From Wikitravel

Wuhan (武汉) is the capital of Hubei province, China and a major port on the Yangtse River.

[edit] Understand

Climate	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daily highs (°C)	7	8	13	20	25	28	32	39	42	22	15	10
Nightly lows (°C)	0	2	6	13	18	22	25	25	20	14	7	2
Precipitation (cm)	4	5	9	13	16	21	16	11	7	7	4	3
Wuhan is humid year-round

Wuhan is an amalgamation of three smaller cities—Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang—each separated from the other by a river. Hankou is the business center and it sits to the northwest with the Chang (Yangtze) River separating it from Wuchang and the Han river separating it from Hanyang. Wuchang is the education center hosting a bewildering variety of universities, institutes and colleges. It is separated from both Hankou and Hanyang by the Chang River. Hanyang is the industrial center, home to dozens of pollution-spewing industries including the Citroen car company. It is separated from Hankou by the Han river and from Wuchang by the Chang River.

The Number One Chang River Bridge, an old, Soviet-era colossus of engineering incorporating both rail and automobile traffic in a dual-layer setup, connects Wuchang with Hanyang. The more graceful Number Two Changjiang River Bridge, currently only open to automobile traffic, connects Wuchang with Hankou to the north. There are two major bridges across the Han river shuttling automobile traffic between Hanyang and Hankou. These two bridges are within sight of each other on the few smog-free days that exist. The Number Three Chang River Bridge, connects the outskirts of Wuchang with the outskirts of Hanyang to the distant south.

Hanyang was a busy port as long as 3000 years ago in the Han Dynasty. Yellow Crane Tower was first built in 223BCE and became a famous buildings in China through the poetry of Cui Hao during the Tang Dynasty. Wuchang has been a center of learning for centuries, especially in the field of the arts. It became a provincial capital in the Yuan Dynasty.

During the 19th century, as a result of concessions granted in the aftermath of the Opium Wars, large areas of Hankou's riverfront were carved up into foreign mercantile divisions with port and rail facilities. There remain many grand buildings along Hankou's riverfront clearly European in design as a result. In 1911 the city was host to the Wuchang Uprising: Sun Yat-sen's revolution that resulted in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. (The event is commemorated in many place names beginning with "Shouyi"—literally "First Revolution"—including a public square with an attached museum.) In the ensuing chaos of the Republic of China, Wuchang was the capital of a leftist Guomindang government ruled over by Wang Jingwei in direct opposition to Chiang Kai-shek.

Beneath Wuhan's industrial exterior a rewarding tapestry of history and cultural arts awaits.

[edit] Get in

Wuhan is a major city in a central position. It has all the bus, rail, road and air connections you would expect. Arriving by air will likely have you winding up at the Tianhe Airport about an hour's ride out of town. There are two major passenger train stations in Hankou and Wuchang respectively which rarely share trains. This is in contrast to the two major long distance bus stations, again in Hankou and Wuchang respectively, which tend to have buses visiting both.

You can also reach it via boats on the Yangtse, either from downstream centers such as Shanghai and Nanjing or from Chongqing further upstream, via the famous Three Gorges route.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By bus

Wuhan has a cheap, efficient, but horribly bewildering bus system in place. The service has vastly improved compared to the past.It is the cheapest way to get around the city. If you have a local to guide you, it can be used to get from place to place with impressive speed (if not comfort or safety). Without a local to guide you, you'd better have a very good map and a good grasp of Chinese.

[edit] By taxi

Taxis abound in Wuhan, easily outnumbering other private and public vehicles. Rates are relatively cheap at 3RMB on the flag and with around 50RMB getting you between almost any two spots you're likely to want to travel between. It is possible to get higher taxi fares, but usually only because the taxi driver has deliberately taken you on a longer trip (which is, thankfully, not a common occurrence). Airport taxis are the exception. Foreigners in particular are likely to get ripped off by taxi drivers at the airport. They will demand prices starting at 150RMB to go anywhere in the city. (For reference, going from the airport to the middle of Hanyang costs about 50RMB typically.) It is advisable to insist on the metre before the taxi starts moving and if the driver refuses, step out, collect your luggage and go back to the taxi stand.

Note that this problem is strongly ameliorated during the daytime when there is a supervisor at the taxi stand who is an airport employee, not a taxi driver himself.

One oddity of the taxi system is crossing the bridges. Because of the traffic problems and snarls at the bridges, the city has instituted a system in which half the taxis are not permitted to cross the bridge on half the days. Basically, if the day of the month is odd, odd-numbered taxis are allowed to use the Number One bridge. If the day of the month is even, even-numbered taxis are allowed to use the Number One bridge. This system may extend to the Number Two bridge (this is not yet confirmed) but it does not extend to the Number Three Bridge. In most circumstances, however, it is not advisable to use the Number Three bridge as it tends to increase the taxi fares dramatically (although it is an interesting ride).

[edit] By ferry

The Changjiang River can be crossed by ferry for a very reasonable fee of 1.5RMB. The ferry runs frequently starting at 7AM and ending at 9PM. It offers by virtue of its unique location some nice views of the city, the Number One Chang River Bridge, Yellow Crane Tower, etc. during the day and an interesting nightscape view after dark.

[edit][add listing] See

The single largest tourist attraction in Wuhan is Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼 Huanghelou), a modern construction built on the site of five previous incarnations. It is considered one of the four great towers in China. The tower sits atop Snake Hill near the Number One Chang (Yangtze) River Bridge and affords a commanding view of the Chang River as well as the mouth of the Han River where it connects. The view can be very impressive depending on local smog conditions. On the few clear days one can see practically the entire city of Wuhan as well as up and down the Chang River.

Entering the park costs 50RMB which gives access to Snake Hill Park, Yellow Crane Tower and the Mao Pavilion (in which many of the poems of Chairman Mao are etched into stone for viewing pleasure). The park as a whole is nicely landscaped with many charming buildings. Of particular interest is the enormous bronze bell located behind Yellow Crane Tower itself as well as a teahouse on the premises which features regular performances of traditional Chu-era music. The performance itself is free, but it is expected that patrons enjoying it order at least a beverage or a small snack.

The tower itself is a modern building completed in the 1980s using modern materials - most notably, concrete is used instead of wood for all supporting members. It is sited where five previous Yellow Crane Towers have stood, each pervious one destroyed in war or disaster. The ground floor of the tower contains a large entrance hall, two storeys tall, with enormous decorative lamps and a giant ceramic fresco displaying the quasi-mythical story of the tower's initial construction. The second storey, essentially a balcony around the entrance hall, contains the usual souvenir shops as well as displays of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy. The third storey has a residence done up in the very ancient, Chu style modelled after the kinds of sitting rooms used by nobility greeting guests in the ancient period. The fourth storey contains a souvenir shop and a set of models displaying the tower in its five previous incarnations. This latter display shows the fascinating development of an essentially military watchtower into an increasingly residence/tourist-oriented showpiece. The top accessible storey has pay telescopes for the view (which are generally not useful in the smog which dominates Wuhan air) and some art displays.

Yellow Crane Tower (and, in fact, Snake Hill Park in general) is wheelchair-accessible in most areas of interest. The tower even has two elevators suited to the elderly and the handicapped who would otherwise not be able to climb the stairs to the top. Ramps abound in most of the areas of interest.

[edit][add listing] Do

Jiqing Street (吉庆街), an ordinary-seeming street by day, becomes transformed by night into a bewildering maze of streetside restaurants and buskers performing music, dance, opera and stand-up comedy. It is a strongly-recommended experience. Food is plentiful and cheap, and it features a lot of unique local cuisine. The performances can be enjoyed by proxy as performers work other tables or they can be purchased. One can expect to pay about 10RMB per song performed. Other performances are more based on contributions—the more you contribute, the longer the performers will do their routines and the more daring/interesting/funny the routines will be.

Also of potential interest to a visitor is Jianghan Road (江汉路), a pedestrian mall almost as long as Shanghai's famed East Nanjing Road. During the day it is an interesting look at rampant consumerism in China's rapidly-growing middle class. At night, starting at 7PM, it is the same but is expanded on each side a few blocks deep by a night market with literally thousands of little stalls hawking every variety of goods imaginable: makeup, souvenirs, clothing, housewares, food, music, movies, etc.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Whether you want your shirt to say "I fuck freely" or "Yes, uptober how's that?" Wuhan will have any of your fashionable options.

[edit] Books and maps

Wuhan's best (or at least biggest) book and map store is probably Chongwen Book City (Chongwen Shu Cheng). It occupies the 3rd floor of a huge building located in the Xiongchu Avenu (Xiongchu Dajie) near South Loushi St. (Loushi Nan Lu) - that's about a couple miles east of Wuchang train station. The place is huge - as big as any Borders or B&N in the US. Most books are categorized by topics, but there are also sections dedicated to specific publishers. Most books are of course in Chinese, but a foreign traveller may be interested in their map department is well stocked. Among other products, they carry a series of road atlases for most of China's provinces and autonomous regions, suitable for both drivers and bicyclists. There is also an internet cafe on the 4th floor.

Another big book shop is the Hubei Province Foreign Languages Book Shop (Wai wen shu dian, or some such - there is no English sign! - in Zhongnan Lu just north of Wulou Lu). The "foreign languages" in its name seems to refer mostly to the textbooks and dictionaries of foreign languages for the Chinese audience and the books translated into Chinese from foreign languages, but they carry some literature in English as well.

There are also a few large Xinhua bookstores throughout the city.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Re Gan Mian is the local specialty for breakfast, if you're in the mood for greasy peanut butter flavored noodles. Real men find their fuel on the streets betwixt the hours of 12:00-5:00 in the AM. On these streets there are generous and well-meaning folk selling dumplings, noodles, wok food, and foies gras. On the odd occasion that the lounge is closed, one is able to sit outside and enjoy the clean night air, the delightful local dialect, and any foods you order. If you're in the mood for a more romantic night on the town, there are countless 3-wall restaurants with candle lights upon the tables, live music flowing from the muses' mouths, and 4-star restaurants' finest fair at a reasonable and sanitary locale.

[edit][add listing] Drink

It would be considered a sin to visit this city and not taste some of its finest nectars. Included in this list is Jingjiu (a healthy alternative to regular wines), Baijiu (the flavorful but tasty liqueur that that will be the perfect accompaniment to any conversation with a loved one). If you would like to taste something slightly more low key, there is a local micro-brew called Singo (Xingyinge), that will be the beginning of every good night, at just 1.5Y per bottle.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Haiyi Jin Jiang Hotel, No. 1 Hongshan Road, Wuchang District [1]. An intelligent building in the heart of the Wuchang District, Haiyi Jin Jiang Hotel offers 72 rooms with cutting edge amenities that are perfect for busy executives. It also has a variety of event venues to suit every function, as well as dining options where you can have the best of local cuisine.

• Wuhan Pathfinder International Youth Hostel 武汉探路者国际青年旅舍 - Address: #368 Zhong Shan Road , Wuhan (Wuchang District) 湖北省 武汉市 湖北省武汉市武昌区中山路368号（湖北美术馆内）- Phone: 027-88844092 or 027-88851263 - Fax: 027-88844092 - Email: yhawuhan@hotmail.com - Website: http://www.lutu.com.cn - Cannot be seen from the street, and may be difficult to find, so make sure to write down the address in Chinese and phone number to give to your taxi. Has many dormitory style rooms starting at around 30元 a night, and has a few single rooms for 80元 a night without bathroom, or around 138元 a night with very simple bathroom. Free wireless access, and very nice and extensive common area. Restaurant on site with extensive menu of Chinese and Western foods. Although quiet hours are listed as 11:00 PM - 8:00 AM, this is barely suggested and not enforced - even the employees blast music late into the night. Expect noise past 2:00 AM, starting again at 6:00 AM. Not a hotel for light sleepers.

• Super 8 速8酒店 - Address: 98 Donghu Road, Wuchang District 武汉市武昌区东湖路98号 - Phone: (86-27) 6781 1788 - Fax: (86-27) 6781 1766 - Free internet in rooms - Free simple buffet meals - Rooms start at around 180元 a night.

• Wuhan Jin Jiang International Hotel, No. 707 Jianshe Avenue, Jianghan District [2]. A 5-star business hotel with over 400 guestrooms replete with the essentials for the traveling businessman. Wuhan Jin Jiang International Hotel also has fully-equipped ballrooms made for business conferences and other special events that can accommodate up to 400 guests. The hotel has restaurants offering Chinese and Western cuisine, and a cigar bar.

And many other hotels.

[edit] Get out

There is a train station in Wuchang and in Hankou. There are also long-distance bus stations; one in Hankou, and near the Wuchang train station.