Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
...Wuhan to Lanzhou in Gansu province. The area from very early times was a vitally important strategic and commercial centre. The modern municipality was formed in 1950 by combining the two cities of Fancheng (a commercial hub and river port) on the north bank of the Han River and Xiangyang (an administrative, political, and cultural centre) on the south bank.
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