Three Kingdoms

By Linda Tancs

Jingzhou, China’s ancient city, is the heart of ancient Chu, the center of a power struggle between the states of Shu and Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Now a bustling city of over six million people on the banks of the Yangtze River, the area boasts a treasure trove of relics from one of China’s bloodiest eras, including ruins of five Chu cities and hundreds of ancient tombs (18 Chu kings among them). During the first week of May, the Jingzhou International Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the famous poet Qu Yuan. His statue stands in nearby Ying, the Chu capital.