Abstract: Xiangyang is located at the junction of southwestern Henan and northwestern Hubei.The tonal system of Xiangyang dialects is highly similar to that of Nanyang dialect, but quite different from Southwest Mandarin dialects such as Wuhan dialect and Chongqing dialect.In addition, in some dialects of the Xiangyang area,words pronounced voiceless and Entering tone in MC and words which have sub-voiced initials and Entering tone merge with Yinping tone or Yangping tone.It shows a mix of the Zhongyuan Mandarin and the Southwest Mandarin.and this mixed feature shows a geographical gradient. Meanwhile, other phonological characteristics of Xiangyang dialects, such as the modern reflexes of the ancient Jing, Zhuang, Zhi and Zhang initial groups, also display certain mixed traits of the two mandarin divisions.This may be related to factors such as historical migration and administrative planning.

Key words: Xiangyang dialect, tone, the Zhongyuan Mandarin, the Southwest Mandarin, Mixed Nature