Wuhan Travel Guide

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, spread across the point where the Yangtze meets its Han tributary — the central city of central China. It is made up of three districts, Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, and has long prospered as a transport hub linking many provinces. The landscape of the great river and its lakes defines the city's look.

The Yellow Crane Tower, rising over the Yangtze from Snake Hill, is the symbol of Wuhan. Its origins are traced to the Three Kingdoms period, and it is famed as a tower celebrated in Tang-dynasty poetry. The present tower was rebuilt in 1985, and from its top floor the river and city spread out below. Near its foot, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is the first combined road-and-rail bridge over the river, listed as a nationally protected cultural relic.

The Hubei Provincial Museum is known for the great bronze chime bells excavated from the Warring States tomb of the Marquis Yi of Zeng. Reproductions of the bells are still played, letting you hear a sound from more than two thousand years ago. East Lake, far larger than Hangzhou's West Lake, is a lakeside retreat famous for its promenades and cherry blossoms.

The food culture is another highlight. With reganmian — sesame-dressed noodles — and a deep-rooted habit of eating from street stalls in the morning, Wuhan is known as a breakfast city. Steamed Wuchang fish and spicy braised duck neck are also local specialties. Tianhe International Airport and three main railway stations link the city outward, making it a convenient base for central China.