Chu ( Chinese : 楚 ; pinyin : Chǔ ; Wade–Giles : Ch'u , Old Chinese : *s-r̥aʔ ) was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty . Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BC. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou heartland and lasted during the Spring and Autumn period . At the end of the Warring States period it was destroyed by the Qin in 223 BC during the Qin's wars of unification .
103-540: Also known as Jing ( 荊 ) and Jingchu ( 荊楚 ), Chu included most of the present-day provinces of Hubei and Hunan , along with parts of Chongqing , Guizhou , Henan , Anhui , Jiangxi , Jiangsu , Zhejiang , and Shanghai . For more than 400 years, the Chu capital Danyang was located at the junction of the Dan and Xi Rivers near present-day Xichuan County , Henan, but later moved to Ying . The house of Chu originally bore
206-577: A humid subtropical climate ( Cfa or Cwa under the Köppen climate classification ), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold, with average temperatures of 1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F) in January, while summers are hot and humid, with average temperatures of 24 to 30 °C (75 to 86 °F) in July; punishing temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) or above are widely associated with Wuhan,
309-616: A cadet branch of Chu's royal house of Mi . Mo'ao, one of the three chancellors of Chu, was exclusively chosen from Qu ( 屈 ) clan. During the early spring and autumn period and before the Ruo'ao rebellion , Lingyin was a position held by Ruo'aos, namely Dou ( 鬭 ) and Cheng ( 成 ). Progenitors of Chu such as viscount Xiong Yi were said to originate from the Jing Mountains ; a chain of mountains located in today's Hubei province . Rulers of Chu systematically migrated states annexed by Chu to
412-569: A counterweight against Chu. Wu defeated Qi and then invaded Chu in 506 BC. Following the Battle of Boju , it occupied Chu's capital at Ying, forcing King Zhao to flee to his allies in Yun and " Sui ". King Zhao eventually returned to Ying but, after another attack from Wu in 504 BC, he temporarily moved the capital into the territory of the former state of Ruo . Chu began to strengthen Yue in modern Zhejiang to serve as allies against Wu. Yue
515-586: A distinct " Chinese " culture. Based on the archaeological finds, Chu's culture was initially quite similar to that of the other Zhou states of the Yellow River basin. However, subsequently, Chu absorbed indigenous elements from the Baiyue lands that it conquered to the south and east, developing a blended culture compared to the northern plains. During the Western Zhou period, the difference between
618-635: A group that also encompasses the Mandarin dialects of most of southwestern China. Perhaps the most celebrated element of Hubei cuisine is the Wuchang bream , a freshwater bream that is commonly steamed. Types of traditional Chinese opera popular in Hubei include Hanju and Chuju ( 楚剧 ; Chǔ Jù ). The Shennongjia area is the alleged home of the Yeren , a wild undiscovered hominid that lives in
721-558: A hub of higher education and research in China. Wuhan is the city that has the largest college student population in the world (1.3 million) studying in its 89 universities. Prior to the construction of China's national railway network, the Yangtze and Hanshui Rivers had been the main transportation arteries of Hubei for many centuries, and still continue to play an important transport role. Historically, Hubei's overland transport network
824-625: A long struggle for supremacy over the lands of the former Qin Empire, which became known as the Chu–Han Contention . The conflict ended in victory for Liu Bang: he proclaimed the Han dynasty and was later honored with the temple name Gaozu, while Xiang Yu committed suicide in defeat. Liu Bang immediately enacted a more traditional and less intrusive administration than the Qin before him, made peace with
927-411: A meeting with his subjects to discuss his plans for the invasion of Chu. Wang Jian said that the invasion force needed to be at least 600,000 strong, while Li Xin thought that less than 200,000 men would be sufficient. Ying Zheng ordered Li Xin and Meng Wu to lead the army against Chu. The Chu army, led by Xiang Yan , secretly followed Li Xin's army for three days and three nights, before launching
1030-474: A protracted campaign in Huaiyang under Wang Jian. Both soldiers wrote letters requesting supplies of clothing and money from home to sustain the long waiting campaign. The Chu populace in areas conquered by Qin openly ignored the stringent Qin laws and governance, as recorded in the excavated bamboo slips of a Qin administrator in Hubei. Chu aspired to overthrow the painful yoke of Qin rule and re-establishing
1133-591: A riverine transport system of boats augmented by wagons. These are detailed in bronze tallies with gold inlay regarding trade along the river systems connecting with those of the Chu capital at Ying. Although bronze inscriptions from the ancient state of Chu show little linguistic differences from the "Elegant Speech" (yǎyán 雅言) during the Eastern Zhou period , the variety of Old Chinese spoken in Chu has long been assumed to reflect lexical borrowings and syntactical interferences from non-Sinitic substrates , which
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#17327729933621236-489: A separate state. The attitude was captured in a Chinese expression about implacable hostility: "Though Chu has but three clans , Qin shall fall by Chu's hand" ( 楚雖三戶, 亡秦必楚 ). After Ying Zheng declared himself the First Emperor ( Shi Huangdi ) and reigned briefly, the people of Chu and its former ruling house organized the first violent insurrections against the new Qin administration. They were especially resentful of
1339-442: A surprise offensive and destroying Li Xin army. Upon learning of Li's defeat, Ying Zheng replaced Li with Wang Jian, putting Wang in command of the 600,000-strong army he had requested earlier and placing Meng Wu beneath him as a deputy. Worried that the Qin tyrant might fear the power he now possessed and order him executed upon some pretense, Wang Jian constantly sent messengers back to the king in order to remain in contact and reduce
1442-465: A swift assault. The Qin forces pursued the retreating Chu forces to Qinan ( 蕲南 ; northwest of present-day Qichun in Hubei ) and Xiang Yan was either killed in the action or committed suicide following his defeat. The next year, in 223 BC, Qin launched another campaign and captured the Chu capital Shouchun. King Fuchu was captured and his state annexed. The following year, Wang Jian and Meng Wu led
1545-615: A welcome respite from Wuhan's and Yichang's summer heat, as well as skiing opportunities in winter. The tourist facilities in that area concentrate around Muyu in the southern part of Shennongjia , the gateway to Shennongjia National Nature Reserve ( 神农架国家自然保护区 ). Closer to the provincial capital, Wuhan, is the Mount Jiugong ( Jiugongshan ) national park, in Tongshan County near the border with Jiangxi . A particular important site of both natural and cultural significance
1648-517: Is Mount Wudang ( Wudangshan ) in the northwest of the province. Originally created early in the Ming dynasty , its building complex has been listed by UNESCO since 1994 as a World Heritage Site . Lu (state) Lu ( Chinese : 魯 , c. 1042 – 249 BC) was a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China located around modern Shandong . Founded in
1751-524: Is Phi or 24 Capricorni . It is also represented by the star Epsilon Ophiuchi in the "Right Wall" asterism in the "Heavenly Market" enclosure . The virus taxa Chuviridae and Jingchuvirales are named after Chǔ. Hubei Hubei is a province in Central China . It has the seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and
1854-724: Is divided into thirteen prefecture-level divisions (of which there are twelve prefecture-level cities (including a sub-provincial city ) and one autonomous prefecture ), as well as three directly administered county-level cities (all sub-prefecture-level cities ) and one directly administered county-level forestry area. At the end of 2017, the total population was 59.02 million. * – including Forestry district ** – Directly administered county-level divisions The thirteen Prefecture and four directly administered county-level divisions of Hubei are subdivided into 103 county-level divisions (39 districts , 24 county-level cities , 37 counties , 2 autonomous counties , 1 forestry district;
1957-672: Is modest compared to other Chinese provinces. Hubei is well known for its mines of fine turquoise and green faustite. Hubei was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front campaign. Since completion in 2012, the Three Gorges Dam in western Hubei provides plentiful hydroelectricity , with an average annual power production of 95 Twh. Existing hydroelectric stations include Gezhouba , Danjiangkou , Geheyan , Hanjiang , Duhe , Huanglongtan , Bailianhe , Lushui and Fushui . Hubei
2060-516: Is planned in Dafanzhen, Tongshan County, Xianning, to host at least four 1,250-megawatt (MW) AP1000 pressurized-water reactors. Work on the site began in 2010; plans envisaged that the first reactor would start construction in 2011 and go online in 2015. However, construction of the first phase had yet to start as of 2018 . On 1 December 2019, the first case of COVID-19 in the COVID-19 pandemic
2163-470: Is the 7th-largest provincial economy of China, the second largest in the Central China region after Henan , the third largest in the South Central China region after Guangdong and Henan and the third largest among inland provinces after Henan and Sichuan . As of 2021 , Hubei's nominal GDP was US$ 787 billion (CNY 5 trillion). Its GDP (nominal) per capita exceeded US$ 13,000, making it
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#17327729933622266-524: The Songs of Chu , historical records, excavated bamboo documents such as the Guodian slips , and other artifacts reveal heavy Taoist and native folk influence in Chu culture. The disposition to a spiritual, often pleasurable and decadent lifestyle, and the confidence in the size of the Chu realm led to the inefficiency and eventual destruction of the Chu state by the ruthless Legalist state of Qin. Even though
2369-530: The se was preferred over the zither , while both instruments were equally preferred in the northern Zhou states. Chu came into frequent contact with other peoples in the south, most notably the Ba , Yue , and the Baiyue . Numerous burials and burial objects in the Ba and Yue styles have been discovered throughout the territory of Chu, co-existing with Chu-style burials and burial objects. Some archaeological records of
2472-591: The Fushui River in the southeast. Thousands of lakes dot the landscape of Hubei's Jianghan Plain, giving Hubei the name of "Province of Lakes"; the largest of these lakes are Liangzi Lake and Hong Lake . The numerous hydrodams have created a number of large reservoirs, the largest of which is the Danjiangkou Reservoir on the Han River, on the border between Hubei and Henan . Hubei has
2575-600: The Gezhouba Dam on the Yangtze River near Yichang started in 1970 and completed in 1988; the construction of the Three Gorges Dam , further upstream, began in 1993. In the following years, authorities resettled millions of people from western Hubei to make way for the construction of the dam. A number of smaller dams have been constructed on the Yangtze's tributaries as well. The Xianning Nuclear Power Plant
2678-524: The Legalistic reforms of Shang Yang . In 241 BC, five of the seven major warring states–Chu, Zhao, Wei, Yan and Han–formed an alliance to fight the rising power of Qin. King Kaolie of Chu was named the leader of the alliance and Lord Chunshen the military commander. According to historian Yang Kuan , the Zhao general Pang Nuan ( 庞煖 ) was the actual commander in the battle. The allies attacked Qin at
2781-570: The Qin dynasty in 221 BC, the first unified dynasty in China . The Qin dynasty was succeeded in 206 BC by the Han dynasty , which established the province ( zhou ) of Jingzhou in today's Hubei and Hunan . The Qin and Han played an active role in the extension of farmland in Hubei, maintaining a system of river dikes to protect farms from summer floods. Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty in
2884-470: The Sichuan Basin was its great agricultural output and its control over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River , leading directly into the Chu heartland. King Huiwen of Qin opted to support Sima Cuo. In 316 BC, Qin invaded and conquered Shu and nearby Ba , expanding downriver in the following decades. In 278 BC, the Qin general Bai Qi finally conquered Chu's capital at Ying. Following
2987-802: The Wu Mountains (in rough north-to-south order). The Dabie Mountains lie to the northeast of the Jianghan Plain, on the border with Henan and Anhui ; the Tongbai Mountains lie to the north on the border with Henan ; to the southeast, the Mufu Mountains form the border with Jiangxi . The highest peak in Hubei is Shennong Peak , found in the Daba Mountains of the forestry area of Shennongjia ; it has an altitude of 3105 m. The two major rivers of Hubei are
3090-749: The Wuchang Uprising took place in modern-day Wuhan. The uprising started the Xinhai Revolution , which overthrew the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China . In 1927 Wuhan became the seat of a government established by left-wing elements of the Kuomintang , led by Wang Jingwei ; this government later merged into Chiang Kai-shek 's government in Nanjing . During World War II
3193-722: The Xiongnu through heqin intermarriages, rewarded his allies with large fiefdoms, and allowed the population to rest from centuries of warfare. The core Chu territories centered in Pengcheng was granted first to general Han Xin and then to Liu Bang's brother Liu Jiao as the Kingdom of Chu . By the time of Emperor Wu of Han , the southern folk culture and aesthetics were mixed with the Han-sponsored Confucian tradition and Qin-influenced central governance to create
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3296-600: The Yangtze River and its left tributary, the Han River ; they lend their names to the Jianghan Plain – Jiang representing the Yangtze and han representing the Han River. The Yangtze River enters Hubei from the west via the Three Gorges ; the eastern half of the Three Gorges ( Xiling Gorge and part of Wu Gorge ) lie in western Hubei, while the western half is in neighbouring Chongqing . The Han River enters
3399-645: The ancestral temple surname Nai ( 嬭 OC: /*rneːlʔ/) which was later written as Mi ( 芈 OC: /*meʔ/). They also bore the lineage name Yan ( 酓 OC: /*qlamʔ/, /*qʰɯːm/) which would later be written Xiong ( 熊 OC: /*ɢʷlɯm/). According to legends recounted in Sima Qian 's Records of the Grand Historian , the ruling family of Chu descended from the Yellow Emperor and his grandson and successor Zhuanxu . Zhuanxu's great-grandson Wuhui ( 吳回 )
3502-565: The fiefdom of Chu in the Nanyang Basin and the hereditary title of 子 ( zǐ , " viscount "). Then the first capital of Chu was established at Danyang (present-day Xichuan in Henan). In 977 BC, during his campaign against Chu , King Zhao of Zhou 's boat sank and he drowned in the Han River . After this death, Zhou ceased to expand to the south, allowing the southern tribes and Chu to cement their own autonomy much earlier than
3605-513: The richest landlocked province , the richest province in the Central China region, and 2nd richest province in South Central China region after Guangdong . Han Chinese form the dominant ethnic group in Hubei. A considerable Miao and Tujia population live in the southwestern part of the province, especially in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture . On October 18, 2009, Chinese officials began to relocate 330,000 residents from
3708-675: The 11th century BC, its rulers were from a cadet branch of the House of Ji ( 姬 ) that ruled the Zhou dynasty. The first duke was Boqin , a son of the Duke of Zhou , who was brother of King Wu of Zhou and regent to King Cheng of Zhou . Lu was the home state of Confucius as well as Mozi , and, as such, has an outsized cultural influence among the states of the Eastern Zhou and in history. The Annals of Spring and Autumn , for instance,
3811-509: The Central plains. However, this image originated with the later development of Chu relative to the Central plains, and the stereotype was retrospectively cultivated by Confucian scholars in the Qin dynasty, to indirectly criticise the ruling regime, and the Han dynasty as a means of curbing their ideological opponents who were associated with such cultural practices. As the founder of the Han dynasty
3914-499: The Chu appear at Mawangdui . After the Han dynasty , some Confucian scholars considered Chu culture with distaste, criticizing the "lewd" music and shamanistic rituals associated with Chu culture. Chu artisanship includes color, especially the lacquer woodworks. Red and black pigmented lacquer were most used. Silk-weaving also attained a high level of craftsmanship, creating lightweight robes with flowing designs. These examples (as at Mawangdui) were preserved in waterlogged tombs where
4017-546: The Chu capital moved south-east from Danyang to Ying. Chu first consolidated its power by absorbing other states in its original area (modern Hubei ), then it expanded into the north towards the North China Plain . In the summer of 648 BC, the State of Huang was annexed by the state of Chu. The threat from Chu resulted in multiple northern alliances under the leadership of Jin . These alliances kept Chu in check, and
4120-456: The Chu kingdom lost their first major battle at the Chengpu in 632 BC. During the 6th century BC, Jin and Chu fought numerous battles over the hegemony of central plain . In 597 BC , Jin was defeated by Chu in the battle of Bi , causing Jin's temporary inability to counter Chu's expansion. Chu strategically used the state of Zheng as its representative in the central plain area, through
4223-460: The Chu may have acquired as a result of its southern migration into what Tian Jizhou believed to be a Kra–Dai or (para-) Hmong–Mien area in southern China. Recent excavated texts, corroborated by dialect words recorded in the Fangyan , further demonstrated substrate influences, but there are competing hypotheses on their genealogical affiliation. Noticing that both 荆 Jīng and 楚 Chǔ refer to
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4326-518: The Chu tomb in Xichuan, Henan Province are complex in shape. Dated to the mid sixth century BC, it was one of the early confirmed lost-wax cast artifacts discovered in China proper. Later Chu burials, especially during the Warring States, featured distinct burial objects , such as colorful lacquerware , iron, and silk, accompanied by a reduction in bronze vessel offerings . A common Chu motif
4429-596: The Fangcheng mountain. Strategically, Fangcheng is an ideal defense against states of central plain . Due to its strategic value, numerous castles were built on the Fangcheng mountain. Yunmeng Ze in Jianghan Plain was an immense freshwater lake that historically existed in Chu's realm, It was crossed by Yanzi river, the northern Yunmeng was named Meng ( 夢 ), the southern Yunmeng was known as Yun ( 雲 ). The lake's body covers parts of today's Zhijiang, Jianli , Shishou , Macheng , Huanggang , and Anlu . Shaoxi Pass
4532-577: The Hubei and Henan provinces that will be affected by the Danjiangkou Reservoir on the Han river . The reservoir is part of the larger South-North Water Transfer Project . Religion in Hubei The predominant religions in Hubei are Chinese folk religions , Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism . According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 6.5% of the population believes and is involved in cults of ancestors , while 0.58% of
4635-593: The Jing mountains in order to control them more efficiently. East of Jing mountains are the Tu ( 塗 ) mountains. In the north-east part of Chu are the Dabie mountains ; the drainage divide of Huai river and Yangtse river . The first capital of Chu, Danyang ( 丹陽 ) was located in today's Zhijiang , Hubei province. Ying ( 郢 ), one of the later capitals of Chu, is known by its contemporary name Jingzhou . In Chu's northern border lies
4738-515: The Mongols in 1368. Their version of Huguang province was smaller, and corresponded almost entirely to the modern provinces of Hubei and Hunan combined. Hubei lay geographically outside the centers of the Ming power. During the last years of the Ming, today's Hubei was ravaged several times by the rebel armies of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng . The Manchu Qing dynasty which took control of much of
4841-466: The Qin corvée ; folk poems record the mournful sadness of Chu families whose men worked in the frigid north to construct the Great Wall of China . The Dazexiang Uprising occurred in 209 BC under the leadership of a Chu peasant, Chen Sheng , who proclaimed himself "King of Rising Chu" ( Zhangchu ). This uprising was crushed by the Qin army but it inspired a new wave of other rebellions. One of
4944-574: The Qin army against Wuyue around the mouth of the Yangtze , capturing the descendants of the royal family of Yue . These conquered territories became the Kuaiji Prefecture of the Qin Empire. At their peak, Chu and Qin together fielded over 1,000,000 troops, more than the massive Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao 35 years before. The excavated personal letters of two regular Qin soldiers, Hei Fu ( 黑夫 ) and Jing ( 惊 ), tell of
5047-431: The Qin realm lacked the vast natural resources and waterways of Chu, the Qin government maximized its output under the efficient minister Shang Yang , installing a meritocracy focused solely on agricultural and military might. Archaeological evidence shows that Chu music was annotated differently from Zhou. Chu music also showed an inclination for using different performance ensembles, as well as unique instruments. In Chu,
5150-444: The adjacent Chongqing municipality) is the scenic area of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze. Located in the far west of the province, the gorges can be conveniently visited by one of the numerous tourist boats (or regular passenger boats) that travel up the Yangtze from Yichang through the Three Gorges and into the neighboring Chongqing municipality. The mountains of western Hubei , in particular in Shennongjia District, offer
5253-582: The beginning of the 3rd century, Jingzhou was ruled by regional warlord Liu Biao . After his death in 208, Liu Biao's realm was surrendered by his successors to Cao Cao , a powerful warlord who had conquered nearly all of north China; but in the Battle of Red Cliffs (208 or 209), warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan drove Cao Cao out of Jingzhou. Liu Bei then took control of Jingzhou and appointed Guan Yu as administrator of Xiangyang (in modern Xiangyang, Hubei ) to guard Jing province; he went on to conquer Yizhou (the Sichuan Basin), but lost Jingzhou to Sun Quan; for
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#17327729933625356-446: The culture of Chu and the Central Plains states to the north was negligible. Only in the late Spring and Autumn period does Chu culture begin to diverge, preserving some older aspects of the culture and developing new phenomena. It also absorbed some elements from annexed areas. The culture of Chu had significant internal diversity from locality to locality. Chu, like Qin and Yan , was often described as being not as cultured by people in
5459-912: The directly administered county-level divisions are included here). Those are in turn divided into 1234 township-level divisions (737 towns , 215 townships , nine ethnic townships , and 273 subdistricts ). Secretaries of the Chinese Communist Party Hubei Committee: Governors of Hubei: Hubei is often called the "Land of Fish and Rice" ( 鱼米之乡 ). Important agricultural products in Hubei include cotton , rice , wheat , and tea , while industries include automobiles , metallurgy, machinery, power generation, textiles, foodstuffs and high-tech commodities. Mineral resources that can be found in Hubei in significant quantities include borax , hongshiite , wollastonite , garnet , marlstone , iron , phosphorus , copper , gypsum , rutile , rock salt , gold amalgam, manganese and vanadium . The province's recoverable reserves of coal stand at 548 million tons, which
5562-428: The early Warring States period , that power eventually returned to the dukes again. In 249 BC King Kaolie of the state of Chu invaded and annexed Lu. Duke Qing, the last ruler of Lu, became a commoner. The main line of the Duke of Zhou's descendants came from his firstborn son, the State of Lu ruler Bo Qin 's third son Yu (魚) whose descendants adopted the surname Dongye (東野). The Duke of Zhou 's offspring held
5665-451: The early 10th century, Hubei came under the control of several regional regimes: Jingnan in the center, Yang Wu and its successor Southern Tang to the east, the Five Dynasties to the north and Shu to Shizhou (施州, in modern Enshi , Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture ). The Song dynasty reunified the region in 982 and placed most of Hubei into Jinghubei Circuit , a longer version of Hubei's current name. Mongols conquered
5768-411: The east, Hunan to the south, and Chongqing and Shaanxi to the west. The high-profile Three Gorges Dam is located at Yichang in the west of the province. The Hubei region was home to sophisticated Neolithic cultures. By the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), the territory of today's Hubei formed part of the powerful State of Chu . Chu, nominally a tributary state of the Zhou dynasty ,
5871-410: The eastern parts of Hubei were conquered and occupied by Japan , while the western parts remained under Chinese control. During the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Wuhan saw fighting between rival Red Guard factions. In July 1967, civil strife struck the city in the Wuhan Incident ("July 20th Incident"), an armed conflict between two hostile groups who were fighting for control over the city at
5974-681: The fall of Ying, the Chu government moved to various locations in the east until settling in Shouchun in 241 BC. After a massive two-year struggle, Bai Qi lured the main Zhao force of 400,000 men onto the field, surrounding them and forcing their surrender at Changping in 260 BC. The Qin army massacred their prisoners, removing the last major obstacle to Qin dominance over the Chinese states. By 225 BC, only four kingdoms remained: Qin, Chu, Yan , and Qi . Chu had recovered sufficiently to mount serious resistance. Despite its size, resources, and manpower, though, Chu's corrupt government worked against it. In 224 BC, Ying Zheng called for
6077-411: The forested hills. The people of Hubei are given the uncomplimentary nickname " Nine-headed Birds " by other Chinese, from a mythological creature said to be very aggressive and hard to kill. "In the sky live nine-headed birds. On the earth live Hubei people." ( 天上九头鸟,地上湖北佬 ; Tiānshàng jiǔ tóu niǎo, dìshàng Húběi lǎo ) Wuhan is one of the major culture centers in China. Hubei is thought to be
6180-412: The height of the Cultural Revolution. As the fears of a nuclear war increased during the time of Sino-Soviet border conflicts in the late 1960s, the Xianning prefecture of Hubei was chosen as the site of Project 131 , an underground military-command headquarters. The province—and Wuhan in particular—suffered severely from the 1954 Yangtze River Floods . Large-scale dam construction followed, with
6283-447: The high priest of Chu, multiple entries in Zuo Zhuan indicated their role as oracles. Other Yins recorded by history were: Yuyin, Lianyin, Jiaoyin, Gongjiyin, Lingyin, Huanlie Zhi Yin (Commander of Palace guards) and Yueyin (Minister of Music). In counties and commanderies, Gong ( 公 ), also known as Xianyin (minister of county) was the chief administrator. In many cases, positions in Chu's bureaucracy were hereditarily held by members of
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#17327729933626386-424: The king and left the state very powerful until the late 4th century BC, when Zhao and Qin were ascendant. Chu's powerful army once again became successful, defeating the states of Wei and Yue . Yue was partitioned between Chu and Qi in either 334 or 333 BC. However, the officials of Chu wasted no time in their revenge and Wu Qi was assassinated at King Dao's funeral in 381 BC. Prior to Wu's service in
6489-453: The king's suspicion. Wang Jian's army passed through southern Chen ( 陳 ; present-day Huaiyang in Henan) and made camp at Pingyu. The Chu armies under Xiang Yan used their full strength against the camp but failed. Wang Jian ordered his troops to defend their positions firmly but avoid advancing further into Chu territory. After failing to lure the Qin army into an attack, Xiang Yan ordered a retreat; Wang Jian seized this opportunity to launch
6592-472: The lacquer did not peel off over time and in tombs sealed with coal or white clay. Chu used the calligraphic script called "Birds and Worms" style , which was borrowed by the Wu and Yue states. It has a design that embellishes the characters with motifs of animals, snakes, birds, and insects. This is another representation of the natural world and its liveliness. Chu produced broad bronze swords that were similar to Wuyue swords but not as intricate. Chu created
6695-418: The late 4th century BC, however, Chu's prominent status had fallen into decay. As a result of several invasions headed by Zhao and Qin, Chu was eventually completely wiped out by Qin. The Chu state was completely eradicated by the Qin dynasty. According to the Records of the Warring States , a debate between the Diplomat strategist Zhang Yi and the Qin general Sima Cuo led to two conclusions concerning
6798-557: The leaders, Jing Ju of Chu, proclaimed himself the new king of Chu. Jing Ju was defeated by another rebel force under Xiang Liang . Xiang installed Xiong Xin , a scion of Chu's traditional royal family, on the throne of Chu under the regnal name King Huai II. In 206 BC, after the fall of the Qin Empire, Xiang Yu , Xiang Liang's nephew, proclaimed himself the "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and promoted King Huai II to "Emperor Yi". He subsequently had Yi assassinated. Xiang Yu then engaged with Liu Bang , another prominent anti-Qin rebel, in
6901-485: The major adversary of the upstart State of Qin to the northwest (in present-day Guanzhong , Shaanxi province), which began to assert itself by outward expansionism. As wars between Qin and Chu ensued, Chu lost more and more land: first its dominance over the Sichuan Basin , then (in 278 BC) its heartland, which correspond to modern Hubei. In 223 BC Qin chased down the remnants of the Chu regime, which had fled eastwards during Qin's wars of uniting China . Qin founded
7004-420: The means of intimidation and threats, Chu forced Zheng to ally with itself. On the other hand, Jin had to balance out Chu's influence by repeatedly allying with Lu , Wey , and Song . The tension between Chu and Jin did not loosen until the year of 579 BC when a truce was signed between the two states. At the beginning of the sixth century BC, Jin strengthened the state of Wu near the Yangtze delta to act as
7107-404: The next few decades Jingzhou was controlled by the Wu Kingdom , ruled by Sun Quan and his successors. The incursion of northern nomadic peoples into the region at the beginning of the 4th century ( Five Barbarians' rebellion and Disaster of Yongjia ( 永嘉之乱 )) began nearly three centuries of division into a nomad-ruled (but increasingly Sinicized) north and a Han Chinese -ruled south. Hubei, to
7210-426: The original Wuhan-Guangzhou line, opened in late 2009, it was subsequently extended to the north, to Beijing becoming the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway . An east-west high-speed corridor connecting major cities along the Yangtze, the Shanghai–Wuhan–Chengdu passenger railway was gradually opened between 2008 and 2012, the Wuhan–Yichang railway section of it opening in 2012. The Wuhan–Xiaogan intercity railway
7313-405: The population identifies as Christian, declining from 0.83% in 2004. The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; 92.92% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities , Buddhism, Confucianism , Taoism, folk religious sects . People in Hubei speak Mandarin dialects; most of these dialects are classified as Southwestern Mandarin dialects,
7416-641: The province from the northwest. After crossing most of the province, the two great rivers meet at the center of Wuhan, the provincial capital. Among the notable tributaries of the Yangtze within the province are the Shen Nong Stream (a small northern tributary, severely affected by the Three Gorges Dam project); the Qing , a major waterway of southwestern Hubei; the Huangbo near Yichang ; and
7519-467: The province that originated the card game of dou dizhu . As of 2022, Hubei hosts 130 institutions of higher education, ranking sixth together with Hunan (130) among all Chinese provinces after Jiangsu (168), Guangdong (160), Henan (156), Shandong (153), and Sichuan (134). The Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan University and many other institutions in Wuhan make it
7622-518: The provincial capital. The mountainous districts of western Hubei, in particular Shennongjia , with their cooler summers, attract numerous visitors from Wuhan and other lowland cities. Besides the capital Wuhan , other important cities are Jingmen ; Shiyan , a center of automotive industry and the gateway to the Wudang Mountains ; Yichang , the main base for the gigantic hydroelectric projects of southwestern Hubei; and Shashi . Hubei
7725-587: The region in 1279, and under their rule the province of Huguang was established, covering Hubei, Hunan, and parts of Guangdong and Guangxi . During the Mongol rule, in 1331, Hubei was devastated by an outbreak of the Black Death , which reached England , Belgium , and Italy by June 1348, and which, according to Chinese sources, spread during the following three centuries to decimate populations throughout Eurasia. The Ming dynasty (1368–1644) drove out
7828-473: The region in 1644, soon split Huguang into the modern provinces of Hubei and Hunan. The Qing dynasty, however, continued to maintain a Viceroy of Huguang , one of the most well-known viceroys being Zhang Zhidong (in office between 1889 and 1907), whose modernizing reforms made Hubei (especially Wuhan ) into a prosperous center of commerce and industry. The Huangshi / Daye area, south-east of Wuhan, became an important center of mining and metallurgy. In 1911,
7931-424: The resources to maintain their positions for long. To defeat them, we must strike swiftly, unexpectedly and retreat quickly before they can counter-attack. This will create unease in their weary soldiers and reduce their fighting spirit. Thus, with persistence, their army can be defeated. During the late Warring States period, Chu was increasingly pressured by Qin to its west, especially after Qin enacted and preserved
8034-515: The royal entourage. Many officials had no meaningful task except taking money and Chu's army, while large, was of low quality. In the late 390s BC, King Dao of Chu made Wu Qi his chancellor . Wu's reforms began to transform Chu into an efficient and powerful state in 389 BC, as he lowered the salaries of officials and removed useless officials. He also enacted building codes to make the capital Ying seem less barbaric. Despite Wu Qi's unpopularity among Chu's ruling class, his reforms strengthened
8137-472: The south by the powerful state of Chu . The position of Lu on the eastern frontiers of the Western Zhou state, facing the non-Zhou peoples in states such as Lai and Xu , was an important consideration in its foundation. William H. Baxter (apud Matisoff , 1995) suggests a semantic connection between the toponym 魯 Lǔ and its homophone 鹵 lǔ "salty, rock salt " (< OC * C-rāʔ ) since that region
8240-565: The south, remained under southern rule for this entire period, until the unification of China by the Sui dynasty in 589. In 617 the Tang dynasty replaced Sui, and later on the Tang dynasty placed present-day Hubei under the jurisdiction of several circuits : Jiangnanxi Circuit in the south; Shannandong Circuit (山南东道) in the west, and Huainan Circuit in the east. After the Tang dynasty disintegrated in
8343-399: The state of Chu, Wu lived in the state of Wei, where his military analysis of the six opposing states was recorded in his magnum opus, The Book of Master Wu . Of Chu, he said: The Chu people are soft and weak. Their lands stretch far and wide, and the government cannot effectively administer the expanse. Their troops are weary and although their formations are well-ordered, they do not have
8446-443: The states to the north. The Chu viscount Xiong Qu overthrew E in 863 BC but subsequently made its capital Ezhou one of his capitals. In either 703 or 706, the ruler Xiong Tong became the ruler of Chu. Under the reign of King Zhuang , Chu reached the height of its power and its ruler was considered one of the five Hegemons of the era. After a number of battles with neighboring states, sometime between 695 and 689 BC,
8549-408: The strategic Hangu Pass but were defeated. King Kaolie blamed Lord Chunshen for the loss and began to mistrust him. Afterwards, Chu moved its capital east to Shouchun , farther away from the threat of Qin. As Qin expanded into Chu's territory, Chu was forced to expand southwards and eastwards, absorbing local cultural influences along the way. Lu was conquered by King Kaolie in 223 BC. By
8652-427: The third-largest among inland provinces. Its provincial capital at Wuhan serves as a major political, cultural, and economic hub for the region. Hubei is associated with the historical state of E that existed during the Western Zhou dynasty ( c. 1045 – 771 BCE). Its name means 'north of the lake', referring to Dongting Lake . It borders Henan to the north, Anhui and Jiangxi to
8755-593: The thorny chaste tree (genus Vitex ), Schuessler (2007) proposes two Austroasiatic comparanda: The Mo'ao ( 莫敖 ) and the Lingyin ( 令尹 ) were the top government officials of Chu. Sima was the military commander of Chu's army. Lingyin, Mo'ao and Sima were the San Gong ( 三公 ) of Chu. In the Spring and Autumn period, Zuoyin ( 左尹 ) and Youyin ( 右尹 ) were added as the undersecretaries of Lingyin. Likewise, Sima ( 司馬 )
8858-456: The unification of China. Zhang Yi argued in favor of conquering Han and seizing the Mandate of Heaven from the powerless Zhou king would be wise. Sima Cuo, however, considered that the primary difficulty was not legitimacy but the strength of Qin's opponents; he argued that "conquering Shu is conquering Chu" and, "once Chu is eliminated, the country will be united". The importance of Shu in
8961-552: The upper hand against its neighbour. Meanwhile, the power of the dukes of Lu was eventually undermined by the powerful feudal clans of Jisun 季孫, Mengsun 孟孫, and Shusun 叔孫 (called the Three Huan because they were descendants of Duke Huan of Lu ). The domination of the Three Huan was such that Duke Zhao of Lu , in attempting to regain power, was exiled by them and never returned. It would not be until Duke Mu of Lu 's reign, in
9064-590: The world, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. However, after more than eight weeks, the lockdown on most cities in the province was lifted. The Jianghan Plain takes up most of central and southern Hubei, while the west and the peripheries are more mountainous , with ranges such as the Wudang Mountains , the Jing Mountains , the Daba Mountains , and
9167-537: The worship of gibbons and other animals perceived to have auspicious amounts of qi . Later Chu culture was known for its affinity for shamans . The Chu culture and government supported Taoism and native shamanism supplemented with some Confucian glosses on Zhou ritual. Chu people affiliated themselves with the god of fire Zhurong in Chinese mythology. For this reason, fire worshiping and red coloring were practiced by Chu people. The naturalistic and flowing art,
9270-459: Was a salt marsh in ancient times. Lu was one of several states founded in eastern China at the very beginning of the Zhou dynasty, in order to extend Zhou rule far from its capital at Zongzhou and power base in the Guanzhong region. Throughout Western Zhou times, it played an important role in stabilising Zhou control in modern-day Shandong. During the early Spring and Autumn period , Lu
9373-457: Was an important outpost in the mountainous western border of Chu. It was located in today's Wuguan town of Danfeng County , Shaanxi . Any forces that marched from the west, mainly from Qin, to Chu's realm would have to pass Shaoxi. In traditional Chinese astronomy , Chu is represented by a star in the "Twelve States" asterism , part of the " Girl " lunar mansion in the " Black Turtle " symbol . Opinions differ, however, as to whether that star
9476-428: Was assisted by Zuosima ( 左司馬 ) and Yousima ( 右司馬 ) respectively. Mo'ao's status was gradually lowered while Lingyin and Sima became more powerful posts in the Chu court. Ministers whose functions vary according to their titles were called Yin ( 尹 ). For example: Lingyin (Prime minister), Gongyin (Minister of works), and Zhenyin were all suffixed by the word "Yin". Shenyin ( 沈尹 ) was the minister of religious duties or
9579-415: Was from the state, Chu culture would later become a basis of the culture of the later Han dynasty, along with that of the Qin dynasty's and other preceding states' from the Warring States period. Early Chu burial offerings consisted primarily of bronze vessels in the Zhou style. The bronze wares of the state of Chu also have their own characteristics. For example, the bronze Jin (altar table) unearthed from
9682-670: Was hampered by the lack of bridges across the Yangtze River , which divides the province into northern and southern regions. The first bridge across the Yangtze in Hubei, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was completed in 1957, followed by the Zhicheng Bridge in 1971. As of October 2014 , Hubei had 23 bridges and tunnels across the Yangtze River, including nine bridges and three tunnels in Wuhan. The railway from Beijing reached Wuhan in 1905, and
9785-511: Was identified in the city of Wuhan . In January 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was officially identified, leading local and federal governments to implement massive quarantine zones across Hubei province, especially in the capital Wuhan (the epicenter of the outbreak). Authorities partially or fully locked down 15 cities, directly affecting 57 million people. Following severe outbreaks in numerous other countries, including in different areas of
9888-443: Was initially subjugated by King Fuchai of Wu until he released their king Goujian , who took revenge for his former captivity by crushing and completely annexing Wu. Freed from its difficulties with Wu, Chu annexed Chen in 479 BC and overran Cai to the north in 447 BC. By the end of the 5th century BC, the Chu government had become very corrupt and inefficient, with much of the state's treasury used primarily to pay for
9991-481: Was itself an extension of the Chinese civilization that had emerged some centuries before in the north; but Chu also represented a culturally unique blend of northern and southern culture, and it developed into a powerful state that controlled much of the middle and lower Yangtze River , with its power extending northwards into the North China Plain . During the Warring States period (475–221 BC) Chu became
10094-508: Was later extended to Guangzhou, becoming the first north-to-south railway mainline to cross China. A number of other lines crossed the province later on, including the Jiaozuo–Liuzhou railway and Beijing–Kowloon railway , respectively, in the western and eastern part of the province. The first decade of the 21st century has seen a large amount of new railway construction in Hubei. The Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed railway , roughly parallel to
10197-421: Was one of the strongest states and a rival of Qi to its north. Under Duke Yin and Duke Huan of Lu , Lu defeated both Qi and Song on several occasions. At the same time, it undertook expeditions against other minor states. This changed by the middle of the period, as Lu's main rival, Qi, grew increasingly dominant. Although a Qi invasion was defeated in the Battle of Changshao in 684 BC, Lu would never regain
10300-718: Was opened in December 2016 and it was extended when the Wuhan–Shiyan high-speed railway opened in November 2019. Hubei's main airport is Wuhan Tianhe International Airport . Yichang Sanxia Airport serves the Three Gorges region. There are also passenger airports in Xiangyang , Enshi , and Jingzhou ( Shashi Airport , named after the city's Shashi District ). The province's best-known natural attraction (shared with
10403-483: Was put in charge of fire by Emperor Ku and given the title Zhurong . Wuhui's son Luzhong ( 陸終 ) had six sons, all born by Caesarian section . The youngest, Jilian , adopted the ancestral surname Mi . Jilian's descendant Yuxiong was the teacher of King Wen of Zhou (r. 1099–1050 BC). After the Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty , King Cheng (r. 1042–1021 BC) enfeoffed Yuxiong's great-grandson Xiong Yi with
10506-401: Was the vivid depiction of wildlife, mystical animals, and natural imagery, such as snakes , dragons , phoenixes , tigers, and free-flowing clouds and serpent-like beings. Some archaeologists speculate that Chu may have had cultural connections to the previous Shang dynasty , since many motifs used by Chu appeared earlier at Shang sites such as serpent-tailed gods. Another common Chu idea was
10609-568: Was written with the Lu rulers' years as their basis. Another great work of Chinese history, the Zuo Zhuan or Commentary of Zuo , was traditionally considered to have been written in Lu by Zuo Qiuming . The state's capital was in Qufu and its territory mainly covered the central and southwest regions of what is now Shandong Province . It was bordered to the north by the powerful state of Qi and to
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