Wuhan (武汉)

1. Introduction

Wuhan, abbreviated as "Han" and also known as the River City, is one of China's megacities and national central cities. It serves as the capital of Hubei Province and is a sub-provincial city. As the largest city in central China and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Wuhan is the political, economic, financial, commercial, logistics, technological, cultural, and educational center of the central region, as well as a hub for transportation and communication. Recognized as a national historical and cultural city, it is often called the "Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces." Wuhan is the economic and geographical center of China and one of the country's three major "inland shipping centers." It is also one of the largest railway, aviation, and highway hubs in terms of passenger traffic. The "Golden Waterway" of the Yangtze River and its largest tributary, the Han River, traverse the urban area, dividing Wuhan into three parts: Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang. Historically, these three areas are collectively referred to as the "Three Towns of Wuhan." The municipal government is located at No. 188 Yanjiang Avenue, Jiang'an District. The city administers 13 districts, covering a total area of 8,569.15 square kilometers. By the end of 2023, the permanent population reached 13.774 million, with an annual regional GDP of 2,001.165 billion yuan.

From the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty to the period of the Republic of China on the mainland, Hankou was economically prosperous, serving as China's second-largest international metropolis after Shanghai and ranking among the most prosperous cities in Asia. At the time, it was referred to by the United States as the "Oriental Chicago," a title that Wuhan has since inherited. In 1911, the Wuchang Uprising of the Xinhai Revolution took place here, leading to the birth of the Republic of China. In 1927, during the Northern Expedition, the Nationalist government decided to merge the Three Towns of Wuhan into the Capital District, establishing it as China's first directly administered municipality. In February of the same year, the Nationalist government and the Central Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang relocated to Wuhan, followed by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, making the city a short-term national political, economic, and cultural center. In the early stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Nationalist government designated Wuhan as the temporary provisional capital during its inland relocation, turning it into a focal city of World War II. After 1949, Wuhan transformed into a significant national industrial base, scientific and educational hub, and comprehensive transportation center.

Wuhan is an important base for scientific research, education, and the development of emerging industries in China. By 2011, the number of university students in Wuhan had exceeded 1 million, ranking first among all cities worldwide. As of 2015, Wuhan had 82 institutions of higher education, second only to Beijing. In recent years, Wuhan's economy has grown substantially and is regarded as the "only city in China capable of achieving industrial upgrading in manufacturing" and one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Currently, the proportion of high-tech manufacturing in the city's value-added industrial output above a designated scale is second only to a few cities like Shenzhen. Wuhan ranks second nationally in urban innovation capability. The city's ability to attract migrants has steadily increased in recent years, with its net growth rate of young population ranking second nationwide, just after Shenzhen. It is one of the cities attracting the largest number of migrants in China and ranks seventh globally in urban vitality.

Starting in 2014 and continuing annually through September 2028, Wuhan hosts the Wuhan Open, one of China's highest-level tennis tournaments. In 2019, Wuhan hosted the 7th Military World Games and co-hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup. In October 2017, UNESCO approved Wuhan's participation in the Creative Cities Network, granting it the title of "City of Design," making it China's fourth "City of Design" after Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing. In December of the same year, Wuhan was awarded the "2017 City Innovation Award."

In December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out in Wuhan. To curb the spread of the virus, the Wuhan COVID-19 Prevention and Control Headquarters announced a "lockdown" on January 23, 2020. On April 8, Wuhan lifted the control measures on outbound channels, restoring external transportation.

nix

2. History

2.1 Pre-Qin to Northern and Southern Dynasties

Wuhan was anciently known as Xiarui and E'zhu. Archaeological discoveries in the Wuhan area trace its history back to the Neolithic Age, 6000 years ago. In 1956, the Hubei Provincial Museum conducted an archaeological excavation at Fangyingtai on the shore of East Lake, unearthing Neolithic relics such as stone axes, stone adzes, and fish spears, identified as belonging to the Qujialing culture. The earliest legend about Wuhan concerns the story of Yu the Great successfully controlling floods here; to this day, the Yuwang Temple stands on Yugongji by the river in Hanyang, Wuhan. The Panlongcheng site discovered in Huangpi District, dating back about 3500 years, is one of the very few well-preserved and discovered ancient cities of the Shang Dynasty in China.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Wuhan was part of the Chu State, leaving behind some relics and legends. The典故 of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi, "High Mountains and Flowing Waters Meeting a Soulmate," recorded in Liezi·Tang Wen, occurred here. Zhong Ziqi was from Hanyang, Chu State (present-day Caidian, Wuhan). To this day, Hanyang still preserves architectural relics such as the Guqin Terrace and Zhong Ziqi's Tomb from the Northern Song Dynasty, as well as historical place names like "Qinduankou." Consequently, Wuhan is also known as the hometown of "Zhiyin" (Soulmate).

From the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to the Western Han Dynasty, the culture in Xinzhou, Wuhan flourished, making it one of the important centers of Confucianism. The Analects records: "When Confucius traveled through the states to Chu, he had 'Zilu ask for directions' from Changju and Jieni." During the Western Han Dynasty, commoners in Zhu County (present-day Xinzhou District) unearthed a stone tablet inscribed with eight large characters in Qin clerical script: "Where Confucius sent Zilu to ask for directions." Liu An, the Prince of Huainan, subsequently built a temple there and recruited scholars to lecture, establishing the "Wenjin Academy," hailed as "the oldest existing university in China," historically renowned alongside the Yuelu Academy and Donglin Academy.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the warlord Liu Biao ordered Huang Zu, the governor of Jiangxia, to build the "Queyue City" near present-day Moon Lake in Hanyang. In 223 AD, Sun Quan of Eastern Wu constructed the "Xiakou City" on present-day Snake Hill in Wuchang. Queyue City is the earliest known city site within the urban area of Wuhan. When Sun Quan built Xiakou City, he constructed a watchtower on the city wall near Snake Hill, which later became the world-famous Yellow Crane Tower. In 208 AD, the Battle of Red Cliffs erupted between Cao Cao's forces near Chibi, close to Wuchang, and the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei. In 222 AD, to resist invasions from Cao Wei, Sun Quan established his capital in Wuchang (present-day Ezhou). From 265 to 266 AD, the Sun Wu regime temporarily moved its capital here, making Wuchang and its surroundings a significant political center in China for the first time. During the Southern Dynasties, Xiakou City was expanded into Yingzhou City, becoming the seat of Yingzhou.

2.2 Sui to Mid-Qing Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty established Jiangxia County and Hanyang County, with their seats in Wuchang and Hanyang, respectively. During the Tang Dynasty, Jiangxia and Hanyang were elevated to the seats of Ezhou and Mianzhou prefectures, becoming major commercial hubs along the Yangtze River. During this period, Wuhan's economy and culture gradually prospered, attracting numerous literati and artists. The Yellow Crane Tower, located atop Huanghu (Yellow Crane) Hill by the Yangtze River in Wuchang, was celebrated in poetry by countless renowned Tang and later poets such as Cui Hao, Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Wang Wei, Liu Yuxi, Su Shi, Lu You, and Huang Tingjian. This temporarily established Wuchang as one of the cultural centers of southern China. Cui Hao's poem, "The sage on yellow crane was gone amid clouds white. To what avail is Yellow Crane Tower left here? Once gone, the yellow crane will ne'er on earth alight; Only white clouds still float in vain from year to year. By sunlit river trees can be count'd one by one; On Parrot Islet sweet green grass grows fast and thick," and Li Bai's "My friend has left the west where the Yellow Crane towers. For River Town veiled in green willows and red flowers," made the Yellow Crane Tower famous worldwide. Another poem by Li Bai, "Hearing a flute in the Yellow Crane Tower, In River Town in May mume blossoms fall," further bestowed upon Wuhan the nickname "River City."

During the Song Dynasty, Wuchang belonged to Ezhou, while Hanyang and Hankou were part of Hanyang Commandery. In the Southern Song period, Wuchang once again became China's second-largest political and military stronghold outside the capital region. The anti-Jin hero Yue Fei was stationed in Ezhou (present-day Wuchang) for eight years, launching campaigns against the Jin from there. Consequently, Yue Fei was posthumously enfeoffed as the "Prince of E" by the court, and relics of "Yuewang Temples" were once widespread in Wuhan. The Southern Song poet Lu You, passing through Wuchang, wrote, "The city is prosperous and wealthy, with bustling markets and intricate rows of shops. The southern market outside the city extends for several miles, surpassing even Qiantang and Jiankang, quietly asserting itself as a major metropolis," describing Wuchang's繁华. The porcelain industry in Wuhan during the Song Dynasty was highly developed. Excavations in Wuchang's urban areas, such as Mafangshan and Yuejiazui, unearthed grey pottery bricks with the Four Symbols and grey pottery zodiac figurines. Over 100 large-scale Song Dynasty kiln clusters were discovered in suburban areas like Huxi and Liangzi Lake in Jiangxia District. In the 18th year of the Zhiyuan era of Emperor Shizu of Yuan (1281 AD), Wuchang became the provincial seat of Huguang Province. Huguang Province was one of the ten major administrative provinces nationwide, encompassing present-day areas south of the Yangtze River, most of Hunan, parts of Hubei, Guangxi, the entire Hainan, most of Guizhou, the Leizhou Peninsula of Guangdong, and southeastern Chongqing. This marked the first time Wuhan became the seat of a first-level administrative unit and the beginning of its formal role as the political, military, and economic center of central-southern China.

When Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, captured Wuchang, his sixth son, Zhu Zhen, was born. Zhu Zhen was later enfeoffed as the Prince of Chu in Wuchang, leading to the city's expansion and making it one of the largest cities in southern China. Wuchang continued to be the political center of Hubei and the central region. The administrative office of the Prince of Chu's布政使司 was located in Wuchang Prefecture. In the mid to late Ming Dynasty, Hankou in Wuhan rose to prominence. Due to the diversion of the Han River north of Tortoise Hill into the Yangtze during the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, by the Jiajing era, the emerging Hankou Town had formed on the north bank of the new Han River channel. Merchants from Huizhou, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, and other regions flocked there to trade, focusing on six major industries: salt, pawnbroking, rice, timber, cotton cloth, and medicinal herbs. It developed into a settlement stretching over twenty li, with its main street, Hanzheng Street, running from Qiaokou to Dikou (Siguandian). By the late Ming and early Qing periods, Hankou, alongside Zhuxian Town, Jingdezhen, and Foshan Town, was known as one of the "Four Great Towns" of China, hailed as "the most prosperous place in Chu," becoming a national hub for water and land transportation and earning the reputation of "thoroughfare to nine provinces." Due to its strategic location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers, Hankou became a gathering place for merchants nationwide and was historically known as one of the three major tea markets and one of the four great commercial centers of China.

2.3 Late Qing Dynasty

From the late Qing Dynasty to the early 20th century, Wuhan enjoyed the reputation of the "Oriental Chicago." It was China's second-largest city and one of its primary economic, financial, industrial, transportation, and cultural centers.

In the mid-19th century, the Sino-Russian Ten Thousand Li Tea Route originated in Hankou. From the 18th century to the early and mid-20th century, Hankou remained one of China's three major tea markets. In 1900 alone, Hankou exported 390,000 dan (a unit of weight) of tea to Russia, accounting for 80.9% of China's tea exports to Russia. Driven by the tea trade, Hankou also became China's largest modern processing and export center for agricultural and light industrial products, earning the title "Oriental Tea Port" from domestic and foreign tea merchants.

The unequal Treaty of Tientsin signed between the Qing Dynasty and foreign powers in 1858 designated Hankou as one of the eleven additional treaty ports. Hankou officially opened as a port in March 1861. Thus began Hankou's transformation from a traditional commercial town into a modern international metropolis. Subsequently, Hankou successively established concessions for Britain, Russia, France, Germany, and Japan, with over 40 European and American countries setting up consulates in the city. Foreign merchants from various countries came to trade in Wuhan, leading to a significant increase in its foreign trade volume, which consistently ranked among the top four nationally. Wuhan became one of China's four major ports, with its foreign trade volume accounting for about 10% of the national total for 40 years, ranking second nationwide and showing a trend of "surpassing Tianjin and approaching Shanghai." As Hankou's commerce became more internationalized, numerous foreign businesses built wharves, established banks, and founded companies there, greatly enhancing Hankou's international influence. By the late Qing Dynasty, there was a sharp increase in foreign firms in Hankou engaged in selling domestic and foreign goods, finance, shipping, and real estate. In terms of specific industrial economy, tea processing was the largest industry in Hankou at the time, accounting for 60% of national exports.

In 1889, Zhang Zhidong became the Viceroy of Huguang. During his tenure, he vigorously promoted the Westernization Movement, particularly by establishing the Hanyang Ironworks and the Hubei Arsenal, making "Hanyang-made" a renowned brand in East Asia. This further stimulated the rise of modern industry and the development of a commodity economy in Wuhan, expanding the city from its original economic pillars of commerce and finance into a birthplace of modern Chinese industry. He oversaw the construction of the Beijing-Hankou Railway, making Wuhan a crucial north-south transportation hub in China and truly deserving of the title "thoroughfare to nine provinces." He also promoted modern Western-style education, founding new-style academies such as the "Lianghu Academy" and "Ziqiang School," further establishing Wuhan as a key center of education and culture in China. In 1905, Zhang Zhidong built the Houhu Long Dike, which reclaimed 100,000 mu of dry land within the dike area, essentially laying the urban轮廓 of modern Hankou as an international metropolis. In 1907, Zhang Zhidong demolished the Houcheng city wall, constructing Houcheng Road, which became Hankou's first modern road. This road also served as the main stage for political contests among various factions in the Wuhan area during the mainland period of the Republic of China.

After the First Sino-Japanese War, China launched the "Industrial Salvation" movement. National capitalist forces entered Hankou, one of China's largest economic and transportation centers, vigorously developing the national economy and further promoting the transformation of Hankou and other major Chinese cities into modern urban centers. In 1906, Song Weichen and others founded the "Jiji Water and Electricity Co., Ltd." in Hankou, which was the largest privately-owned public utility enterprise in China at the time. In 1909, to regulate water supply, the company built the Hankou Water Tower at the intersection of Zhongshan Avenue and Jianghan Road, which became the tallest building in Wuhan at that time.### 2.4 The Republic of China On October 10, 1911, the Wuchang Uprising, which marked the beginning of the Xinhai Revolution, erupted. Following the success of the revolution, the rebel forces declared independence from the Qing Dynasty and established a military government, founding the Republic of China. Provinces across China responded, leading to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the end of over 2,000 years of feudal rule in China. Consequently, October 10th, the anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising, was designated as the National Day of the Republic of China. In January 1912, Li Yuanhong became the Provisional Vice President and the Military Governor of Hubei.

During the period of rule by the Beiyang warlords, Wuhan's economy continued to develop rapidly, with a particular surge in national capitalism. Wuhan remained one of China's major industrial centers. However, the rapid rise of industry also led to the swift growth of the working class and the continuous expansion of class contradictions. In February 1923, the Beijing-Hankou Railway Workers' Strike broke out, which was the most influential event during the first upsurge of the Chinese labor movement.

As the Northern Expedition advanced, the National Revolutionary Army captured Hankou in September 1926. The National Government of the Republic of China established the Hankou Municipal Government on October 7, 1926, with Liu Wendao serving as the first mayor of Hankou. On November 21, 1926, the National Government moved its capital to Wuhan and decided to merge Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang into a single city, designated as the Capital District (Jingzhao District), named Wuhan. This marked the first administrative unification of the three towns of Wuhan into one city. On March 24 of the following year, the Wuhan National Government of the Republic of China was formally established. In the same year, the central organs of the Chinese Communist Party also moved to Wuhan, making the city the focal point of the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation and a center of Chinese politics and military affairs. However, on July 15, 1927, after Wang Jingwei of the Wuhan National Government tacitly approved the Ninghan Merger and launched the July 15 Incident to sanction the Chinese Communist Party, the Fifth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held in Wuhan. On August 7, the Communist Party held a meeting in Hankou, proposing that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" and establishing the policy of armed uprising against Kuomintang rule, marking the failure of the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation. Starting in November, the Guangxi warlord clique established control over Wuhan until it was captured by Chiang Kai-shek's forces in 1929. From the 1920s until the eve of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Wuhan's urban scale expanded rapidly. By the end of 1936, there were 516 privately-owned modern factories, and the population exceeded 1.2 million.

In the early stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Nanjing National Government used Wuhan as the wartime capital to resist the Japanese invasion and buy time for the government's relocation inland. In November 1937, departments such as the Executive Yuan and the Military Commission of the National Government successively moved to Wuhan. Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Wuhan to command the nationwide war of resistance. Relevant forces of the Chinese Communist Party also gradually arrived in Wuhan, leading to the second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation in the city. As the temporary headquarters for important organs of the National Government and the Kuomintang Central Committee, Wuhan became China's political, military, and cultural center. In June 1938, the Battle of Wuhan commenced. The National Revolutionary Army fought hundreds of battles, significantly depleting Japanese forces and thwarting Japan's plan to conquer China within three months. This battle was the largest, longest, and most enemy-eliminating engagement during the strategic defensive phase of the War of Resistance Against Japan, making Wuhan a focal city in World War II.

In June 1938, the National Government decided to either relocate or destroy various industries and military facilities in Wuhan, resulting in a 70% loss of Wuhan's industry. On October 27, the entire area of Wuhan was occupied by Japanese forces (except for the French Concession in Hankou), and China's War of Resistance Against Japan fully entered the strategic stalemate phase. In September 1940, the Wang Jingwei government, supported by Japan, changed Wuhan Special City to Hankou Special City. During this period, Wuhan's population sharply declined, with residents flooding into the French Concession in Hankou for refuge, often leading to disturbances. In December 1944, the U.S. military conducted successive bombings of Wuhan, known as the Hankou Air Raids, causing severe damage to the city. The Hankou Air Raids marked the first time the U.S. military used incendiary bombs for carpet bombing of densely populated major cities.

In September 1945, after the National Government recovered Wuhan, it merged Wuchang and Hanyang to form Wuchang City, while Hankou remained a municipality directly under the central government. The Military Commission of the National Government established the Wuhan Pacification Headquarters, with Bai Chongxi in command. In October 1946, the Wuchang Municipal Government, which only administered the Wuchang area, was established, and the Hanyang urban area was designated as Hanyang County. In August 1947, Hankou City became a municipality directly under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China. In the autumn of 1948, Bai Chongxi sought to divide control along the Yangtze River in Wuhan while soliciting donations from Wuhan's industry and commerce to prepare for war.

On May 16, 1949, the Eighth Division of the Fourth Field Army of the People's Liberation Army entered the urban area of Hankou. On the 17th, the Independent First Brigade of the Jianghan Military District entered Hanyang County, and the 153rd Division of the 40th Army of the Fourth Field Army entered Wuchang City. By this point, the People's Liberation Army had taken control of the three towns of Wuhan.

2.5 The People's Republic of China

On May 24, 1949, the Wuhan Municipal People's Government was established. Until June 1954, Wuhan was a municipality directly under the central government and the location of the party, government, and military organs of the Central-South Greater Administrative Region. In June 1954, Wuhan was incorporated into Hubei Province and designated as its provincial capital. During the First Five-Year Plan period, Wuhan was identified as a "key city" for construction. Guided by the central principle of "prioritizing the development of heavy industry," the state invested in and built 32 large state-owned enterprises in the Wuhan area, laying the proud industrial foundation of Wuhan. From then on, Wuhan rapidly transformed from a "commercial, financial, and modern industrial center" into an industrial base of the People's Republic of China. By 1956, the public ownership economy had achieved dominance in Wuhan. In 1957, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was completed and opened to traffic. The bridge connected the Beijing-Hankou and Yuehan Railways to form one of China's important north-south railway arteries—the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway—greatly facilitating exchanges between northern and southern China and also physically linking the three towns of Wuhan by land, forming a complete and unified Wuhan urban area.

Starting with the "Third Front Construction" in 1965, Wuhan gained a number of national-level major projects, further solidifying its economic status. From the early days of the founding of the People's Republic to the initial period of reform and opening up, Wuhan's economic scale long ranked fourth nationwide, behind only Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Wuhan also became one of the nation's three major industrial centers, three major transportation and commercial centers, and three major education centers during the planned economy era. From the founding of the People's Republic of China until 1974, Mao Zedong stayed at the Wuhan East Lake Guesthouse 48 times and conducted state affairs there, making Wuhan the place where he resided the longest besides Zhongnanhai after 1949 and turning Wuhan into another national political center outside Beijing. During this period, several central meetings, including the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, were held in Wuhan.

In 1975, Wuchang County and Hanyang County were placed under the jurisdiction of Wuhan City. In 1983, Xinzhou County and Huangpi County were placed under Wuhan's jurisdiction. On May 21, 1984, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council officially approved Wuhan as a pilot city for comprehensive economic system reform, implementing separate planning. In 1992, Deng Xiaoping's "Southern Tour Talks" began in Wuchang. He instructed Wuhan to build upon its existing foundation to become one of the nation's new three major manufacturing centers, three major technology development centers, and three major financial and trade centers, playing a pivotal role in the national economy. In the following years, Wuhan's development speed exceeded 16% annually, its economic aggregate consistently ranked among the top three nationwide, and its urban scale remained at the forefront of Chinese cities.

However, over the 20 years since the late 1980s, due to the national implementation of an "unbalanced development strategy," central China, Hubei, and Wuhan became a "policy洼地" (policy lowland) and were continuously marginalized. Simultaneously, Wuhan was also a "high-tax region" with extremely limited self-balance, severely impacting urban construction. Consequently, Wuhan gradually fell behind regions like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Additionally, the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government at the time, addressing the situation of Wuhan's "dominance" within the province, proposed a "peak-shaving and valley-filling" policy, which aimed to suppress Wuhan's development and allocate all administrative resources to developing other cities in Hubei, leading to a further economic decline in Wuhan. This situation did not change until the adjustment of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee leadership in 2001.

As China's economy transitioned from export-driven to domestic demand-driven, Wuhan's geographical and scientific-educational advantages were re-recognized. On December 7, 2007, the State Council officially approved the Wuhan Metropolitan Area as a Comprehensive Supporting Reform Pilot Zone. On March 12, 2010, the State Council officially approved the "Wuhan City Master Plan," re-establishing Wuhan as the central city of the central region.

Starting around 2008, the Hubei provincial and Wuhan municipal governments seized the momentum of changes in the national economic environment. The city's economy experienced substantial growth and was considered "the only city in China capable of achieving manufacturing industry upgrading" and one of the fastest-growing cities in China. Currently, the proportion of high-tech manufacturing in Wuhan's value-added of industries above designated size is second only to a few cities like Shenzhen. The city's innovation capability ranks second nationwide, and its entrepreneurial environment is among the top ten in mainland China. Wuhan has initially changed its traditional image as a "heavy industrial base" and transformed into a new economic city. Wuhan's urban functions have become increasingly complete, hardware construction has advanced by leaps and bounds, the city's appearance has significantly improved, and its attractiveness to migrants has steadily increased, particularly favored by young people. The net increase rate of the young population is now second only to Shenzhen, ranking second nationwide. Wuhan is one of the cities attracting the most migrants in recent years, and its urban vitality ranks seventh globally.In August 2016, the central government officially approved the establishment of a "Free Trade Zone" in Wuhan. The Wuhan Free Trade Zone primarily aims to implement the central government's requirements for the orderly transfer of industries in the central region and the construction of a number of strategic emerging industries and high-tech industrial bases, while playing a demonstrative role in the implementation of the central region's rise strategy and the advancement of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In September 2016, the central government officially issued the "Outline of the Development Plan for the Yangtze River Economic Belt," designating Wuhan as a megacity and proposing to leverage Wuhan's core role in building a globally influential inland river economic belt. On January 25, 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission released the "Reply on Supporting Wuhan in Building a National Central City," stating that Wuhan should accelerate its development into a national central city supported by four major functions: a national economic center, a high-level technological innovation center, a commercial and logistics center, and an international exchange center.

In November 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Wuhan. On January 23, 2020, the Wuhan COVID-19 Prevention and Control Headquarters announced that, starting from 10:00 a.m. on January 23, 2020, all urban public transportation, subways, ferries, and long-distance passenger transport in the city would be suspended, and the departure channels at airports and railway stations would be temporarily closed, effectively placing Wuhan under a "lockdown." From February 14, further measures were implemented to enforce closed management of all residential communities. On March 28, 17 railway passenger stations in Wuhan resumed operations for arrivals, and some urban bus and subway lines resumed service. At midnight on April 8, after 76 days of lockdown, Wuhan lifted the control measures on departure channels, restoring external transportation.

According to the "2021 Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook" released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in October 2022, Wuhan, with its permanent population exceeding 10 million, is classified as a megacity, ranking eighth in the country.

3. Physical Geography

3.1 Geographical Location

Wuhan is located in central China, with geographical coordinates ranging from 113°41' to 115°05' east longitude and 29°58' to 31°22' north latitude. Its maximum east-west distance is 134 kilometers, and its maximum north-south distance is 155 kilometers. The asteroid 3206, discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory on November 13, 1980, was named "Wuhan."

Wuhan is situated at the crucial intersection of the Yangtze River's golden waterway and the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway artery. Within China's economic geographical circles, it occupies a uniquely advantageous position. Its inner circle, approximately 300 kilometers in radius, includes cities within Hubei Province such as Yichang and Xiangyang, as well as central cities like Changsha, Nanchang, and Zhuzhou. The middle circle, about 600 kilometers in radius, encompasses cities within the province like Shiyan and major cities in neighboring provinces such as Zhengzhou, Hefei, and Nanjing. The outer circle, roughly 1000 kilometers in radius, includes major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Chongqing, Chengdu, Qingdao, Xi'an, and Guiyang. Over 80% of China's mainland cities and population lie within a 1000-kilometer radius centered on Wuhan, solidifying its recognition as the economic and geographical center of China.

Wuhan is located in the eastern part of the Jianghan Plain, within the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain. It borders Tuangfeng County of Huanggang City to the east; Huarong District and Liangzihu District of Ezhou City, and Daye City of Huangshi City to the east; Xianning City proper and Jiayu County to the south; Honghu City of Jingzhou, the provincially-administered city of Xiantao, and Hanchuan City of Xiaogan to the west; and Xiaonan District, Xiaochang County, and Dawu County of Xiaogan City, as well as Hong'an County and Macheng City of Huanggang City to the north. Its shape resembles a butterfly flying from west to east.

3.2 Geology and Topography

Wuhan's terrain is predominantly plain, with some low mountains, hills, and ridges. Low mountains, hills, ridge plains, and flat plains account for 5.8%, 12.3%, 42.6%, and 39.3% of the city's total land area, respectively. The flat plains are located along the banks of the Yangtze River, Han River, their tributaries, and around lakes, serving as cotton and vegetable production areas. The ridge plains are situated around lakes and in transitional zones between hills and plains, known for rice and fish production. The hills are divided into three ranges, all covered with forest. The northern range is distributed in the northern parts of Xinzhou District and Huangpi District; the central range traverses the urban area; and the southern range is found in the northern parts of Caidian District and Jiangxia District. Low mountains are mainly located in the northeastern parts of Huangpi District and Xinzhou District, with elevations above 200 to 500 meters. Shuangjian Peak, on the border of Huangpi District and Xiaogan City, stands at 872.5 meters, marking the highest point in Wuhan. The highest point in the central urban area is Dingguan Peak in Hongshan District, at 200.1 meters. Mineral resources primarily include coal, phosphorus, and pyrite.

3.3 Climate and Biology

Wuhan belongs to the northern subtropical monsoon climate zone, characterized by abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, four distinct seasons, hot summers, and temperate winters. Throughout the year, January has the lowest average temperature at 4.1°C, with winter lasting 110 days; July has the highest average temperature at 29.2°C, with summer lasting 135 days; spring and autumn each last about 60 days. The extreme maximum temperature is 39.7°C (July 27, 2017), and the extreme minimum temperature is -18.1°C (January 30, 1977). Rainfall is concentrated during the early summer Meiyu (plum rain) season, with annual precipitation ranging from 1050 to 1200 mm. The accumulated temperature of days with stable temperatures ≥10°C in Wuhan is between 5000°C and 5300°C, and the annual frost-free period is 240 days.

The natural vegetation consists mainly of mixed evergreen broadleaf and deciduous broadleaf forests, with Masson pine, Chinese fir, and oak trees being widely distributed. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|------|-------|-------| | Record high °C | 25.4 | 29.1 | 32.4 | 35.1 | 36.1 | 37.8 | 39.7 | 39.6 | 37.6 | 37.9 | 30.4 | 23.3 | 39.7 | | Record high °F | 77.7 | 84.4 | 90.3 | 95.2 | 97.0 | 100.0 | 103.5 | 103.3 | 99.7 | 100.2 | 86.7 | 73.9 | 103.5 | | Average high °C | 8.1 | 10.7 | 15.2 | 22.1 | 27.1 | 30.2 | 32.9 | 32.5 | 28.5 | 23.0 | 16.8 | 10.8 | 21.5 | | Average high °F | 46.6 | 51.3 | 59.4 | 71.8 | 80.8 | 86.4 | 91.2 | 90.5 | 83.3 | 73.4 | 62.2 | 51.4 | 70.7 | | Daily mean °C | 4.0 | 6.6 | 10.9 | 17.4 | 22.6 | 26.2 | 29.1 | 28.4 | 24.1 | 18.2 | 11.9 | 6.2 | 17.1 | | Daily mean °F | 39.2 | 43.9 | 51.6 | 63.3 | 72.7 | 79.2 | 84.4 | 83.1 | 75.4 | 64.8 | 53.4 | 43.2 | 62.9 | | Average low °C | 1.0 | 3.5 | 7.4 | 13.6 | 18.9 | 22.9 | 26.0 | 25.3 | 20.7 | 14.7 | 8.4 | 2.9 | 13.8 | | Average low °F | 33.8 | 38.3 | 45.3 | 56.5 | 66.0 | 73.2 | 78.8 | 77.5 | 69.3 | 58.5 | 47.1 | 37.2 | 56.8 | | Record low °C | -18.1 | -14.8 | -5.0 | -0.3 | 7.2 | 13.0 | 17.3 | 16.4 | 10.1 | 1.3 | -7.1 | -10.1 | -18.1 | | Record low °F | -0.6 | 5.4 | 23.0 | 31.5 | 45.0 | 55.4 | 63.1 | 61.5 | 50.2 | 34.3 | 19.2 | 13.8 | -0.6 | | Average precipitation mm | 48.7 | 65.5 | 91.0 | 135.7 | 166.8 | 218.2 | 228.1 | 117.5 | 74.0 | 80.9 | 60.0 | 29.6 | 1,316.0 | | Average precipitation inches | 1.92 | 2.58 | 3.58 | 5.34 | 6.57 | 8.59 | 8.98 | 4.63 | 2.91 | 3.19 | 2.36 | 1.17 | 51.82 | | Average precipitation days | 9.5 | 9.8 | 13.1 | 12.5 | 12.2 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 9.6 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 6.9 | 121.5 |5 | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 76 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 75 | | Monthly Sunshine Hours | 101.9 | 97.0 | 121.8 | 152.8 | 181.0 | 170.9 | 220.2 | 226.4 | 175.8 | 151.9 | 139.3 | 126.5 | 1,865.5 | | Percentage of Possible Sunshine (%) | 33 | 33 | 31 | 39 | 43 | 43 | 54 | 59 | 48 | 46 | 45 | 43 | 43 |

3.4 Hydrology

The water quality of the five rivers within Wuhan—the Yangtze River, Han River, Daoshui River, Sheshui River, and Jushui River—all meet the surface water environmental quality standards. In suburban counties, the water quality essentially reaches natural drinking water standards. Centered on the urban area, a vast water network formed primarily by the Yangtze River ensures favorable forest vegetation and ecological environment. The Yangtze River enters Wuhan from Hannan District, flowing from southwest to northeast, turning southeast at Tianxingzhou, then northeast again near Zuoling, and exits at Dabu in Xinzhou District, covering a course of 150.5 kilometers. The Wuhan section of the Yangtze River features a large water volume, with an annual average of 710 billion cubic meters, a long flood season, and significant water level fluctuations. The river channel is relatively straight, but hills approach the banks, controlling and constraining the channel, leading to the formation of sandbars such as Tianxingzhou and Baishazhou through siltation. The narrowest point of the Yangtze River within Wuhan's urban area is under the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, with a width of 1,100 meters; the widest point is in Qingshan District, measuring 3,880 meters. The Han River enters Wuhan from Caidian District and joins the Yangtze River at Nan'an Zui, with 22 bends along its course within Wuhan.

The confluence of the Yangtze River and its largest tributary, the Han River, divides Wuhan's urban area into three parts: Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang, commonly known as the "Three Towns of Wuhan." The terrain of Wuhan's urban area is predominantly plain, with scattered east-west residual hills in the central region, and numerous lakes and ponds within the city, earning it the reputation as the "City of a Hundred Lakes." There are currently 166 lakes of various sizes, 43 of which are located in the central urban area. Among them, East Lake in Wuchang was once the largest urban lake in China. With the continuous expansion of Wuhan's urban area, Tangxun Lake, located in the southern suburbs of Wuchang, has now replaced East Lake as the largest urban lake in China. The total water area in Wuhan is 2,217.6 square kilometers, accounting for over a quarter of the city's total area, with lake areas covering 803.17 square kilometers, ranking first among major cities in China in terms of lake surface ratio.

4. Administrative Divisions

Wuhan is one of the 15 sub-provincial cities in China, administering 13 municipal districts, comprising 7 central urban districts and 6 new urban districts.

• Central Urban Districts: Jiang'an District, Jianghan District, Qiaokou District, Hanyang District, Wuchang District, Qingshan District, Hongshan District
• New Urban Districts: Dongxihu District, Hannan District, Caidian District, Jiangxia District, Huangpi District, Xinzhou District

Additionally, there is one national high-tech industrial development zone, two national economic and technological development zones, one chemical industrial zone, one scenic area, and one new port directly managed by the Wuhan Municipal Government:

• Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone (commonly known as China Optics Valley, a national high-tech zone, dispatched by the Hubei Provincial Government and entrusted to Wuhan for management)
• Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (commonly known as Zhuankou Development Zone, which wholly administers Hannan District)
• Wuhan Lingkonggang Economic & Technological Development Zone (formerly Wujiashan Taiwan Businessmen Investment Zone, coexisting administratively with Dongxihu District under a combined district-zone system)
• Wuhan Chemical Industrial Park (coexisting administratively with Qingshan District)
• Wuhan East Lake Ecological Tourism Scenic Area
• Wuhan New Port (dispatched by the Hubei Provincial Government and entrusted to Wuhan for management)

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|---------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 420100 | Wuhan City | Wǔhàn Shì | 8,568.15 | 12,326,518 | Jiang'an District | 430000 | 156 | 1 | 3 | | 420102 | Jiang'an District | Jiāng'àn Qū | 80.28 | 965,260 | Siwei Subdistrict | 430014 | 16 | | | | 420103 | Jianghan District | Jiānghàn Qū | 28.29 | 647,932 | Beihu Subdistrict | 430000 | 13 | | | | 420104 | Qiaokou District | Qiáokǒu Qū | 40.06 | 666,661 | Hanjiadun Subdistrict | 430000 | 11 | | | | 420105 | Hanyang District | Hànyáng Qū | 111.54 | 837,263 | Qinduankou Subdistrict | 430050 | 11 | | | | 420106 | Wuchang District | Wǔchāng Qū | 64.58 | 1,092,750 | Jiyuqiao Subdistrict | 430000 | 14 | | | | 420107 | Qingshan District | Qīngshān Qū | 57.12 | 463,295 | Xingouqiao Subdistrict | 430080 | 10 | | | | 420111 | Hongshan District | Hóngshān Qū | 573.28 | 1,728,811 | Luonan Subdistrict | 430070 | 13 | | 1 | | 420112 | Dongxihu District | Dōngxīhú Qū | 495.34 | 845,782 | Wujiashan Subdistrict | 430040 | 11 | | | | 420113 | Hannan District | Hànnán Qū | 287.05 | 145,103 | Shamao Subdistrict | 430090 | 4 | | | | 420114 | Caidian District | Càidiàn Qū | 1,093.17 | 554,383 | Caidian Subdistrict | 430100 | 11 | | 1 | | 420115 | Jiangxia District | Jiāngxià Qū | 2,018.31 | 974,715 | Zhifang Subdistrict | 430200 | 15 | | | | 420116 | Huangpi District | Huángpí Qū | 2,256.70 | 1,151,644 | Qianchuan Subdistrict | 430300 | 15 | | 1 | | 420117 | Xinzhou District | Xīnzhōu Qū | 1,463.43 | 860,377 | Zhucheng Subdistrict | 430400 | 12 | 1 | |

5. Economy

Wuhan is one of the largest industrial and commercial cities in Central China and even inland China, with industries spanning metallurgy, textiles, shipbuilding, manufacturing, optoelectronics, information technology, education, pharmaceuticals, food, chemicals, and automobiles. During the late Qing Dynasty, the Nationalist Government period, and the early years of the People's Republic of China, the economy of the three towns of Wuhan was prosperous, ranking among the top in Asia. However, since the 1980s, Wuhan's development failed to keep pace with the reform and opening-up, gradually falling behind the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Bohai Rim regions. This situation began to change rapidly after entering the 21st century, with significant progress in urban construction. After Wuhan was awarded the title of National Sanitary and Civilized City in 2015, the city's appearance greatly improved. In the 1990s, Wuhan established the national-level high-tech zone Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China) in Wuchang, the national-level economic and technological development zones Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone in Zhuankou, Caidian District, and Wuhan Lingkonggang Economic & Technological Development Zone in Dongxihu, Hankou, as well as the Wuhan Yangluo Economic Development Zone in Yangluo, Xinzhou. Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Company, a subsidiary of China's largest steel company Baowu Steel, is located in Wuhan; Dongfeng Motor Corporation, one of China's three major automobile manufacturers, is headquartered in Wuhan; China Three Gorges Corporation, the largest hydropower energy enterprise in China, is also headquartered in Wuhan. Additionally, Wuhan has three comprehensive bonded zones: Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Wuhan East Lake Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and Wuhan New Port & Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

In recent years, Wuhan's economy has developed rapidly, continuously rising in China's city economic rankings, becoming one of the fastest-growing cities in China. Its industrial output value is second only to Shanghai and Chongqing, higher than Nanjing, making it one of the three major economic entities along the Yangtze River city belt, with a per capita GDP of $21,100. Verified by the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2014, Wuhan's GDP entered China's "Trillion Yuan GDP Club" of cities, ranking first in Central China and third among the 15 sub-provincial cities. In 2022, Wuhan's regional GDP reached 1.886643 trillion yuan, with per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents at 58,449 yuan and 29,304 yuan respectively, ranking eighth in mainland China's city GDP total.

5.1 Agriculture

The Jianghan Plain, where Wuhan is located, is an important agricultural area in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. In 2013, Wuhan's high-standard farmland area reached 1.9565 million mu, accounting for 65.3% of the city's total cultivated land, with relatively high levels of agricultural mechanization and technology. The total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery was 53.027 billion yuan, with grain production of 1.2687 million tons. Wuhan is abundant in fresh fish, lotus, and lotus root, with Wuchang bream being a famous fish species. Hongshan Caotai (a type of flowering cabbage), Jiangxia Fasi rice, and Tianxingzhou watermelon are local specialties.

5.2 Industry and Information

Wuhan is an important industrial base in China. It has now formed a relatively comprehensive industrial system with strong supporting capabilities. Wuhan is vigorously developing modern manufacturing, focusing on promoting industrial technological upgrading and cluster development. It prioritizes the development of ten leading industries: steel, automobiles and mechanical equipment, electronics and information, petrochemicals, environmental protection, tobacco and food, home appliances, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals, and papermaking and packaging printing. At the same time, industrial policies are used to guide enterprises to concentrate in industrial parks. Key development areas include steel, chemical, and environmental protection industrial clusters; automobile and electromechanical industrial clusters; optoelectronics and biomedical industrial clusters; food industry clusters; and urban industrial clusters. A number of large enterprises with annual sales revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan, as well as a number of well-known "Made in Wuhan" brands with core technologies, are emerging. Additionally, Wuhan is known as the first "never-ending industrial town" in central China. Although located inland, Wuhan relies on the Yangtze River to become one of China's important shipbuilding hubs, with many Chinese naval submarines and frigates built at Wuchang Shipyard in Wuhan.

Leveraging Wuhan's dense resources of higher education institutions, the Optics Valley national independent innovation demonstration zone, and the China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone, a large number of Fortune 500 companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Tencent, Alibaba, Sohu, Ericsson, Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, Motorola, Synopsys, Cisco, Oracle, Schneider, HP, Siemens, Philips, Uber, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Bayer, Saint-Gobain, and others have established bases or R&D centers in Wuhan. Other notable enterprises in Wuhan include automobile manufacturers Dongfeng Citroën, Dongfeng Honda, Dongfeng Nissan, and Dongfeng Renault. In the technology and information industry, there are China Information and Communication Technology Group Co., Ltd., Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd., Changfei Optical Fiber, FanGu Electronics, Potevio Group, Foxconn, MediaTek, TPV Technology, Chutian Laser, etc. In biomedicine, there are China National Medical Devices Co., Ltd., China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation Engineering Co., Ltd., China National Biotec Group Co., Ltd., Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., etc. Industrial enterprises include Wuhan Iron and Steel Group and China First Metallurgical Group Co., Ltd.

5.3 Foreign Investment

Wuhan is one of China's first cities to open up along the Yangtze River and has always been a hotspot and preferred city for foreign investment in central and western China. Wuhan adheres to the "openness as a guide" strategy. A large number of pivotal and functional infrastructure projects have been completed and put into use, greatly enhancing the city's comprehensive service capabilities. At the same time, starting with transforming government functions, systems such as the "one-stop" joint office system for foreign enterprises, mayor dialogue meetings, complaint acceptance systems, and investment environment responsibility systems have been implemented, continuously improving the investment environment. Currently, Wuhan is the city with the highest French investment in China. The largest single French investment project in Wuhan is the automotive joint venture between French PSA Peugeot Citroën and China's Dongfeng Motor Corporation. After multiple rounds of increased investment, the total French investment in this project far exceeds that of any other single project in other Chinese cities. Additionally, the Asia-Pacific headquarters of French PSA Peugeot Citroën Group has relocated to Wuhan. Total French investment in Wuhan accounts for one-third of all French investment in China. Furthermore, among all foreign investments in Wuhan, Hong Kong capital holds the largest share. As of the end of 2019, 300 Fortune 500 companies had established branches or offices in Wuhan.

5.4 Finance and Commerce

Wuhan has always been the commercial and financial center of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with a historical saying, "Goods come alive upon reaching Hankou." In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Hankou became one of China's four famous towns and the "most prosperous place in Chu." In the early last century, Hankou once became China's second-largest foreign trade port and one of China's four major financial centers. Today, this contested land for merchants still gathers numerous businesses, with bustling streets. Currently, the city has over 120,000 commercial outlets, with three commercial enterprises ranking among the top 30 chain operation enterprises in China. The city's total retail sales of consumer goods have exceeded the 100-billion-yuan mark. Wuhan's main commercial areas are concentrated along Zhongshan Avenue, Jiefang Avenue (Hangkong Road), Jianghan Road, Hanzheng Street Market, Simenkou, Zhongnan Road, and Zhongjiacun. Emerging commercial districts include Jiedaokou, Chuhe Hanjie, Wangjiawan, Xudong, Optics Valley, and Guangbutun (the largest IT market in Central China).

The local Wuhan Commercial Group's Mall City is formed by three major shopping centers: Wuhan International Plaza, Wuhan Commercial Plaza, and World Trade Plaza. Zhongbai Warehouse, China's third-largest chain supermarket headquartered in Wuhan, is a local enterprise. International retail giants such as France's Decathlon, Germany's Metro, America's Walmart, Sweden's IKEA and Inter IKEA, Japan's Aeon, Singapore's Capitaland, Taiwan's Blue Sky Group, RT-Mart, Hong Kong's PARKnSHOP, New World (K11), and Hang Lung have successively entered Wuhan, promoting the development of Wuhan's commerce and trade. Wuhan's finance and securities trading are also active. The People's Bank of China Wuhan Branch is responsible for financial supervision in Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi. Three policy banks, five state-owned commercial banks, along with the Postal Savings Bank of China and 12 national joint-stock commercial banks, have all established branches in Wuhan. Multiple foreign banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bank of East Asia, Nanyang Commercial Bank, OCBC Bank, Japan's Mizuho Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, and Korea's Industrial Bank of Korea have established branches in Wuhan. Additionally, Taiwanese banks such as Land Bank of Taiwan, Taiwan Business Bank, and Fubon Bank (China) also have branches in Wuhan. Local banks include Hankou Bank, Hubei Bank, Wuhan Rural Commercial Bank, and the private bank Wuhan Zhongbang Bank. Financial institutions headquartered in Wuhan include Union Life Insurance, Guohua Life Insurance, Changjiang Property & Casualty Insurance, Changjiang Securities, Tianfeng Securities, and Bank of Communications International Trust, among others.

6. Transportation

Wuhan is situated at the confluence of the Yangtze River's golden waterway and its largest tributary, the Han River, enjoying convenient water transport. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was already known as the "thoroughfare to nine provinces." In modern times, the successive construction of the Beijing-Hankou Railway and the Guangzhou-Hankou Railway further established Wuhan as one of the national hubs for both water and land transportation. In 2009, Wuhan was approved as the country's first "Pilot City for Comprehensive Transportation Hub Research," elevating its advantageous position in transportation to another peak. In April 2009, the Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway was completed and opened to traffic, officially ushering Wuhan into the era of bullet trains, reducing travel times from Wuhan to Hefei, Nanjing, and Shanghai to 2 hours, 3 hours, and 4.5 hours, respectively. By the end of 2010, the operation of Wuhan Railway Station marked the arrival of Wuhan's "high-speed rail era," making it a national high-speed rail hub city. With the completion and operation of 22 railway projects since 2010, including the Beijing-Guangzhou Passenger Dedicated Line, the Hankou-Yichang Passenger Dedicated Line, and the Wuhan Metropolitan Area Intercity Railway, Wuhan has become the intersection of China's "two vertical and two horizontal" railway network, serving as a primary national network hub and passenger transport center. From Wuhan, high-speed rail provides direct access to most parts of China. Travel times from Wuhan to cities within a 1,000-kilometer radius, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, and Chongqing, are only 4-5 hours; to cities within a 500-kilometer radius, such as Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Hefei, Nanchang, and Shiyan, about 3 hours; to cities within a 300-kilometer radius, such as Changsha, Yichang, Jingzhou, Yueyang, and Jiujiang, about 1 hour; and to cities within the Wuhan Metropolitan Area, less than half an hour. In October 2016, Wuhan was approved as one of the first national demonstration project cities for comprehensive transportation hubs. According to the national "Medium and Long-term Railway Network Plan" (2016-2030), Wuhan will further promote the construction of major projects such as the Xi'an-Wuhan Passenger Dedicated Line and the Beijing-Kowloon Passenger Dedicated Line Wuhan Link, aiming to build a "米"-shaped high-speed rail network featuring "two verticals" (Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Kowloon), "two horizontals" (Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu, Yangtze River High-Speed Railway), and "two diagonals" (Lanzhou-Fuzhou, Jiaozhou-Guilin), along with "8 radial lines + ring lines," to create a super-large comprehensive transportation hub centered on high-speed rail and supplemented by conventional railways. In February 2017, the State Council issued the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System," proposing to develop Wuhan, among others, into an international comprehensive transportation hub.

6.1 Highways

The G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway and G42 Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, the main arteries of the national "two vertical and two horizontal" highway plan, intersect in Wuhan. Expressways such as the Xionghan Expressway, Hanyu Expressway, Wunan Expressway, Wuyue Expressway, and the Wuhan Metropolitan Area Ring Expressway have been incorporated into national planning. National Highways 107, 230, 316, 318, 347, and 348 also converge here. In 2009, Wuhan's seven expressway exit channels were fully completed, with the total expressway mileage within the city reaching 530 kilometers. Together with the 188-kilometer-long G4201 Wuhan Ring Expressway, they connect the inner, third, and outer ring roads formed by six Yangtze River bridges, establishing a transportation network that allows travel from Wuhan to the government locations of its six outer districts within half an hour, to eight cities in the metropolitan area within 1 hour, and to surrounding provincial capitals within 4 hours. By the end of the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, Wuhan's total highway mileage reached 15,000 kilometers, with a highway density of 195 kilometers per 100 square kilometers. The expressway mileage reached 633 kilometers, ranking among the top among provincial capitals nationwide. Meanwhile, Wuhan has also been strengthening the construction of urban expressways. By the end of 2015, urban expressways such as Wuhan Avenue, Baishazhou Avenue, and the Wuhan Second Ring Road had been completed.

6.2 Railway

Since the successive construction of the modern Beijing-Hankou Railway and Guangzhou-Hankou Railway, Wuhan has consistently been one of the most important comprehensive railway hubs in the country.

Today, the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Handan Railway, Changjing Railway, Wujiu Railway, and Wuma Railway converge in Wuhan. Additionally, with the gradual opening of high-speed railway lines in the People's Republic of China, Wuhan has also launched the Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway, and Hankou-Yichang Railway, among others. Wuhan is one of only three cities in China with more than three first-class railway stations. The three top-class stations—Wuchang Railway Station, Hankou Railway Station, and Wuhan Railway Station—constitute Wuhan's passenger transport hub. Wuchang South Station and the "largest marshalling yard in Asia," Wuhan North Station, located in the northern suburbs, form Wuhan's freight transport hub. In 2005, the Wuhan Railway Administration was established, becoming one of the 18 railway administrations (groups) in China, and the Wuhan Railway Hub was designated as one of the four major railway hubs planned and constructed by the former Ministry of Railways.

By the end of 2009, the commencement of operations at Wuhan Railway Station ushered Wuhan into the "high-speed rail era." Currently, Wuhan has daily high-speed rail (including bullet train) services to and from surrounding cities such as Beijing, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Nanchang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hefei, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. It also has intercity express trains or high-speed rail (including bullet train) services to major cities within Hubei Province, including Xianning, Yichang, Shiyan, Xiangyang, Huangshi, Huanggang, and Suizhou. The Wuhan Metropolitan Area is served by three intercity railways: the Wuhan-Xianning Intercity Railway, Wuhan-Huangshi Intercity Railway, and Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway. At the end of 2009, the opening of the Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway reduced rail travel time from Wuhan to Guangzhou to 3.5 hours. In 2012, the opening of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway enabled a 4-hour connection between Wuhan and Shenzhen. With the full completion of the Beijing-Guangzhou Passenger Dedicated Line, travel from Wuhan to Beijing now takes only 4 hours. With the opening of the Hankou-Yichang High-Speed Railway, a 5-hour economic and living circle centered on Wuhan has essentially formed, allowing travel from Wuhan to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing by high-speed rail within 5 hours.

In 2013, Wuhan's railway passenger volume surpassed that of Beijing and Guangzhou for the first time, reaching 120 million passengers, ranking first in Greater China. Wuhan has become the largest railway transfer hub in China.

6.3 Aviation

As the aviation center of Central China, Wuhan has had three passenger airports: Nanhu Airport, Wangjiadun Airport, and Tianhe International Airport. After Nanhu Airport relocated to Tianhe International Airport, Wuhan experienced a period where two passenger airports operated simultaneously in one city. Later, due to urban development needs and the growth of aviation business, Wuhan Airlines (now China Eastern Airlines Wuhan Company), which originally operated from Wangjiadun Airport, also relocated to Tianhe International Airport. Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is approximately 16 kilometers from the city center, connected by the Tianhe Airport Expressway and the Second Airport Channel. By the end of 2016, the opening of the Tianhe Airport Station on Wuhan Metro Line 2 facilitated more convenient connections between Wuhan's railway and aviation transportation hubs.

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport opened on April 15, 1995. It is the first gateway airport in central China, the first 4F-level airport, and a 144-hour transit visa-free airport in the region. It has 76 regular flight destinations and offers direct flights to over 40 international cities, including Paris, London, Rome, Dubai, New York, San Francisco, Moscow, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Sydney. Thirty-two airlines, including Air France, SilkAir, AirAsia, and China Airlines, operate routes to and from Wuhan. Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is also designated as one of the eight regional hub airports in China's public air transport system, located 26 kilometers from the city center. By the end of 2017, Wuhan had over 300 civil aviation routes, including 41 international routes and over 240 domestic routes, connecting 92 domestic cities and regions and 48 overseas countries and regions. In 2017, Tianhe Airport handled 23.13 million passengers and 185,000 tons of cargo and mail.

6.4 Maritime Shipping

Wuhan Port is an important port on China's inland waterways and the shipping center of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It is designated by the Ministry of Transport as a main hub port for water-rail intermodal transport. Wuhan Port is also the largest port of departure and arrival for inland river routes to coastal and near-sea destinations in China. The "River-Sea Direct" route from Wuhan Port to Shanghai's Yangshan Port is the first high-quality route connecting the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River to the sea. Yangluo Port is the first and only port along the Yangtze River to trial the policy of export tax rebates at the port of departure. In 2010, the cargo throughput of Wuhan New Port exceeded 100 million tons, making it the first "100-million-ton port" in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Wuhan is also the headquarters location for the Changjiang Water Resources Commission, which oversees water administration functions for the Yangtze River basin and areas west of the Lancang River (including the Lancang River); the Changjiang River Administration of Navigational Affairs, which manages navigation administration for the main trunk of the Yangtze River (from Yibin, Sichuan, to the Yangtze River Estuary in Shanghai, covering 2,808 kilometers of waterway); and the Wuhan Maritime Court, responsible for adjudicating first-instance maritime and commercial cases occurring on the main trunk and tributaries of the Yangtze River between Hejiangmen in Yibin, Sichuan, and Liuhankou in Taicang, Jiangsu (covering seven provinces/municipalities: Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu). Additionally, Wuhan is the largest inland shipbuilding base in China. The Wuhan Shipping Exchange is the fourth shipping exchange established in China, following those in Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou.

Wuhan's ferry service has a history of 106 years, with 38 piers and 48 motor vessels operating 18 ferry routes connecting the three towns of Wuhan. Five of these routes are public transport ferry lines. At its peak, the ferry service carried 160 million passengers annually, with a daily average of 436,000 passengers.

6.5 Buses and Ferries

Wuhan's earliest public bus was Route 1 from Shuangdun to Wufu Road. Today, it has developed hundreds of bus routes, 7 trolleybus lines, 16 clean energy bus lines (with 1,500 vehicles), and over ten ferry routes connecting the three towns and the banks of the two rivers. Since 2005, Wuhan has implemented an urban-suburban public transport integration project, opening multiple routes to suburban areas such as Huangpi, Qingshan, Xinzhou, and Jiangxia, taking over individually contracted and franchised operations, and replacing illegal buses and taxis.In 2002, Wuhan Public Bus Company, Wuhan Trolleybus Company, Wuhan Ferry Company, Wuhan Taxi Company, Wuhan Automobile Ferry Management Office, and Wuhan Public Passenger Vehicle Factory merged to establish Wuhan Public Transport Group, which was officially inaugurated in 2003 and holds shares in Wuhan Tongheng Public Bus Co., Ltd. Wuhan Public Transport Group is located at No. 160 Qiaokou Road, Qiaokou District.

The fare for Wuhan public transport special lines is 1 yuan for non-air-conditioned buses, 2 yuan for air-conditioned buses, and 1.5 yuan for double-decker bus routes. Additionally, suburban routes implement a ladder fare system. On December 24, 2015, Wuhan introduced the "Implementation Measures for Regular Public Transport Transfer Discounts." Within 90 minutes, using a Wuhan Tong card for bus transfers allows for three discounted transfers. Transfers beyond the third are not discounted, and exceeding 90 minutes starts a new transfer calculation cycle. Transfer discounts apply to urban buses, trolleybuses, and ferries; they currently do not include subways, light rails, or public transport within new urban areas. The same Wuhan Tong card can be used to swipe for others simultaneously, but only one person can enjoy the transfer discount.

6.6 Rail Transit

At the end of 2000, the first phase of Wuhan Metro Line 1, with an investment of 2.199 billion yuan and a total length of about 10 kilometers, officially commenced construction. It opened on July 28, 2004, making Wuhan the first city in central and western China to have rail transit. On July 29, 2010, the second phase of Wuhan Metro Line 1 began trial operation. The first phase of Wuhan Metro Line 2 also opened on December 28, 2012. The first and second phases of Line 4 opened on December 28, 2013, and December 28, 2014, respectively, extending Wuhan's rail transit coverage to all three towns. On December 28, 2015, the first phase of Line 3 opened, achieving interconnectivity among the three towns via rail transit. On December 28, 2016, Line 6 and Line 2 opened, fulfilling Wuhan residents' wish to take the subway to the airport. Wuhan's metro operational mileage reached 182 kilometers, ranking seventh among cities in China with operational rail transit. On December 26, 2017, Line 8 and the Yangluo Line opened. On October 1, 2018, Line 7 and Line 11 opened, bringing Wuhan's rail transit network to 288 kilometers. Line 5 is currently under construction. According to the plan, by 2021, Wuhan's rail transit network will reach 400 kilometers, with an average of two new rail transit lines opening each year.

Wuhan plans for its future urban rail transit network to consist of 15 lines, with a total length of about 800 kilometers. According to the long-term plan, the 15 rail transit lines are divided into three levels: the first level comprises inter-town skeleton lines, with Lines 2, 3, and 4 crossing the two rivers and connecting the three towns. The second level consists of intra-town trunk lines, with Line 1 and Line 5 running east-west through Hankou and Wuchang towns, respectively. The third level includes cross-river auxiliary lines, composed of Lines 6, 7, and 8. By 2040, 16 subway trunk lines and 9 urban express lines will be completed, with a total length of about 540 kilometers, including 7 cross-river subway passages traversing the Yangtze and Han Rivers. By then, 66% of the population and jobs will be within a 600-meter walking radius of subway stations, and all residents will be within Wuhan's one-hour economic circle.

Additionally, as of 2020, Wuhan Optics Valley High-tech Zone operates two tram lines. The Optics Valley SkyRail is expected to be operational by 2021.

6.7 Cross-River Bridges and Tunnels

Although the Yangtze and Han Rivers provide water transport convenience for Wuhan, they also create difficulties for land transportation. Due to its unique geographical environment, Wuhan has numerous cross-river bridges and tunnels. On the Yangtze River, from upstream to downstream, there are the Junshan Yangtze River Bridge, Zhuankou Yangtze River Bridge, Baishazhou Yangtze River Bridge, Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge, Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge, Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge (the first bridge on the Yangtze River, a combined road-rail bridge), Wuhan Yangtze River Second Bridge, Erqi Yangtze River Bridge, Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge (a combined road-rail bridge), Qingshan Yangtze River Bridge, and Yangluo Yangtze River Bridge, totaling nine highway bridges and two combined road-rail bridges. On the Han River, from upstream to downstream, there are the Caidian Han River Bridge, Sino-French Friendship Bridge, Fourth Ring Han River Bridge, Changfeng Bridge, Gutian Bridge, Hanjiangwan Bridge, Zhiyin Bridge, Yuehu Bridge, Jianghan Bridge, and Qingchuan Bridge, totaling ten highway bridges, as well as the Caijiawan Grand Bridge and Wuhan Han River Railway Bridge, two railway bridges.

The Wuhan Yangtze River Tunnel began trial operation on December 28, 2008, becoming the first cross-river tunnel on the Yangtze River. China's first subway tunnel crossing the Yangtze River, built for Wuhan Metro Line 2, started construction on October 16, 2009, and was completed on September 20, 2011. It opened for operation simultaneously with Metro Line 2 at the end of 2012. The Yangtze River tunnel for Wuhan Metro Line 4 has also opened. The Yangtze River tunnel for Wuhan Metro Line 8 opened on December 26, 2017, along with the first phase of Line 8. Additionally, the Wuhan Yangtze River Road-Rail Tunnel opened on October 1, 2018, becoming the first combined road-subway tunnel on the Yangtze River. Wuhan Metro Line 7 passes through it.

7. Education

In 2015, the total investment in education in Wuhan was 22.136 billion yuan. The proportion of state financial expenditure on education to the city's gross domestic product (GDP) was 1.38%. By the end of 2015, there were 2,390 educational institutions of various levels in Wuhan (excluding provincial and ministry-affiliated technical schools), with 2.3659 million enrolled students, 202,000 faculty and staff, and 148,400 full-time teachers. In total, there were 1,184 kindergartens, 952 regular primary and secondary schools, and 106 secondary vocational education institutions. The proportion of the population with higher education, according to the national sixth census data, ranked third in the country, following Beijing and Nanjing. There were 89 higher education institutions (including adult colleges). The number of national key universities directly under the Ministry of Education ranked third in the country, and the total number of enrolled undergraduate and graduate students ranked first in the country.

Wuhan is one of China's important science and education bases. Its comprehensive strength in science and education consistently ranks among the top in the country in various assessments, with a clear advantage in higher education, making it the educational center of Central China. By the first half of 2011, Wuhan had 83 higher education institutions (excluding adult colleges), including: 22 public regular undergraduate institutions, 23 private regular higher education institutions and independent colleges, and 7 military academies. Additionally, Wuhan had 7 adult colleges. By 2015, the total number of undergraduate and graduate students in Wuhan's higher education institutions had reached 1.0695 million, ranking first among major cities in China. Among Wuhan's higher education institutions are Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, which are Project 985 universities, and seven Project 211 universities: Wuhan University of Technology, Central China Normal University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), and Huazhong Agricultural University. The city also hosts top Chinese military academies such as the Naval University of Engineering of the People's Liberation Army and the Rocket Force Command College of the People's Liberation Army. In September 2017, seven universities in Wuhan were selected for the national "Double First-Class" initiative. Among them, Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology were included in the Category A list of universities for building world-class universities. Five universities—China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan University of Technology, Central China Normal University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and Huazhong Agricultural University—were included in the list of universities for building world-class disciplines.

7.1 Science and Technology

Wuhan has a high concentration of universities and numerous scientific research institutions. Its comprehensive ranking for technological innovation capability and technological competitiveness is third in the country, making it Wuhan's highest-ranking indicator in various national comprehensive assessments. As of 2016, Wuhan had 82 regular higher education institutions, 20 of which offered postgraduate programs, and 16 had the authority to confer doctoral degrees. The city is home to 96 various scientific research institutions, 3 national major science and technology infrastructures, 21 national key laboratories, and 48 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Wuhan is also the only city in China undertaking comprehensive pilot work for the National Intellectual Property Administration in patent management, transaction, industrialization, and intellectual property demonstration.

The Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone (Wuhan·China Optics Valley) is one of the first national high-tech industrial development zones. The Optics Valley area is China's second-largest intellectual-intensive zone, second only to Beijing's Zhongguancun. It holds a leading position nationally in five major fields: communications, bioengineering, lasers, microelectronics technology, and new nuclear power.

In 2015, Wuhan's expenditure on research and experimental development (R&D) accounted for 3% of the city's GDP. The city had nearly 1,700 high-tech enterprises, and the output value of the high-tech industry that year reached 770 billion yuan.

8. Population

By the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 13.739 million, an increase of 90,100 from the end of the previous year. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 11.6314 million, accounting for 84.66% of the total population (the urbanization rate of permanent residents), an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the end of the previous year. The registered population at the end of the year was 9.4442 million. Throughout the year, the registered births were 79,000, with a birth rate of 8.41‰, and the registered deaths were 64,000, with a mortality rate of 6.82‰.

According to the results of Wuhan's Seventh National Population Census, by the end of 2020, Wuhan's permanent resident population was 12.3265 million. Among them, the male population was 6.4024 million, and the female population was 5.9241 million; the rural population was 1.9338 million, and the urban population was 10.3927 million. According to the 1923 China Yearbook, Hankou had a population of 850,000, and the Wuchang urban area had 250,000. In 1930, the population of the three towns of Wuhan exceeded 1 million, and over 80 years, Wuhan's permanent resident population expanded nearly tenfold. Among Wuhan's administrative districts, Jianghan District has the highest population density, reaching 26,000 people per square kilometer; Hongshan District has the largest population, reaching 1.61 million, and it also has the highest population growth rate in the past decade; Hannan District has the smallest population, with only 131,600 people.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

According to 1958 statistics, Wuhan had 22 ethnic minorities with a population of 11,000. By 2016, the number of ethnic minorities had increased to 50, with a population growth of over 55,200. The Hui, Tujia, Manchu, Zhuang, and Miao ethnic groups account for about 90% of the minority population. These ethnic groups are scattered in their settlements, with most residing in urban areas, particularly in Jiang'an District, Wuchang District, Qingshan District, and Hongshan District. There are also a few concentrated residential areas, such as Hui enclaves in Wuchang's Yuanmenkou, Qiyi Gate, and Chucai Street; Hankou's Guangyi Bridge and Erqi Street; Hanyang's Dunjialing; Hongshan's Majiazhuang enclave; and the Longhu Hui Natural Village in Junshan Street, Caidian. Tujia enclaves include Tianjiawan and Dafu'an in Zhanghe Village, Caidian Street, Huangpi District.

9. Religion

Wuhan is currently home to Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestant Christianity. Before the political power in Wuhan transferred to the People's Republic of China, there were also religions such as Eastern Orthodoxy, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Shinto, which no longer exist. Buddhism was introduced to Wuhan the earliest, with a history of over 1,500 years. Taoism and Islam were introduced to Wuhan over 1,000 years and over 600 years ago, respectively. Catholicism was introduced to Wuhan over 300 years ago, while Protestant Christianity was introduced the latest, with a history of over 100 years. Eastern Orthodoxy, which once existed, also ceased to exist independently after 1958. According to 2010 statistics, there are approximately 270,000 religious adherents in the city, accounting for 2.8% of the total population. In 2010, there were 485 religious activity sites in the city, including 204 Buddhist sites, 161 Taoist sites, 3 Islamic sites, 113 Protestant Christian sites, and 4 Catholic sites.

Buddhism in Wuhan is primarily represented by the Caodong and Linji schools. The construction of temples in Wuhan began during the Eastern Han Dynasty, with the most located in Wuchang. Baotong Temple, Lianxi Temple, Guiyuan Temple, and Gude Temple are collectively known as the "Four Great Monasteries" of Wuhan. The Wuchang Buddhist Academy promoted the revival and reform movement in Chinese Buddhism, with its dean, Taixu, proposing the famous idea of "Humanistic Buddhism."

Taoism in the Wuhan area is divided into the Zhengyi and Quanzhen schools. The construction of Taoist temples in the Wuhan area began as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. Currently, only Changchun Temple, located on Wuluo Road, remains in the city. It is a famous Taoist temple of the Longmen sect, built in memory of the Taoist master Qiu Chuji. Changchun Temple is recognized as one of China's ten famous Taoist monasteries and is regarded as a major blessed land in the Jiangnan region.

Islam was introduced to the Wuhan area during the Yuan Dynasty, with the earliest mosque built during the Ming Dynasty. Currently, only the following three mosques are open to the public. The Minquan Road Mosque in Hankou is the oldest, largest, and best-preserved among the three remaining mosques in Wuhan. The other two are the Wuchang Uprising Gate Mosque and the Hankou Erqi Street Mosque.

Portuguese missionary António de Gouveia introduced Catholicism to Wuhan during the Ming Dynasty. The existing churches in Wuhan were all built after the mid-19th century, such as St. Joseph's Church on Shanghai Road in Hankou, the Holy Family Church on Huayuan Mountain in Wuchang, and St. Columban's Church on Xianzheng Street in Hanyang. In 1861, British missionary Griffith John of the London Missionary Society arrived in Hankou, becoming the first Protestant missionary to enter Central China. The Glory Church, built in 1931, is the largest church in Wuhan. It was originally named Griffith John Church after the missionary. The Wuchang Chongzhen Church, built in 1864, was the first Christian church Griffith John built after arriving in Wuhan and is also the earliest in Hubei Province.

10. Culture

10.1 Cuisine

There is a saying in Wuhan: "Taste Hubu Alley in the morning, feast on Jiqing Street at night." "Morning" refers to Wuhan's "Guo Zao" (having breakfast). "Guo Zao" is a colloquial term for eating breakfast in the Hubei region, especially prevalent in Wuhan, with similar usage in Jingzhou, Xiangyang, Yichang, and other places. In Wuhan, influenced by geographical environment and economic activities, there is a custom of going out for "Guo Zao." The term "Guo Zao" first appeared in the "Hankou Bamboo Branch Lyrics" during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. In Wuhan, the food eaten for "Guo Zao" is called "Zao Dian" (breakfast snacks). Wuhan's breakfast snacks are diverse, skillfully prepared, reasonably priced, and generous in portion. The four famous breakfasts of Wuhan are, in order: Cailinji's Hot Dry Noodles, Wufangzhai's Sweet Rice Balls, Sijimei's Soup Dumplings, and Laotongcheng's Doupi (bean skin wrap). Other specialty snacks include Mianwo (fried dough rings), Shaomai (steamed pork dumplings), Hutang Fen (thick soup rice noodles), Huanxi Tuo (sesame rice balls), Nuomiji (glutinous rice chicken), Youxiang (fried sweet pastry), Osmanthus Paste, Crispy Jiao (fried pastry), Shui Jiao (Wuhan-style wontons), Sanxian Fans (three-delicacy vermicelli), Pork Liver Claypot, Beef Rice Noodles, Beef Offal Rice Noodles, Cold Noodles, Steamed Dumplings, Baozi (steamed buns), and so on. Hot Dry Noodles, as one of Wuhan's representative foods, are particularly popular among office workers due to their relatively dry nature with little broth (archived copy). On busy mornings, people of all ages, men and women, can be seen eating a bowl of Hot Dry Noodles while walking to school or work. It not only represents a culinary delight but also embodies a Wuhan attitude of snatching leisure amidst busyness.

"Night" refers to having "Ye Xiao" (late-night snack). In the 1980s and 1990s, air conditioning was not yet widespread. People living in the stuffy heat of Wuhan had the habit of going out to cool off in the streets after dinner. Some would start selling food by the roadside at this time, such as cold noodles, rice noodles, rice, eggs, cold dishes, self-braised beef, tripe, tendons, pork intestines, chicken, duck, etc. Later, merchants rented storefronts and started businesses. Around 1993, a large open-air food market formed centered on Jiqing Street, including nearby Jiaoyi Street, Ruixiang Road, and Dazhi Road. Nowadays, the night snacks on Jiqing Street are not just about eating and drinking; they are also enlivened by musicians playing various instruments. One can drink, enjoy performances by artists, and taste various Wuhan specialty night snack foods, such as duck necks.

10.2 Opera and Folk Arts

Han Opera is the dominant traditional opera in Wuhan, with a history of over 300 years. Hankou, due to its geographical, transportation, and economic advantages, gathered renowned Han Opera performers. Over 660 traditional plays survive, with a significant proportion based on Three Kingdoms historical themes. Performances are primarily in the Wuhan dialect, and it was the earliest opera to combine Xipi and Erhuang musical modes.

Other opera and folk art forms in the Wuhan area include Chu Opera, Peking Opera, Hubei Pingshu (storytelling), Hubei Dagu (drum singing), and Hubei Xiaoqu (folk songs). Chu Opera originally flourished in the Huangpi and Xiaogan areas, entered Hankou's tea houses for performances in 1900, switched to Huqin (Chinese fiddle) accompaniment in 1923, and underwent many improvements thereafter, gaining popularity among the common people due to its accessibility. Peking Opera was also introduced to Wuhan in 1901 and later performed jointly with Han Opera on many occasions. Storytelling activities in Hankou were very active in the late Qing Dynasty, and the Hubei Pingshu genre formed in the 1930s.

10.3 Handicrafts

Wuhan boasts profound and exquisite traditional folk arts and crafts. Among the most famous are Han Embroidery, Turquoise Carving, Huangpi Clay Sculpture, Wuhan Silk Flowers, Gaohongtai Copper Gongs, Wuhan Dough Sculpture, Huangpi Woodblock New Year Pictures, etc. The copper gongs produced in the Wuhan region are diverse in variety, produce loud and mellow sounds, and are flexible and labor-saving to play. The Gaohongtai Gong Factory, founded in 1909, is particularly famous. Its percussion instruments use high-quality materials and involve complex processes; they have been adopted by many foreign orchestras. Han Embroidery inherits the lingering charm of Chu style, featuring bright colors and strong contrasts. Patterns favor dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and plants, expressing folk auspicious concepts through animal and plant worship. Figure embroidery mainly depicts religious figures, aesthetically pursuing a lively atmosphere. Its heyday was the late Qing and early Republic of China period. Hankou had an "Embroidery Street," and its products mainly fell into three categories: daily necessities, decorations, and ritual items for temple fairs and worship. Wuhan Silk Flowers absorbed techniques from palace silk flowers and northern and southern silk flowers, with over 400 varieties including peonies, roses, Chinese roses, and wintersweets, sold in over 20 countries and regions. Huangpi Clay Sculpture initially used yellow clay as raw material, with subjects gradually developing from statues of gods and Buddhas to various decorations. The Arhat Hall of Guiyuan Temple and the deity statues on Mulan Mountain are its representative works.

10.4 Literature

During the late Qing and early Republic of China period, many poets composed classical-style poetry in the three towns, such as native Hubei poets Wang Baixin, Chen Hang, Zhang Yuzhao, and non-native poets like Zhang Zhidong, Hu Fengdan, Liu Guangdi, and Tan Sitong. The "Bamboo Branch Lyrics" circulating during the Daoguang period were also widely popular among citizens. After the May Fourth Movement, new poetry became the dominant genre. Poets like Du Shuanghua, Li Ni, Gan Yunheng, Yan Wenjing, and Zhang Guangnian frequently published poems in Wuhan periodicals. In the early stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the magazine "July," edited by Hu Feng, moved to Wuhan for publication, forming the July Poetry School. Famous poets like Ai Qing and Tian Jian also published poems in Wuhan. Poets such as Zheng Si, Wu He, Zeng Zhuo, and Lu Yuan remained active after the founding of the People's Republic. Poets emerging after the 1980s include Wang Jiaxin, Wang Xinmin, and others.

As early as 1875, Wuhan already had newspaper columns specifically introducing Western novels. During the late Qing and early Republic period, newspapers dedicated to publishing fiction, such as "Yangtze River Fiction News" and "Hankou Fiction Daily," appeared. By the 1930s, vernacular fiction had taken deep root. Yu Dafu, Shen Congwen, and Ling Shuhua all published works while teaching at Wuhan University. Ye Junjian and Chen Huangmei began their literary careers in Wuhan. During the "Seventeen Years Literature" period, Liang Bin's "The Red Flag Spectrum" was started in Wuhan, and the first volume of Yao Xueyin's "Li Zicheng" was completed in Wuhan. Writers who gained fame in the New Period include the New Realist writers Chi Li and Fang Fang, who focused on depicting urban life; Liu Xinglong, who confronted reality; and Deng Yiguang, who promoted heroism.

10.5 Tourism

Wuhan is a historic cultural city with complex surface morphology, forming many natural and cultural landscapes. These landscapes are mostly concentrated in the urban area, with fewer in the suburbs. Since the Ming Dynasty when the Han River changed its course and formed Hankou Town, wharves of various sizes陆续 appeared in Hankou at the confluence of the Han and Yangtze Rivers. Near these wharves, the Hanzheng Street commodity distribution center formed, making Wuhan one of China's most important trade and logistics centers at the time. With bustling crowds from all directions, wharf culture took root in Wuhan and had a profound impact, making Wuhan one of China's most vibrant and down-to-earth cities.

Wuhan currently has three national 5A-level tourist attractions: Yellow Crane Tower Park, Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area, and Mulan Tianchi (Mulan Heavenly Pool). It also has 18 national 4A-level tourist attractions, including Guiyuan Buddhist Temple, the Site of the Wuchang Uprising Military Government (Red Chamber), Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Museum, and the Yifu Museum of China University of Geosciences.

Other urban tourist attractions include Moshan, Zhongshan Park, Liberation Park, Guishan (Tortoise Hill), Guqin Tai (Ancient Lute Terrace), Qingchuan Pavilion, Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street, Jiqing Street, Hankou Riverside, Changchun Taoist Temple, Baotong Buddhist Temple, Lianxi Temple, Gude Temple, Museum of the 1911 Revolution, Hongshan Square, Optics Valley Square (Pedestrian Street), Wuchang Riverside, Hanyang Riverside, Qiyi Men (Uprising Gate), Tomb of Martyr Shi Yang, Early Buildings of Wuhan University, Wuhan Happy Valley, and Chu River Han Street. Suburban tourist attractions include Longquan Mountain, Daoguan River, Mulan Mountain, Panlongcheng Ruins, and Ma'anshan Forest Park.

Architectural structures within Wuhan with historical and cultural value include those listed as key cultural relics protection units or excellent historical buildings, as well as other historical buildings not included in the above lists. Wuhan's historical architecture is a microcosm of the city's unique historical culture.

10.6 Museums

The Hubei Provincial Museum is the only provincial-level comprehensive museum in Hubei Province, a national first-grade museum, and one of the eight national key museums jointly built by central and local governments. It is an important component of the national 5A-level tourist attraction East Lake, named by the National Tourism Administration, located at No. 156 Donghu Road, Wuchang District. The Hubei Provincial Museum currently houses over 230,000 artifacts, including nearly a thousand national first-grade cultural relics. The most characteristic and representative collections include prehistoric pottery represented by the Qujialing Culture; bronze ware represented by the Panlongcheng site and the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng; numerous lacquerware unearthed from mid-Spring and Autumn period Chu tombs to Han tombs; numerous bamboo slips unearthed from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, the Guodian Chu Tombs, and the Yunmeng Qin Tombs; and artifacts from princely tombs like the Tomb of Prince Liangzhuang and the Tomb of Prince Yingjing. Among them, the fossil skull of Yunxian Man, the Sword of Goujian (King of Yue), the Chime Bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng, and the Yuan Dynasty Blue-and-White Vase with the "Four Loves" Design are hailed as the four "Treasures of the Museum" of the Hubei Provincial Museum.

The Wuchang Uprising Memorial of the 1911 Revolution is located at No. 1 Wuluo Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, adjacent to the Yellow Crane Tower to the west. It is a thematic commemorative museum dedicated to the Wuchang Uprising of the 1911 Revolution, covering an area of over 20,000 square meters with a building area of nearly 10,000 square meters. It is currently a national first-grade museum, a national patriotic education demonstration base, and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The museum building itself is the Site of the Wuchang Uprising Military Government, a national key cultural relics protection unit.### 10.7 Nationally Protected Major Historical and Cultural Sites

• Site of the Wuchang Uprising Military Government
• Site of the August 7th Conference
• Panlongcheng Archaeological Site
• Site of the Wuhan National Government
• Husihui Kiln Sites Cluster
• Ming Dynasty Tomb of the Prince of Chu
• Site of the Wuhan Peasant Movement Institute
• Dazhimen Railway Station
• Jianghan Customs House Building
• Early Buildings of Wuhan University
• Former Residence of Zhan Tianyou
• Modern Architectural Complex in Hankou
• Site of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions in Hankou
• Shadowless Pagoda
• Shengxiang Pagoda
• Huai Shan Ji Quay Wall
• Yuji Xing Palace
• Gude Temple
• Uprising Gate
• Site of the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Labor Union
• Site of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party in Hankou
• Site of the Former Residences of Central Leaders of the Chinese Communist Party in Hankou
• Site of the Fifth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
• Site of the Wuhan Central Military and Political School
• Site of the Central Organs of the Chinese Communist Party in Wuhan
• Site of the Former Hubei Provincial Library
• Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Hankou
• Site of the Wuhan Office of the Eighth Route Army
• Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
• Site of the Surrender Hall of the Sixth War Zone of the National Government

11. Sister Cities

As of 2019, Wuhan has established "International Sister City" relationships with 27 foreign cities and has also formed "International Friendly Exchange City" partnerships with 79 foreign cities, including St. Louis, Columbus, and San Francisco in the United States. Wuhan's sister cities are as follows: | No. | Country | City | Signing Date | Signing Location | |---------|---------------|------------------|------------------|----------------------| | 1 | Japan | Ōita | September 7, 1978 | Ōita | | 2 | United Kingdom| Pittsburgh | September 8, 1982 | Wuhan | | 3 | Germany | Duisburg | October 6, 1982 | Duisburg | | 4 | United States | Manchester | September 16, 1996| Wuhan | | 5 | Romania | Galați | September 12, 1997| Galați | | 6 | Ukraine | Kyiv | October 19, 1990 | Kyiv | | 7 | Sudan | Khartoum | September 27, 1995| Wuhan | | 8 | Hungary | Győr | October 19, 1995 | Győr | | 9 | France | Bordeaux | June 18, 1998 | Wuhan | | 10 | Netherlands | Arnhem | September 6, 1996 | Arnhem | | 11 | South Korea | Cheongju | October 29, 2000 | Wuhan | | 12 | Austria | St. Pölten | December 20, 2005| Wuhan | | 13 | New Zealand | Christchurch | April 4, 2006 | Wuhan | | 14 | Canada | Markham | September 12, 2006| Markham | | 15 | Sweden | Borlänge | September 28, 2007| Wuhan | | 16 | Australia | Coen | April 25, 2008 | Wuhan | | 17 | Israel | Ashdod | November 6, 2011 | Wuhan | | 18 | France | Essonne | December 21, 2012| Wuhan | | 19 | Turkey | İzmir | June 7, 2013 | İzmir | | 20 | Mexico | Tijuana | July 12, 2013 | Tijuana | | 21 | Russia | Saratov | August 7, 2015 | Saratov | | 22 | Chile | Concepción | April 7, 2016 | Concepción | | 23 | Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek | November 15, 2016| Bishkek | | 24 | Greece | Chalcis | May 11, 2017 | Chalcis | | 25 | Russia | Izhevsk | June 16, 2017 | Hefei | | 26 | United States | Swansea | January 31, 2018 | Wuhan | | 27 | Uganda | Entebbe | April 13, 2018 | Wuhan | | 28 | Thailand | Bangkok | November 16, 2018| Wuhan | | 29 | Palestine | Ramallah | June 14, 2023 | Beijing |

11.1 Consular Institutions

Since the official opening of the French Consulate General in Wuhan on October 10, 1998, there are currently 4 foreign consulates general in Wuhan, with one more having reached an agreement pending opening.| Consulate | Agreement Date | Opening Date | Consular District | Address | Consular Vehicle Plate | |------------------------------------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------| | Consulate General of France in Wuhan | April 3, 1998 | October 10, 1998 | Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi | Unit 2901-2909, Global Intelligence Center, 1398 Jinghan Avenue, Jiang'an District | E 145XX Consulate | | Consulate General of the United States in Wuhan | September 17, 1980 | November 20, 2008 | Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Henan | 6th Floor, Minsheng Bank Building, 396 Xinhua Road, Jiang'an District | E 224XX Consulate | | Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Wuhan | September 17, 2009 | October 25, 2010 | Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Henan | 4th & 19th Floors, SPD Bank Building, 218 Xinhua Road, Jianghan District | E 196XX Consulate | | Consulate General of the United Kingdom in Wuhan | February 21, 2014 | January 19, 2016 | Hubei, Henan | 33rd Floor, Ping An Finance Building, Wuhan Tiandi, 1628 Zhongshan Avenue, Jiang'an District | E 223XX Consulate | | Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Wuhan | September 3, 2015 | To be opened | Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou | To be determined | To be determined |

• The United Nations Asia Procurement Centre is located in Wuhan's historic Han Zheng Street, conducting international joint procurement for Asian countries, with the People's Republic of China as a representative.
• Additionally, countries such as Germany, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand are preparing to establish consular institutions in Wuhan; Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Croatia, South Africa, and others have visa application centers in Wuhan. | Institutions in Wuhan | Opening Date | Service (Jurisdiction) Scope | Address | |------------------------------------------|------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Hong Kong Trade Development Council Wuhan Office | 1994 | Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi | Room 2408, Tower I, New World International Trade Building, 568 Jianshe Avenue, Jianghan District | | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Economic and Trade Office in Wuhan | April 1, 2014 | Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Henan, Shanxi | Room 4303, Tower I, New World International Trade Building, 568 Jianshe Avenue, Jianghan District | | Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute Wuhan Representative Office | August 12, 2016 | Hubei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia | Room 601, Building 5, Enterprise Center, Wuhan Tiandi, 1628 Zhongshan Avenue, Jiang'an District |

nix

nix

nix

Merged from Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang

Jiang'an District

Hongshan District

nix

Metasequoia

Plum blossom