Both are famous historical cities, why is Nanyang less developed than Xiangyang?

Xiangyang

Xiangyang, a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, is a national historical and cultural city and the main birthplace of Chu culture, Han culture and Three Kingdoms culture. It has a history of more than 2,800 years and has been An important economic and military location. It is known as "the first city in China", "the iron-clad Xiangyang", and "a battleground for military strategists".

Xiangyang is located in the northwest of Hubei Province, in the hinterland of the plains in the middle reaches of the Han River. Xiangyang got its name because it is located on the Yangtze River of Xiangshui River. The Han River passes through the city, dividing Xiangyang and Fancheng on the north and south banks, facing each other across the river. Both cities have historically been important military and commercial centers. After the merger of the two cities in 1949, it was called Xiangfan City; in 1983, the Xiangyang area was merged into the prefecture-level Xiangfan City; in December 2010, Xiangfan City was renamed Xiangyang City. It currently governs 3 districts (Xiangzhou, Xiangcheng, Fancheng), 3 county-level cities (Zaoyang, Yicheng, Laohekou), 3 counties (Nanzhang, Baokang, Gucheng) and 3 development zones ( Xiangyang High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Xiangyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xiangyang Yuliangzhou Economic Development Zone), with a total area of ??19,700 square kilometers. In 2016, the city achieved a regional GDP of 369.45 billion yuan, ranking third in Hubei.

Xiangyang’s tourist attractions are mainly characterized by the culture of the Three Kingdoms, including Longzhong Scenic Area, Xiangyang City and other famous attractions, where stories such as Liu Bei’s “Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage” and “Longzhong Dual” took place here. Xiangyang is the sub-central city of Hubei Province and the central city of the ecological and cultural tourism circle in western Hubei. In 2013, Xiangyang was shortlisted for the first batch of national smart cities. In 2014, Xiangyang was shortlisted as a national pilot city for “Information Benefiting the People”.

Nanyang

Nanyang, known as Wan in ancient times, is a municipality under the jurisdiction of Henan Province. It is located in the southwest of Henan Province and the junction of Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. It is located south of Funiu Mountain and north of Han River And got its name. The city currently governs 2 administrative districts, 4 development zones, 10 counties, and 1 county-level city. With a total area of ??26,600 square kilometers, it is the largest and most populous provincial municipality in Henan Province.

Nanyang is a national historical and cultural city with a history of 3,000 years and is the birthplace of Chu-Han culture. At the beginning of the Xia Dynasty, Yu made Dengzhou in present-day Nanyang his capital. During the Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty, there were vassal states such as Shen, Deng, and Xie in Nanyang. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu established Wanyi, a territory belonging to the Chu State, called Wan. It was the center of iron smelting in the country, the place where Qu Yuan kuaima admonished the king, and the place where the Battle of Danyang between Qin and Chu took place. The Qin Dynasty established Nanyang County to govern Wancheng. During the Western Han Dynasty, it was one of the six largest cities in the country. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was the birthplace of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, so it was known as the "Southern Capital" and "Imperial Township". It has given birth to historical celebrities such as "Science Sage" Zhang Heng, "Medical Sage" Zhang Zhongjing, "Shang Sage" Fan Li, "Wisdom Sage" Zhuge Liang, and "Sage Seeker" Jiang Ziya. During the Three Kingdoms period, Nanyang was the place where Zhuge Liang worked hard and lived in seclusion, and the birthplace of Liu Bei's "Three Visits to Thatched Cottage". The South-to-North Water Diversion Project originated from Nanyang. Nanyang is the location of the Taocha canal head hub project on the middle line of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the world's largest water diversion project, and an important core water source area.

Nanyang is a regional central city in Henan, Shaanxi and Hubei and a sub-central city in Henan Province. Southwest Henan is the political, economic, cultural, science and education, transportation, financial and commercial center, ranking third in Henan in terms of city size. It has been awarded the honorary titles of China's Excellent Tourism City, National Garden City, China's Home of Roses, China's Ten Most Innovative Cities, and China's Happiest City. In 2015, Nanyang was selected into the "Top 20 Investment Attractiveness Ranking of China's Emerging Cities".

On October 2, 2016, the World Rose Federation issued a document to the Rose Branch of the China Flower Association, agreeing that the 2019 World Rose Intercontinental Conference will be held in Nanyang, China.