Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's
Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central
China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection
of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Arising
out of the conglomeration of three boroughs, Wuchang, Hankou,
and Hanyang, Wuhan is known as "the nine provinces' leading
thoroughfare"; it is a major transportation hub, with dozens
of railways, roads and expressways passing through the city.
It is recognized as the political, economic, financial, cultural,
educational and transportation center of central China. The
city of Wuhan, first termed as such in 1927, has a population
of 9,785,392 people (Census 2010), with about 6,177,000 residents
in its urban area. In the 1920s, Wuhan was the capital of a
leftist Kuomintang (KMT) government led by Wang Jingwei in opposition
to Chiang Kai-shek.
Tourist sites
Wuchang has the largest lake within a city in China, the East
Lake, as well as the South Lake.
The Hubei Provincial Museum includes many artifacts excavated
from ancient tombs, including a concert bell set (bianzhong).
A dance and orchestral show is frequently performed here, using
reproductions of the original instruments.
The Rock and Bonsai Museum includes a mounted platybelodon skeleton,
many unique stones, a quartz crystal the size of an automobile,
and an outdoor garden with miniature trees in the penjing ("Chinese
Bonsai") style.
Jiqing Street holds many roadside restaurants and street performers
during the evening, and is the site of a Live Show with stories
of events on this street by contemporary writer Chi Li.
The Lute Platform in Hanyang was where the legendary musician
Yu Boya is said to have played. According to the story of (zhi
yin, "understanding music"), Yu Boya played for the
last time over the grave of his friend Zhong Ziqi, then smashed
his lute because the only person able to appreciate his music
was dead.[Citation needed]
Some luxury riverboat tours begin here after a flight from Beijing
or Shanghai, with several days of flatland cruising and then
climbing through the Three Gorges with passage upstream past
the Gezhouba and Three Gorges dams to the city of Chongqing.
With the completion of the dam a number of cruises now start
from the upstream side and continue west, with tourists traveling
by motor coach from Wuhan.
The Yellow Crane Tower (Huanghelou) is presumed to have been
first built in approximately 220 AD. The tower has been destroyed
and reconstructed numerous times, was burned last according
to some sources in 1884. The tower underwent complete reconstruction
in 1981. The reconstruction utilized modern materials and added
an elevator, while maintaining the traditional design in the
tower's outward appearance.
Popular foods
Hot and Dry Noodles, Re-gan mian consists of long freshly boiled
noodles mixed with sesame paste. The Chinese word re means hot
and gan means dry. It is considered to be the most typical local
food for breakfast.
Duck's neck or Ya Bozi is a local version of this popular Chinese
dish, made of duck necks and spices.
Bean skin or Doupi is a popular local dish with a filling of
egg, rice, beef, mushrooms and beans cooked between two large
round soybean skins and cut into pieces, structurally like a
stuffed pizza without enclosing edges.
Soup dumpling or Xiaolongtangbao is a kind of dumpling with
thin skin made of flour, steamed with very juicy meat inside
so that is why it is called Tang (soup) Bao (bun), because every
time one takes a bite from it the soup inside spills out.
A salty doughnut or Mianwo is a kind of doughnut with a salty
taste. It's much thinner than a common doughnut, and is a typical
Wuhan local food.
