Wuhan (wǔ hàn 武汉), first termed as such in 1927, is the capital of Hubei Province (hú běi shěng 湖北省). With the population of 8,970,000 thousand residents in its urban area, it is the most populous and biggest city in central China. Traversed by the Yangtze River (cháng jiāng 长江) and its tributary Han River (hàn jiāng 汉江), Wuhan is divided into three parts, Wuchang (wǔ chāng 武昌), Hankou (hàn kǒu 汉口), and Hanyang (hàn yáng 汉阳).

Wuhan is recognized as the political, economic, financial, cultural, educational, and transportation center of the area of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River.
Known as the "thoroughfare of nine provinces" (jiǔ shěng tōng qú 九省通衢), Wuhan is a major transportation hub in the mainland of China, with dozens of railways, roads and expressways passing through the city.

In history, Wuhan is with military vital importance for its convenient water carriage and abundant products. In 1911, Sun Yat-sen's followers launched the Wuchang Uprising (wǔ chāng qǐ yì 武昌起义) that led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China. Wuhan was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang (guó mín dǎng 国民党) government led by Wang Jingwei (wāng jīng wèi 汪精卫) in opposition to Chiang Kai-shek (jiǎng jiè shí 蒋介石) during the 1920s. In 1938, Wuhan and its proximities became the battlefield of the Battle of Wuhan, a major conflict in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Now it has developed from a military center to a regional political and business center.

Wuhan is an important center of technology and education in China. With 52 universities and colleges, there are more than 700 thousand college students, 106 scientific research centers.
Besides, it is a unique garden city. There are hundreds of mountains and hills in Wuhan, and it is dotted with nearly 200 lakes.

 The Best Attractions in Wuhan

Yellow Crane Tower (huáng hè lóu 黄鹤楼)
Enjoying the fame of 'The First Scenery under Heaven', Yellow Crane Tower is one of the most renowned towers south of the Yangtze River. Its cultural significance led to its being made the symbol of Wuhan City.

Location: Snake Hill (shé shān 蛇山), Wuhan
Admission: RMB 50
Opening time: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Route: Bus 64, 36, 12, 49, 15, 506, 544 and No.1 tour bus
For more imformation: Yellow Crane Tower

Guiyuan Temple (guī yuán sì 归元寺)
Guiyuan Temple, which covers an area of 46,900 square meters situated on Cuiwei Street, is one of the four biggest temples for Buddhist meditation in Hubei as well as an important Buddhist temple in China. It is very famous in the Buddhist world owning to perfect construction, spiffy sculpture and abundant collection. Covering an area of 46,900 square meters with a floor space of 20,000 square meters, the temple mainly consists of Daxiongbaodian Hall (dà xióng bǎo diàn 大雄宝殿), Arhat Hall (luó hàn táng 罗汉堂), Sutra Collection Pavilion (cáng jīng gé 藏经阁), etc.

Location: Cuiwei Road (cuì wēi lù 翠微路), Hangyang
Admission: RMB 50 on the first and fifteenth day in lunar calendar and on the birthday of Caishen (cái shén 财神) who is a mystical elder bringing fortune to people.
RMB 30 on the first day of a year and in spring festival
RMB 20 at other times
Opening time: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Route: bus 45, 707, 524 and the tourist bus 1
For more imformation: Guiyuan Temple

East Lake(dōng hú 东湖)
East Lake covers an area of 87 square kilometers (33 square kilometers of water area). Because of its winding banks and crisscrossing ponds and brooks, it is called “a lake with 99 bays”. And it gains the reputation of “the lake looks like sea, the sea seems as the lake”.


Location: No.1 Cuiliu Village (cuì liǔ cūn 翠柳村), Wuchang
Admission: The price of the tickets varies from the different scenic spots in East Lake Scenic Area.
Opening time: 7:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Route: Take bus No. 14, 63,501,701, or tourist bus No.1.
For more imformation: East Lake

Mulan Heaven Pool (mù lán tiān chí 木兰天池)
Mulan Heaven Pool is regarded as the “Jiuzhaigou Valley (jiǔ zhài gōu 九寨沟) of Hubei, Lushan Mountain (lú shān 庐山) of Wuhan”. There are gully aspects and lush forests, water continuously throughout the year, which shows the landscape of wetland ecosystems.

Location: Shimen Town (shí mén zhèn 石门镇), Huangpi District (huáng pí qū 黄陂区), Wuhan City
Admission: RMB 40
Opening time: 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
For more imformation: Mulan Heaven Pool

Cherry Blossom in Wuhan University (wǔ dà yīng huā 武大樱花)
Every March and April, the cherry blossom in Wuhan University attracts a lot of people. When the cherry blossom withered, the petals fall onto the earth. It seems that the road is covered with a flower blanket.

Location: Wuhan University (wǔ hàn dà xué 武汉大学), Luojia Mountain (luò jiā shān 珞珈山),
Admission: RMB 10
Opening time: March and April
Route: take No. 59, No. 66, 702 703 715 709 729 710 540 583 608 728 586 806 413 564 519 401 and get off at the Luojia Mountain bus station

Eating in Wuhan

Steamed Wuchang Fish (qīng zhēng wǔ chāng yú 清蒸武昌鱼)
With a history of more than 1,700 years, Steamed Wuchang Fish is a typical food in Wuhan. This freshwater fish, when it is steamed together with mushrooms, bamboo shoots and chicken soup, both the original fresh taste of the fish and the nutrients are kept.

Duck neck (yā bó 鸭脖)
The duck neck is also one of the famous food in Wuhan. The most famous shop that sell duck neck is Jingwu Duck Neck (jīng wǔ yā bó 精武鸭脖). The Jingwu duck neck chain stores pop up all over China. But the duck neck available in Wuhan is rated as the most authentic. Jingwu Road (jīng wǔ lù 精武路) in Wuhan city is the place where the Jingwu duck neck originates from. The Jingwu duck neck which has assorted favors is cooked with the special formula. However, it is specially characterized by tingling and spicy favors.

Hot dry noodles (rè gān miàn 热干面)
The hot dry noodles is one of specialities in Wuhan. Wuhanese takes it as breakfast every morning. The noodles will be sprinked with chives and a little bit vinegar, sesame oil and garlic juice as well as special hand-made sesame paste after the special noodles is saved from boiling water and coated with oil. It is said that the formula for hot dry noodles is crucial. If you would like to try the authentic hot dry noodles, you should go to Hu Bu Lane (hù bù xiàng 户部巷), which is a famous lane in the Wuchang district. There are a lot of special foods are available snack bars.

Chicken Soup in the Xiaotaoyuan Restaurant (táo yuán jī tāng 桃园鸡汤)
These are kinds of restorative soups cooked over a low heat which preserves both the fresh taste and the nutrients. The most famous soups are Chicken Soup, Spareribs Soup, and Duck Soup. The best place to taste it is the Xiaotaoyuan (xiǎo táo yuán 小桃园) Restaurant at No. 64 Lanling Road (lán ling lù 兰陵路) in Hankou.

Shaomai (shāo mài 烧卖)
Shaomai is also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling." Its standard filling is a combination of ingredients, consisting primarily of seasoned ground pork, whole and chopped shrimp, and Chinese black mushroom in small bits. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet of lye water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of roe or diced carrot. Although a green dot made with a pea may also be used. The decorative presentations vary from restaurant to restaurant.
The Yans Shaomai (yán shì shāo mài 严氏烧卖)
Address: Liji North Road (lì jì běi lù 利济北路), Hankou

Specialties in Wuhan

                                      
Wuhan Gong (wǔ hàn tóng luó 武汉铜锣)
Wuhan Gongs, can be called Han Gong (hàn luó 汉锣) in short, is one of the most famous gongs in China. One characteristic of Wuhan gong is that its tone is pure and resonant. Another characteristic is that it is with large diameter.

                                      
Makou Pottery (mǎ kǒu táo cí 马口陶瓷)
Makou Pottery is antiseptic, moisture proof and acid proof.

                                      
Turquoise Carving (lǜ sōng shí diāo 绿松石雕)
Turquoise carving, using high-quality turquoise in Yunyang (yún yáng 郧阳), is vivid and it is a unity of form and spirit.

Shopping
Han Zheng Street (汉正街)
Located at the center of Hankou Town, Han Zheng Street (hàn zhèng jiē 汉正街) is a century-old street. You can find anything here from clothes to home decorations, majiang games, etc. Even if you don’t buy anything, the Hanzheng market is an exciting lively place to go to. Especially during the Chinese festivals you can buy many Chinese traditional decorations here. In 2000, the government developed it into a tourist shopping street. There are various goods in the dazzling shops and stores housed in traditional buildings. Today it is the largest wholesale distribution center in central China. Tourists are invited to find inexpensive items.

Jianghan Walking Street (jiāng hàn lù bù xíng jiē 江汉路步行街)
It is a famous walking street near Jianghan Road in the town center. 177 meters (252 feet) longer than the famous Nanjing Road walking street (nán jīng lù bù xíng jiē 南京路步行街) in Shanghai (shàng hǎi 上海), Jianghan Walking Street is very popular. Five squares in different style are arranged along the street with greenery, springs, cafes and bars. Along the street there are buildings that housed old banks, stores and statues depicting the everyday life of people in Wuhan. Everything on the street tells the history of the city. Amenities such as public telephones, electronic screens, mailboxes and car parking are available.
Tips: You can take the tourist special line of Bus 401 from the Wuchang Railway Station (wǔ chāng huǒ chē zhàn 武昌火车站) or Bus 533 from the Hankou Railway Station (hàn kǒu huǒ chē zhàn 汉口火车站).

Xin Minzhong Leyuan (xīn mín zhòng lè yuán 新民众乐园)
Xin Minzhong Leyuan is also known as women’s paradise for there are so many things related to beauty, such as clothes, make up, and small gifts. You will find many beauty salons here that can help you with a facial, beautiful nails, or a temporary or permanent tattoo. On the top floors you will also find many restaurants, a movie theatre, play hall, pool center. It is an ideal place for a whole day shopping and fun.
Address: No. 608, Zhongshan Dadao, Hankou (汉口中山大道608号)

Chicone Plaza (qú guāng guǎng chǎng 群光广场)
Address: 6 Luoyu Road, Wuchang (武昌珞瑜路6号)
Tel: 027-8766 5858
Bus: 521、724、552、709、715、703、536

Wuhan Plaza (wǔ hàn guǎng chǎng 武汉广场)
Address: No. 688, Jiefang Road, Hankou (汉口解放大道688号)
Bus: 706、553、714、64、705、522、548、557

Luxiang Plaza (lǔ xiàng guǎng chǎng 鲁巷广场)
Address: No. 726 Luoyu Road, Wuchang (武昌珞瑜路726号)
Tel/ 电话: 027-8778 0398

New World Department Store
(xīn shì jiè bǎi huò shāng chǎng 新世界百货商场)
Address: 566 Jianshe Avenue, Hankou汉口建设大道566号
Tel: 027-8577 0088

Wuhan SOGO Department Store
(wǔ hàn zhuāng shèng chóng guāng bǎi huò shāng chǎng 武汉庄胜祟光百货商场)
Address: 374 Liberation Avenue, Hankou (汉口解放大道374号)
Tel: 027-6885 1188
Bus: 706、549、714、64、705、522、548、716

Transportation in Wuhan
By bus
By far, to take a bus is the cheapest way to move around. There is a comprehensive public bus service that covers the whole Wuhan so that the bus can take you to wherever you want to get. The common fee for the bus is RMB 1, RMB 2 for the air-conditioned bus and the double-decker bus.

By light rail
On July, 2004, light rail  (qīng guǐ 轻轨) in Wuhan has been run for the first time. It is popular with people for its safe, arriving on schedule, and cleanness. It will costs you RMB 1.5 to get to the station you want. Tickets are bought from vending machines in the stations. You can get a black coin as the ticket, which you will need at the entrance of the platform and at the exit, after you put the money into the vending machines. At the customer service counter, you can get some small change.


By taxi
It is a convenient way for foreigners to get around. The starting charge is RMB 3 for the first 1 kilometers, and RMB 1 fuel surcharge is now added. You can call 027-59210000 if you want to book a taxi. But you need to book one two hours ahead of schedule.

By ferry
Ferry is a best choice if you want to go across the Yangtze River in Wuhan. It is cheap and fast. RMB 1.5 per person for the common ferry, and RMB 5 per person for the sight-seeing ferry. And you need you add RMB 1 if you take a bicycle to the ferry.

The subway is under construction nowadays. It is anticipated that it can be completed and put into use in 2012.

Contact
The area  code of Wuhan is 027. From overseas, dial +86 27 XXXX-XXXX. Phone numbers are 8 digits.

Emergency numbers:
Police: 110
Fire: 119
Medical: 120
Traffic accident: 122