Xianning () is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Jiangxi to the southeast and Hunan to the southwest. It is known as the "City of Osmanthus". Geography and climate Xianning is located in southeastern Hubei province, just south of Wuhan, between the southern bank of the Yangtze River in the north and the Mufu Mountains in the south. It borders Jiangxi to the southeast and Hunan to the southwest. It is called Hubei's southern gateway. Xianning is hilly and mountainous (especially in its southern part), with some flatlands (mostly in the north) and lakes. It was home to 2,462,583 inhabitants as of the 2010 census whom 512,517 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Xia'nan District. Its area is , 56% of which is forested.. Its proximity to Wuhan is transforming the city into an outer suburb of the Hubei's capital. Xianning has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July; the annual mean temperature is and annual precipitation is just below . History Xianning was under the jurisdiction of Nanjun County during the Qin dynasty. At the end of the Han dynasty, Xianning became a strategic point where conflict occurred; Xianning is a likely site for the Battle of Red Cliffs. During the Cultural Revolution, it was an important area for the Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi Revolutionary Bases. Administration Xianning has 1 district, 4 counties, 1 county-level city and 1 other area. District: Xian'an District () (location of Xianning's main urban area, i.e. the place that low-resolution maps would label as "Xianning") Counties: Tongshan County () Chongyang County () Tongcheng County () Jiayu County () City: Chibi City () Other Area: Xianning Advanced Technology Industry Area () Demographics As of the 2020 Chinese census, Xianning has a total population of 2,658,316 people, of whom 657,590 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Xian'an District. Most of the inhabitants of Xianning are Han; only 4,785 are from other ethnic groups including Hui, Tujia, Zhuang, Miao, Manchu, and Dong. The place with the largest ethnic minority population is in Chibi City. Economy Agriculture and forestry are two of Xianning's biggest industries. It is known by the three names, "City of Osmanthus", "City of Nan Bamboo", and "City of Tea". There are more than 1 million mu (~151,822 English acres) of "Nan"