Zhaojun's Hometown
Seventy-seven kilometres upstream from Yichang City lies the mouth of the Xiangxi River on the north bank of the Yangtze. Here is Miss Zhaojun's Hometown. In her hometown,there are many beautiful stories about Wang Zhaojun, one of the four Chinese greatest beauties.It is said once when Zhaojun was washing her face in the river, a string of pearls of her ornaments fell into the water. Ever since then, the river water carried the scent like that of perfume. Xiangxi River boasts the Peach Blossom Fish, a rare and protective species. Transparent and creamy coloured, it is shaped like an umbrella.Legend tells that, after a home visit,Zhaojun started on her trip beyond the Great Wall to be married to the Xiongnu chieftain.

As she sailed along the river, her tears dropped into the water to mingle with the floating peach blossom and turned into beautiful fish.

Wang Zhaojun was born in Baoping Village whose original name was Yandunping, or Wangjiawan, 5.5 km from Xingshan County. There are some sites in Zhaojun's hometown, such as Dressing Table, The Well of the Nanmu Tree, Zhaojun's Shrine,Zhaojun's Residence,etc. In 1979, Zhaojun's Residence was rebuilt.

Stories of Wang Zhaojun
Wang Qiang,with courtesy name Zhaojun,was born in Zigui County (today's Xingshan County).

In the ruling period of Emperor Yuan, the Han Dynasty,she was sent to the court as an imperial concubine.For some reason,she failed to get into His Majesty's good favour.In the Western Han Dynasty,Han Nationality and Hu Nationality had wars very often.In 33 B.C.,Huhanye,chief of the Southern Xiongnu went to Chang'an (Han's Capital) to ask for a marriage to an imperial woman to achieve peace.Zhaojun asked for imperial permission to become Huhenye's wife. When she came to bid His Majesty farewell,however for the first time,the Emperor realised how beautiful she was. After she got to Xiongnu,she had a son named Yituzhiyashi who was regarded as King Gurisui,she became an empress.

Zhaojun married away from her own country for the unity of various nationalities,so she is regauded as a great woman. People sing high praise for her as the envoy of peace.Because of her marriage Hu and Han nationalities got along well with each other for hundred years. Premier Zhou Enlai once praised her as "a figure who played the greatest role in developing the unity of the great one family of the Chinese nationalities."Mr.Dong Biwu also wrote a poem to praise her saying "her marriage to Huhanye should be praised forever."

Since more than two thousand years ago, poems, stories, pictures,novels,plays about Wang Zhaojun have been widely spread.

China tours inclusive of visiting Yichang