Wuhan Travel Guide

 Facts
Phone Code: 027
Postal Code: 430000-430400
Area: 8,494 square kilometers (3,279 square miles)
Population: 10.02 million (2011 data)
Neighboring Areas: Xiantao, Ezhou, Huangshi, Xianning, and Xiaogan cities
Location: Wuhan City located east of the Han River Plain. It is an important port at the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. Its longitude is between 113°41′-115°05′E, and the latitude lies between 29°58′-31°22′N.

Physical Features: Plains are the major geological form of the city, wich some low hills that are distributed in the central area. The Yangtze and Han rivers meet in Wuhan and divide it into three towns: Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang.

Wuhan Map

 History: Records of Wuhan history date back 6,000 years to the Neolithic Period. A Shang-Dynasty palace of over 3,500 years old has been discovered in Huangpi District. In the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), it developed into the largest inland river prot in China. In the year 1911, the first battle of Chinese Revolution took place in Wuchang, and Wuhan became the heart of Chinese Revolution at that time. 

 Attractions: Wuhan is one of the most popular tourist cities in China. The Yellow Crane Tower located on Snake Mountain, is famous for being ‘the first tower under heaven”. At the top, you will have a full view of the city and the Yangtze River. The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is regarded as “the No.1 bridge along the Yangtze River”,  and stretches over the Yangtze River between the Snake Mountain in Wuchang and Turtle Mountain in Hanyang. The East Lake Scenic Area of the city is a good place to indulge yourself with beautiful natural scenery. Hubei Provincial Museum is famous for its large collection of cultural relics that reflect the rich culture of the ancient Chu Kingdom during the Warring States Period (476 - 221 BC). And there are many more attractions: National Stone Museum, Guiyuan Buddhist Temple and Heptachord Terrace.

 Transportation 
 Air: The airport in Wuhan is Tianhe International Airport, which is the only location that can issue the on-arrival visa in Central China. The airport now operates over 20 international air routes.

 Train: Wuhan is an important railway terminal in China. There are three train stations for passenger transport in the city, the Wuchang Railway Station, Hankou Railway Station and Wuhan Railway Station. The bullet or high-speed trains from Wuhan travel to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hefei, Nanchang, Zhengzhou, Changsha, and Chengdu, and other cities in Hubei Province, including Xiangyang, Macheng, Shiyan, Xiaogan, Xiaoning, and Huangshi.  

 Bus: State Highways 316 connecting Fuzhou and Lanzhou, 318 between Shanghai and Tibet, 106 from Beijing to Guangzhou, and 107 from Beijing to Shenzhen, plus 16 provincial roads meet here, so one can take buses from Wuhan to many cities and towns in China.

 Intercity Bus: By 2011, there are 289 bus routes in the city, including 200 special lines that stretch to suburban areas, 5 night lines, and 6 tourist lines. Bus fares range slightly different according to the different types of bus: CNY 1 for regular buses, CNY 2 for air-conditioned buses, and CNY 1.5 for double-decker buses. Some buses running to the suburban areas charge by distance.

 Ferry: As Wuhan is a port city along the Yangtze River, ferries are also an important mode of transportation. There are five public ferry routes traveling among the three towns. It is also one of the  terminals along the Yangtze River Cruise Tour. By taking a cruise ship one can reach either Chongqing in the upper reaches or Shanghai in the lower reaches.

 Subway: Wuhan Subway Line 1 was put into service in 2010. Line 1 runs in Hankou from Dongwu Avenue to Dijiao Station. Line 2, 3, and 4 are still under construction.

 Weather: Wuhan has a subtropical humid monsoon climate with plenty of rain and sunshine. Considered one of the four hottest cities in China (with Nanjing, Chongqing, and Nanchang), It has a very hot summer. Temperatures during this season are usually above 37°C (98.6°F), and sometimes can be above 40°C (104°F).

 Dining and Shopping
In Wuhan, locals know that one can have breakfast in Hubuxiang Lane and enjoy dinner in Jiqing Street. In Hubuxiang Lane, there are traditional food for breakfast, such as Hot Noodles with Sesame Paste (Re Gan Mian), Rice Noodles in Flavored Thick Paste Soup (Hu Tang Fen), and Salty-Crispy Doughnut (Mian Wo). At night, you can also enjoy all kinds of local food on Jiqing Street. Residents like to eat fish, especially Wuchang Fish. Liangzi Lake River Crab  is also very popular.

Shopping centers are distributed on Zhongshan Avenue, Aviation Road, Hanjiang Road, Hanzheng Road, Si Men Kou, Zhongnan Road, and Zhongjia Village. Famous shopping centers are: Wuhan International Plaza, Wuhan Square, International Trade Square, and Hanjiang Road Pedestrian Street.