Xiangxi Overview

Basic Information

• Chinese Name: 湘西
• Administrative Category: Prefecture-level City
• Location: Central China
• Area: 15,462 square kilometers
• Population: 2,636,000(2016)
• Post Code: 416000

Administrative Division

In 2015, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture has jurisdiction over 1 county-level city, 7 counties, 1 provincial-level economic development zone. The People's Government is located in Jishou City.

• 1 County-level City: Jishou City(吉首市)
• 7 Counties: Luxi County(泸溪县), Fenghuang County(凤凰县), Huayuan County(花垣县), Baojing County(保靖县), Guzhang County(古丈县), Yongshun County(永顺县), Longshan County(龙山县)
• 1 Provincial-level Economic Development Zone: Xiangxi Economic Development Zone(湘西经济开发区)

Location

Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is affiliated to Hunan Province and is the only minority autonomous prefecture in Hunan Province. It is located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, between 109°10′~110°22.5′ east longitude and 27°44.5′~29°38′ north latitude. It is located at the junction of Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing and Guizhou. Xiangxi has a long history and splendid culture. It has jurisdiction over Fenghuang County, which is one of the first batch of national historical and cultural cities and was selected as the first batch of national tourism demonstration zones in 2015. There are many cultural relics in Xiangxi. There are a large number of natural and cultural landscapes and its surrounding areas. Xiangxi is also one of the birthplaces of Wuling culture.

Climate

Xiangxi enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of 15.8-16.9℃. The weather is moderate all year round. What's more, the precipitation becomes much more common in spring and summer.

Best Time to Go

The best time of year to visit Xiangxi for general outdoor tourist activities is from late September to late October.  The best time to visit Xiangxi for hot-weather activities is from late August to late September. In a word, spring and autumn are the best periods to travel there.

Transportation

There is no airport in Xiangxi. If you need to go to Xiangxi by air, you should first go to Hehua Airport in Zhangjiajie or Daxing Airport in Tongren that are near to Xiangxi, and then get there by bus. Of course, visitors can get to Xiangxi by train or long-distance bus. What's more, Jishou Bus Station on Wuling Road is not far from Jishou Railway Station, and has buses to Fenghuang County, Zhangjiajie and Huaihua.

Festivals

Xiangxi, a place with many ethnic minorities, has many unique folk festivals and the strong customs, which have become the major scenery line of Hunan Tourism. Although there are many traditional festivals in China, the most exciting is undoubtedly unique festivals for tourism. The main festivals are as follows:

What to Do in Xiangxi

Characterized by spectacular landscapes, charming natural scenery and diverse ethnic customs, Xiangxi is an impressive region to visit. Fenghuang Ancient Town, known as one of "the most beautiful towns in China", is a place renowned for its natural beauty, long history, colorful ethnic culture and charming night scene. Furong Town is the door of Mengdong River waterway tour and the south gate of Mengdong River scenic spot. Furong Town is originally named Wangcun. The famous movie Furong Town acted by Liu Xianqing and Jiang Wen, the famous actress and actor in China is shot here. The Aizhai Bridge(矮寨大桥) is a suspension bridge on the G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway near Jishou City, Hunan. The bridge was built as part of an expressway from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality to Changsha. The bridge is famous for the spectacular view it offers those crossing it. As of 2013, it is the thirteenth-highest bridge in the world and the world's nineteenth-longest suspension bridge. In September 2012, the Aizhai Bridge was the site of an international BASE jumping festival that included more than 40 jumpers from 13 countries. Qianzhou Ancient Town is located in Jishou City in central China’s Hunan Province. Its history can be traced back 4,200 years ago when the original inhabitants lived here. Since the Qin dynasty (221BC-206BC), it has become an important port connecting the inland areas and Miao ethnic minorities. It is difficult to list all attractions in Xiangxi one by one. If you want to know detailed information about attractions in Xiangxi, you can see the introduction of attractions in the following. Of course, you can contact us for more detailed information. Therefore, come here, we can always find the right attractions for you according to your requirements. In fact, when you choose to go to Hunan, what you meet will be a dreamy trip.

History of Xiangxi

Xiangxi has a long history. The land was sparsely inhabited during the Shang Dynasty, through the Warring States period up to the era of the Sui dynasty and Tang Dynasty. It fell under the influence of the Chu state during the Warring States era. Later, it became part of the Western and Eastern Han dyansty. After the collapse of the Han dynasty, it came under the control of the Shu Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms Period of China. Then the area became a subject of the Jin Dynasty. When the Yuan Dynasty was established, the region became a part of the Hubei province. Soon later, Hubei and Hunan province became one single province called Huguang(湖广). The Ming dynasty reestablished the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture and attached it to Hunan Province. Upon the establishment of modern China, the national government gave the region autonomous status and county level status. This meant that the provincial government had less control over the region compared to other counties.