Nányáng

Nanyang occupies a fertile basin between the mountains of central China. Long known as Wan, it was an important city under the Han and a meeting place of routes linking the central plains with the lands around the Han River. West of the city, Wolong Ridge is associated with Zhuge Liang, the strategist of the Three Kingdoms, who was said to have farmed here before entering Liu Bei's service. A shrine on the ridge commemorates him.

In the Ming, Nanyang became the seat of the princely house of Tang. A large palace was built in the Yongle reign, and further residences for members of the family followed. In 1641 Li Zicheng's army captured the city and killed the Prince of Tang. The city later recovered as merchants from Shanxi, Shaanxi and the lower Yangtze came to trade. In 1711 the prefect Luo Jing restored Zhuge Liang's shrine and laid out features evoking the stories of his life on the ridge.