Jingzhou, or Jiangling City, is an ancient city in the south-central part of Hubei Province and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. In Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-221 BC), it was the capital city of Chu State for over 400 years and the cradle of Chu culture. Because of its strategic location, many battles were fought here during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). In 1982, the Chinese State Council named Jingzhou as one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities.