Jingzhou, or Jiangling City, is an ancient city in the south-central part of Hubei Province and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. In Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-221 BC), it was the capital city of Chu State for over 400 years and the cradle of Chu culture. Because of its strategic location, many battles were fought here during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). In 1982, the Chinese State Council named Jingzhou as one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities.
Many cultural relics and treasures have survived the long history of Jingzhou. Over the years, many items have been excavated and housed in the Jingzhou Museum. Among these are the sword of Gou Jian (the king of Yue State during the Eastern Dynasty) and the man corpse of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD). The sword, although buried under the earth for three thousand years, still looks new and is fairly sharp. The man corpse, buried in 167 BC, was once an official in Jiangling. There are also silks and lacquer wares from the Warring States P eriod on display here.
