef noodles, one understands: whether in turbulent or tranquil times, the warmth of daily life and human connections remains Xiangyang's eternal essence.