Chu silk
Preserved for centuries.
Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Huangdan2060 — CC BY 3.0 · 三十三画生 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AriaKoi — CC BY 4.0 · Huangdan2060 — CC0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Huangdan2060 — CC0 · Huangdan2060 — CC BY 3.0
A long-established museum founded in 1958 inside Jingzhou's old town, ranked in 2008 among China's national first-grade museums; it covers more than fifty thousand square metres and holds over 130,000 relics, most of them from archaeological digs in the area, including 553 pieces and sets of the highest grade. Jingzhou was once a capital of the ancient state of Chu, and the halls display the treasures of its civilisation: bronze vessels, lacquerware in red and black, silk textiles preserved for centuries in tombs, written bamboo slips, swords and jade ornaments, with gardens and a pond around the buildings. Entry is free, and the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm with last entry at 4.30 pm, closed on Mondays except public holidays, per visitor guides. Jingzhou's old city wall nearby is well worth a walk.
Preserved for centuries.
In red and black.
And ancient swords.
166 Jingzhong Road, Jingzhou District, Jingzhou, Hubei
The city has noodle restaurants run by Hui Muslims under the halal sign, while local Hubei cooking uses a lot of pork and fish, so ask about ingredients.