Jingmen

Jingmen () is a prefecture-level city in central Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Jingmen is within an area where cotton and oil crops are planted. The population of the prefecture is 2,873,687 (2010 population census). The urban area of Jingmen City has a population of about 400,000. Jingmen is so named as in ancient times it was the gateway to Jingzhou, one of the Nine Provinces and means literally Gateway to Jingzhou. During the Second World War, the city was occupied by Japanese forces. Jingmen municipality comprises two districts, two county-level cities, one county and three other non MoCA management areas: Dongbao District (东宝区) Duodao District (掇刀区) Zhongxiang city (钟祥市) Jingshan city (京山市) Shayang County (沙洋县) Jingmen Advanced Technology Area (荆门高新技术产业园区 or 荆门高新区) Zhanghe New Area (漳河新区) Qujialing Management District (屈家岭管理区) Dongbao District "downtown" is located about 3 hours away from Wuhan by bus or rail. A new train service was introduced from Jingmen to Wuhan in 2004. Jingmen is very close to many great tourist attractions such as Changban Slope of Three Kingdoms fame, the Wudang Mountains, and the Ming Tomb in Zhongxiang (a World Heritage site only an hour away). As it is located in central China, Jingmen is within easy reach of almost anywhere in the country, taking about 18 hours to either Beijing or Guangzhou by train, or two hours by train to Yichang, home of the Gezhouba Dam project and Three Gorges Dam. From here travellers can fly to many destinations. The Dongbao District "downtown" has three north-south parallel roads: Xiangshan Dadao - The main avenue of Jingmen City. Most governmental buildings are here. Most civil functions, including hospitals, recreational areas, hotels, and the only university in Jingmen - Jingchu University of Technology, are alongside the road. Changning Dadao - All big telecommunication companies set up there branches here. Also there are many cellphone shops. The Jingmen railway station is to the north of Changning Dadao.