City guide · 武汉 Wuhan
Wuhan
Three towns where two rivers meet: the Yellow Crane Tower, East Lake and breakfast on the streets of Hankou
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei Province, where the Yangtze River meets the Han River, and the three towns of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang face each other across the water. In two to three days you can cover the Yellow Crane Tower, the Hubei Provincial Museum, the East Lake Greenway, and the old concession-style district of Hankou, then take a Yangtze ferry ride to see the lights along both rivers. Half of Wuhan's charm lies in its famous tower and museums, and half in the morning "guozao" breakfast culture and the evening breeze on the river beaches. Also worth visiting in the city: East Lake Scenic Area, Wuhan University, Jianghan Customs Museum, Qingchuan Pavilion, Guqin Terrace, Guiyuan Buddhist Temple, Tanhualin, Hubu Alley, Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Memorial Hall of the Wuchang Uprising of the 1911 Revolution and Mulan Mountain.
History
How the city came to be
The urban roots of the Wuhan area can be traced to the Panlongcheng site of the Shang Dynasty, about 3,500 years ago. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Biao ordered Huang Zu, governor of Jiangxia, to build Queyue City in what is now Hanyang; in 223, Sun Quan of Eastern Wu built the Xiakou City on Snake Hill in Wuchang, and built the Yellow Crane Tower by the river west of the city, originally as a military watchtower, which gradually became a famous tower where literati climbed to write poems after the Tang and Song dynasties. In the 18th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1281), Wuchang became the seat of the Huguang Province; in the Ming Dynasty, the Prince of Chu was enfeoffed in Wuchang, and the city was further expanded. During the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, the Han River changed course, and Hankou Town separated from Hanyang, becoming one of China's four famous towns by the Qing Dynasty. The Wuchang Uprising broke out here in 1911; in 1927, the three towns of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang merged into "Wuhan," becoming China's first directly administered municipality. In 1957, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge opened to traffic, becoming the first combined road-rail bridge over the Yangtze.
- Shang DynastyPanlongcheng site, the urban root of Wuhan, about 3,500 years ago.
- 223Sun Quan built Xiakou City and the Yellow Crane Tower.
- 1281Wuchang became the seat of Huguang Province.
- Ming dynastyThe Prince of Chu was enfeoffed in Wuchang and the city expanded; during the Chenghua era the Han River changed course and Hankou Town separated.
- Qing DynastyHankou ranked among China's four famous towns.
- 1911The Wuchang Uprising broke out.
- 1927Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang merged into Wuhan.
- 1957The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge opened to traffic.
- 1985The present Yellow Crane Tower was rebuilt on Snake Hill at a different site (the original site was chosen as the starting point of the Yangtze Bridge approach).
Stories
Stories of the city
The Sword of Goujian Comes to Light
History · Hubei Provincial Museum
In December 1965, archaeologists excavated the Sword of Goujian from a Chu tomb at Jiangling, Hubei. About 55.6 cm long, it remained unrusted after more than two thousand years and is still one of the museum's most admired exhibits.
Bells That Sound Two Notes
History · Hubei Provincial Museum
In 1978, more than 15,000 objects were excavated from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Sui County (today's Suizhou), including a complete set of chime bells. Each bell produces two different notes depending on where it is struck, and gold-inlaid inscriptions on the bells record knowledge of music theory.
The Yellow Crane Tower poems of Cui Hao and Li Bai
History · The Yellow Crane Tower
Cui Hao's Tang poem “Yellow Crane Tower” and Li Bai's poem seeing off Meng Haoran are celebrated classics that secured the tower's cultural standing. The claim that Sun Quan built the tower in 223 comes from the much later Yuanhe Maps and Records of Prefectures and Counties, a later written record rather than contemporary evidence.
The immortal on the crane
Legend · The Yellow Crane Tower
Legend says the immortal Wang Zi'an flew away from Snake Hill on a yellow crane, and the tower was built in his memory; another legend says Fei Yi became an immortal and rode a yellow crane, often resting on Snake Hill. The two accounts appear in the Book of Southern Qi (Treatise on Provinces and Commanderies) and the Taiping Huanyu Ji respectively.
Must see
Places you shouldn’t miss
Hubei Provincial Museum
A national first-class museum famous for its Chu culture relics; the chime bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng and the Sword of Goujian are its greatest…
The Yellow Crane Tower
The symbol of Wuhan and one of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan, the tower looks out over the Yangtze and Wuhan's three towns, and owes its fa…