Xiangyang is located at a strategic site on the middle reaches of the
Han River, and has witnessed several significant battles in Chinese history. Xiangyang County was first established at the location of modern Xiangcheng in the early
Western Han dynasty and the name had been used continuously for more than 2,000 years until the 20th century. In the final years of the
Eastern Han dynasty, Xiangyang became the capital of
Jing Province (ancient Jingzhou). The warlord
Liu Biao governed his territory from here. Under Liu's rule, Xiangyang became a major destination of the northern elite fleeing warfare in the
Central Plain. In the
Battle of Xiangyang in 191 AD,
Sun Jian, a rival warlord and the father of
Sun Quan, founder of
Eastern Wu, was defeated and killed. The area passed to
Liu Bei after Liu Biao's death. Two decades later,
Battle of Fancheng, one of the most important battles in late Han-
Three Kingdoms period, was fought here, resulting in
Liu Bei's loss of Jingzhou. During the early years of the
Jin dynasty, Xiangyang was on the frontier between Jin and Eastern Wu.
Yang Hu, the commander in Xiangyang, was remembered for his policy of "border peace". Cross-border commerce was allowed, and the pressure on the Jin army was greatly relieved. Eventually, Xiangyang accumulated sufficient supplies for 10 years, which played a key role in
Jin's conquest of Wu. In the
Southern Song dynasty, after the
Treaty of Shaoxing, Xiangyang became a garrison city on the northern frontier of Song. During
Mongol conquest of the Song dynasty, Xiangyang together with Fancheng formed one of the greatest obstacles against the expansion of
Mongol Empire. They were able to resist for six years before finally surrendering in the
Siege of Xiangyang. In 1796, Xiangyang was one of the centers of the
White Lotus Rebellion against the
Qing dynasty. Here, rebel leader
Wang Cong'er successfully organized a rebel army of 50,000 and joined the main rebel forces in
Sichuan. The revolt lasted for nearly 10 years and marked a turning point in the history of Qing dynasty. In 1950, Xiangyang and Fancheng were merged to form Xiangfan City. In later 20th century, it became a major transport hub as
Handan,
Jiaoliu, and
Xiangyu railways intersect in Fancheng. The city's current boundaries were established in 1983 when Xiangyang Prefecture was incorporated into Xiangfan City. The city was renamed to Xiangyang in 2010. ==Geography==