Withahistoryof3,500years,WuhanisoneoftheoriginsoftheChucultureduringtheZhouDynasty(1046-256BC).ThroughtheWuchangUprising,itisalsoknownasthebirthplaceofthe1911Revolution.LaunchedonOctober10,1911,theWuchangUprisingledtothecollapseofChina’s2,000-year-longfeudalismandtheestablishmentoftheChineseRepublic,thefirstrepublicinAsia.
Today,WuhanisthetraffichubofairlinesincentralChina,andthenationalcenterofthehigh-speedrailnetwork.ItisconvenientlylocatedtobereachedfromBeijing,Shanghai,Shenzhen,andHongKonginaboutfivehours.Geographically,Wuhanisvitaltothenationaleconomy.Itconnectstheeasttothewest,thenorthtothesouthanditseconomyradiatesoutintotheregion.Andinadditiontothebountyofliterarymasterpiecesandculturalheritagesites,thecityisalsoaprosperousmodernmetropolis.
OriginoftheChuCulture
OriginatinginthebasinoftheYangtzeandHanjiangrivers,theChucultureisanintegralpartofChinesecivilization.ItgotitsnamebecausethepresentHubeiProvincewasintheterritoryoftheChuState(1115-223BC).
WhenancestorsoftheChupeoplemigratedsouthwardfromtheYellowRiverbasin,theybroughtwiththemtheirculture.Fromthisbase,theChupeoplesubsequentlyabsorbedindigenouselementsanddevelopedaculturedistinctfromthestatesofthenorthernplains.Inthearts,castingtechniquesofbronzevessels,andmusicwithwell-orchestratedeighttonesareallvaluableculturalheritagesfromtheareathatrepresentedthehighestlevelofachievementatthattime.
InSuixianCounty,200kmnorthwestofWuhan,asetofchimebellsfromtheChuperiodwasexcavatedfromthetombofMarquisYiofZeng(alsocalled“DukeYi”),whodiedabout430BC.Itismadeupof65bronzebells,eachofwhichhastwintonesofthreeintervalsandcanplayindependentsoundsorharmony.Thebellscanplaymelodiesindiatonicandpentatonicscales.Withitsstate-of-the-artcastingtechniquesandmusicalperformances,thebellsofMarquisYichangedthehistoryofmusicandareknownasagenuineculturaltreasure.TheinscriptionsonthebellsrecordamonographofancientChinesemusictheory,whichhighlightsthead-vancedlevelofancientChinesemusic.
HubeiProvincialMuseum
LocatedintheEastLakeofWuchangDistrict,HubeiProvincialMuseumrepresentsdistinctiveChuarchitecture,featuringhighfoundations,broadeaves,andone-pieceslopingrooves.Themuseumhasonemainbuildingflankedbytwowings.Thenationalfirst-classmuseumhas260,000setsofculturalrelics,manyofwhichareraretreasuresandimportantmaterialsforscientificresearch.Bronzevessels,lacquerwoodworks,andbambooslipsarepartofitsuniquecollection.ItalsohousesthelargestexhibitionhallforChineseancientmusicalinstruments.Amongthecollections,thereare945piecesorsetslistedasstatefirst-levelculturalrelics,and16asnationaltreasures,whichincludethechimebellsofMarquisYiofZeng.
Howtogetthere:Busline14,108,402,411or552.
GuqinPlatform
TheancientGuqinPlatformissituatedonthebankoftheMoonLake,atthewestfootofGuishanMountain,HanyangDistrict.ThememorialsitewastohonorthefriendshipofYuBoyaandZhongZiqifromtheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770–476BC).ItissaidthatBoyawasgoodatplayingguqin,apluckedseven-stringChinesemusicalinstrumentofthezitherfamily,whereasZhongZiqiwasgoodatlisteningtoit.WhateverthoughtsBoyahad,Ziqiwouldalwaysunderstand.Fromtheirstory,atermofzhiyin,literallytranslatedas“toknowthetone,”hascometodescribeacloseandsympatheticfriend.
Thelayoutiswelldesignedwithamainhall,acourtyard,agarden,andatearoom.Infrontofthemainhall,thesquare-shapedGuqinPlatformisbuiltwithwhitemarbleandmeasures20squaremeters.FirsterectedintheSongDynasty,theplatformwasdestroyedandrebuiltin1796.TogetherwithYellowCraneTowerandQingchuanPavilion,itisknownasoneofthetopthreescenicspotsinWuhan.
Howtogetthere:Electricbusline1or4;busline10or402.MemorialHalloftheWuchangUprisingofthe1911Revolution.DrivenbytheChuculture,thestateofChuprosperedinallrespects.EvolvingaroundpresentHubeiProvince,theChuculturespreadtosuchprovincesasAnhui,Hunan,Jiangsu,andYunnan.IntheSouthernSongDynasty(1127-1276),China’seconomiccentershiftedfromthenorthtothesouth.Sincethen,JiangsuandZhejiangprovinceshavelongbeenthenationaleconomichub,whichisindispensabletotheedificationoftheChuculture.
Characterizedbyinclusivenessandopenness,theChucultureabsorbedelementsofotherculturesforitsevolutionandalsoshedlightonothers.ThisculturalinteractionallowedChinesecivilizationtoflourishforthousandsofyears.
Wuchang:APoliticalandCulturalCenter
ThethreepartsofWuhanhavedistinctivedevelopmenthistoriesanduniqueurbanfunctions.Astheearliesturbanareaamongthethree,WuchanghasbeenthepoliticalandculturalcenterofHubeiProvince,andeventheentirecentralandsouthChina.HanyangistheearliesthubofChina’smilitaryindustry,manufacturingthefirstChinamaderifle.Hankouusedtobethesecondlargestinternationalmetropolis,secondonlytoShanghaiintheearly1900s.Itisstilltheeconomicandfi-nancialcenterofWuhan.
ThenameofWuchangdatesbackto221,whentheKingoftheWuStatemovedthecapitalfromJianye(presentNanjing)toExian(presentEzhouintheeastofWuhan)andchangeditsnametoWuchang.Wuchangliterallymeansgoverningthestatewithmilitarystrengthandpropellingittoprosper.Atthattime,WuchangwascalledJiangxia.IntheYuanDynasty(1271-1368),Jiangxiawasupgradedtoaprovincialadministrationcenter,governingregionsincludingExian.ItsnamewasreplacedbyWuchang.Sincethen,thesouthernpartofWuhanhasremainedasWuchang.
TheWuchangUprisingisanimportanteventinthehistoryofWuchang.OnOctober10,1911,anarmedrebellionagainsttherulingQingDynastybrokeoutinWuchang.ThemutineersestablishedtheHubeimilitarygovernmentandspreadtheuprisingquicklyacrossthecountry.Intwomonths,atotalof15provincesannouncedtheirindependencefromtheQinggovernment.ItwasfollowedbytheestablishmentoftheprovisionalgovernmentoftheRepublicofChinainNanjingonJanuary1,1912.SunYat-senwaselectedastheprovisionalpresident.Onemonthlater,theabdicationofPuyimarkedthedownfalloftheQingDynastyandtheendoffeudal-isminChina,whichlastedformorethan2,000years.
YellowCraneTower
TheYellowCraneToweristhelandmarkofWuhan.Firstbuiltasamilitaryfortatonecornerofthecityin223,thetowerthenevolvedasadestinationofentertainment.ItwasmadefamousbypoetsCuiHao(704to754)andLiBai(701to762)duringtheTangDynasty.Thecurrentstructurewasbuiltin1981afterseveralreconstructions.ItisafivestoreybuildingontheSnakeHill,61.7metersabovesealevel,andcoversanareaof3,219squaremeters.
Theroofisconstructedwithmorethan100,000goldenglazedtiles,addingauniqueChinesestyletotheentirebuilding.ItisinperfectharmonywiththeWuhanYangtzeRiverBridgeatthefootofSnakeHill.Lookingoutfromthetower,touristshaveapanoramicviewofthethreesectorsofWuhan.
Howtogetthere:Electricbusline1or4;busline10,61,or64toYellowCraneTowerstop.
JiqingStreet
JiqingStreetisknownforitsglamorousnightlife.StretchingfromDazhiRoadintheeasttoJianghanRoadinthewest,itisastreetlinedwithfoodstalls.Quietduringtheday,thestreetcomesaliveafternightfallswhenmassesofneonlightsilluminatethefestivearea.Amarketplacewhereindigenousstreetfoodmeetslocalcasualfolkperformances,JiqingStreetisagatewaytoexperiencetheuniqueurbanenergyofWuhan.
Howtogetthere:TaketheferrytocrosstheHanjiangRiverandstartthejourneyfromHanjiangRoad.Aftera200-meterwalk,arriveatJiqingStreetforfolkperformancesandlocaldelicacies.Ortakenightline38orbusline402or520toNanjingRoadstoponZhongshanAvenue.
Today,WuchangisstilltheseatoftheHubeiprovincialgovernmentandhometoseveralprestigiousnationaluniversities.TheYellowCraneTower,sittingontheSnakeHillinWuchang,isknownasthefirsttowerinChina.Literatiexpressedtheirsentimentsonthishistoricalsiteandleftfamouspoemsandliteraryworksforlatergenerations.
TheEastLakeintheeasternsuburbsofWuchangisChina’slargesturbanlake.ThelakeareaboastsofbeautifulplumandcherryblossomsfromJanuarytoApril,attractingtouristsfromacrossthecountry.
Hankou:ACommercialCenter
Hankoufirstappearsinwrittenhistoryonly500yearsagoasitwaspartofHanyang.DuringtheearlyreignofEmperorChenghua(1465-1470)intheMingDynasty,theHanjiangRiverchangeditscourseandseparatedHankoufromHanyang.Hanyang’slocationcorrespondinglychangedfromthenorthbankoftheHanjiangRivertothesouthside.
Hankouhasbeenacommercialcitysinceitsinception.MerchantsfromtheupperreachesoftheHanjiangRiverinShannxiProvincewentdownstreamanddistributedcargothroughoutChinawithHankouasthehub.TheconvenienceoftransportonwaterhashelpedshapeHankouintoacommercialcenter.Intheearly17thcentury,Hankouemergedasanationaltransportationhubandthelargestinlandport.
China-RussiaTeaRoad,whichoriginatedinthemiddleofthe18thcentury,startedinHankouandcrossedKyakhtatothehinterlandofRussiaandEurope.Chinathendominated86percentofworld’steaexports,60percentofwhichcamefromHankouport.Thecongestedthrongofcommercialvesselssailinginandoutoftheportsometimeslinedupforscoresofkilometers.Asaresult,HankouwashailedbyEuropeansasateaport.
AftertheOpiumWar,Hankouwasopenedasatreatyport,welcomingadelugeofforeigninvestmentintradingcompanies,manufacturingplants,andfinancialinstitutions.Hankoubegantotransformfromatraditionalcommercialcentertoamodernmetropolis.Foreignfirms,mainlyfromtheUnitedKingdom,monopolizedshippingontheYangtzeRiverandforeigntradeofagriculturalproduceliketea.Inthefirst10yearsoftheearly20thcentury,foreigntradeinHankouaccountedforaround10percentofthenationaltotal,makingitthesecondlargesttreatyportinChina.HandlingaboutthesamevolumeofforeigntradeasShanghai,Hankouwasthenthesec-ondlargestfinancialcenterafterShanghaiandanindustrialandcommercialmetropolis.OnJanuary1,1927,thecentralgovernmentoftheRepublicofChinaofficiallystartedfunctioninginHankou.Wuchang,Hankou,andHanyangthenmergedasWuhan,whichwasdesignatedasthecapitalofthecountry.
ThenorthernbankoftheHanjiangRiverfeaturesGothic,Rococo,andBaroquebuildingsinanareaof2.2squarekm.Itistheremnantofforeignconcessionsfromthe1860stothefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.Fromsouthwesttonortheast,thereusedtobefiveforeignconcessionsbelongingtotheUnitedKingdom,Russia,France,Germany,andJapan.Today,theconsulatesoftheUnitedStates,France,SouthKorea,andtheUnitedKingdomarealsolocatedinHankou.Itisstillthecommercialandfinancialcenter,andthetransportationhubofWuhan,andeventheentirecentralsouthregionofChina.
Hanyang:APlacewithArtisticAmbience
InChinesetradition,thenorthbankofariveriscalledYang,thereforebecauseofitslocationonthenorthsideoftheHanjiangRiver,itisnamedHanyang.
Inthelate19thcentury,HuguangViceroyZhangZhidong,anadvocateofWesternization,pushedforwardindustrializationinWuhan.HestartedtheHanyangIronWorksandHanyangArsenal,transformingHanyangintoChina’searliestbaseofsteelandarmamentindustries,andinturnboostedWuhanasamodernindustrialcityanddevelopeditsurbancommoditieseconomy.OntheriversidefromGuishanMountaintoHeshanMountainlieHanyangGunpowderPlant,HanyangNeedleandNailPlant,andHanyangBrickFactory,forminganimpressivekilometers-longcorridorofmanufacturingfactories.Furtherboostedbyitsfavorablegeographicallocationandeconomicstatus,WuhanemergedastheprimeeconomiccenterinthislandlockedregionofChina.
Despiteitslateestablishment,comparedwithmilitaryenterprisesinsuchplacesasShanghaiandTianjin,theHanyangArsenalwascapableofproducingthemostadvancedmilitaryequipmentatthetime.ItwasthelargestmilitaryenterprisewithstateoftheartmachineryinthelateQingDynasty.TheType70riflemadebyHanyangArsenalwaswidelyusedintheChinesemilitaryforhalfacenturyuntil1944.
TheabandonedworkshopsofHanyangArsenalhavebeenrenovatedtoamodernculturalindustrialpark–the824ArtDistrict.Since2006,artists,sculptors,andphotographershavearrivedtorentworkspaces,andstartedstudios,animationdesignfirms,culture-themebars,DIYstores,andweddingphotographyworkshops,creatingafledgelingculturalindustry.Afteryearsofdevelopment,theparknowisindicativeofWuhan’sculturalindustry.
Mottledlimestonewalls,hugewindows,weavingoverpasses,impendingventilators,stages,andstudiosallpresentanindustrialambience,standinginpointedcontrastwithrandomcolorfulgraffiti.Everycornerisunique.Itistheperfectplacetostrollaboutandenjoywatchingtheartistsatwork,andthenstoppingatoneofthemanycafestorelaxandenjoytheuniqueambience.
(CompiledbyChinaToday)
QingchuanPavilion
OntheeastfootofGuishanHill,theQingchuanPavilionistheonlysuchhistoricalsitetoweringovertheYangtzeRiverinWuhan.ItfacestheYellowCraneTowerontheoppositesideoftheriver.
Firstbuiltin1547,itwasdedicatedtoYutheGreatforhisachievementsinfloodcontrolintheChineseheartland.Theexistingmainbuildingwasreconstructedin1985afterseveraldestructionsandreconstructions.Withagranitefoundation,redwallsandcolumns,multi-layeredeavesandapenthouse-likeroof,the17.5-meter-highmainbuildingofQingchuanPavilionisagoodrepresentationoftheChuculture.
Howtogetthere:busline30,45,or108toQingchuanPavilionstop.