Xiaoping Military Industry Characteristic Town

Xiaoping Military Industry Characteristic Town

Xiaoping Military Industry Characteristic Town

Located in the northern part of Chenxi County, bordering Pushang in Luxi County and Banqiao and Tianwan in Chenxi County, covering an area of 48.7 square kilometers with a population of 32,000. The town features a unique terrain, surrounded by mountains on three sides and abundant vegetation. To the east of the town lies a massive natural karst cave that leads to Changhuai Highway, which historically served as the only passage to the outside world. Its geographical characteristics bear a striking resemblance to the “Peach Blossom Spring” described by Tao Yuanming, earning it the nickname “Shangri-La.” Major attractions include:

1. Xiaoping Arsenal (861 Arsenal): Originally established in 1890 as the Hanyang Arsenal by Zhang Zhidong, the Viceroy of Huguang, it is one of the founding institutions of China’s modern arms industry. With a history of over 120 years, it is hailed as the “Cradle of Hunan’s Military Industry.” In the 1980s, the Baiyun brand refrigerators produced here were bestsellers both domestically and internationally.

2. Jiangdong Temple: First built during the Tang Dynasty, it was relocated from Pushi to Jiangdong and rebuilt during the Song Dynasty’s Tianyou era. This temple houses half of the country’s “three and a half treasuries,” and is now a provincial-level cultural heritage site.

3. Jiangdong Song City Ruins: Located on the eastern bank of the Yuan River, it faces the renowned Xiangxi town of Pushi across the river. During the Southern Liang Dynasty, the Nanyang Commandery was established here, and in the early Sui Dynasty, the Shouzhou Prefecture was set up. In the eighth year of the Liang Tianjian era, Chenyang was renamed Jianchang County, with its county seat located in Jiangdong. After hundreds of years of development through the Tang and Song dynasties, the town reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty. The city was bustling with shops lining up in rows, crisscrossing streets, and eight major water and land docks leading straight to the riverbank, where masts stood densely and boats shuttled back and forth—a scene of great prosperity, making it one of the most thriving towns in the Xiangxi region.

4. Zaojiaoping Airport Ruins (Qianliping Vegetable Base): The ruins are located in Zaojiaoping Village, Xiaoping Town, Chenxi County, adjacent to the southern bank of the Yuan River. It lies 2 kilometers west of Pushi Town, 85 kilometers southwest of Jiangkou Airport, 56 kilometers east of Xupu Airport (Qiaojang), and 152 kilometers southeast of Shaoyang Airport, offering convenient water and land transportation. The airport stretches approximately 3,000 meters from east to west and about 300 meters from north to south. It has one runway, 600 meters long and 30 meters wide, with a stone foundation and fine sand surface. This simple airport was constructed in 1944 by the Nationalist Government’s Aviation Committee using 50,000 laborers. Together with Zhijiang Airport and Xupu Airport, it formed a triangular strategic layout for wartime defense.