About Wuhan
City Overview
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies in the eastern Jianghan Plain at the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Arising out of the conglomeration of three cities, Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang, Wuhan is known as the Nine Provinces’ (China’s) Leading Thoroughfare)”; it is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and expressways passing through the city and connecting to other major cities. Because of its key role in domestic transportation, Wuhan was sometimes referred to as “the Chicago of China” by foreign sources.
Holding sub-provincial status, Wuhan is recognized as the political, economic, financial, cultural, educational and transportation center of central China. The city of Wuhan, first termed as such in 1927, has a population of 10,607,700 people as of 2015. In the 1920s, Wuhan was the national capital of a leftist Kuomintang (KMT) government led by Wang Jingwei in opposition to Chiang Kai-shek, as well as wartime capital in 1937.
With a 3,500-year-long history, Wuhan is one of the most ancient and civilized metropolitan cities in China. During the Han dynasty, Hanyang became a fairly busy port. In the winter of 208/9, one of the most famous battles in Chinese history and a central event in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms—the Battle of Red Cliffs—took place in the vicinity of the cliffs near Wuhan. Around that time, walls were built to protect Hanyang (AD 206) and Wuchang (AD 223). The latter event marks the foundation of Wuhan. In AD 223, the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼) was constructed on the Wuchang side of the Yangtze River. Cui Hao, a celebrated poet of the Tang dynasty, visited the building in the early 8th century; his poem made it the most celebrated building in southern China. The city has long been renowned as a center for the arts (especially poetry) and for intellectual studies. Under the Mongol rulers (Yuan dynasty), Wuchang was promoted to the status of provincial capital; by the dawn of the 18th century, Hankou had become one of China’s top four most important towns of trade.
In the late 19th century, railroads were extended on a north–south axis through the city, making Wuhan an important transshipment point between rail and river traffic. Also, during this period foreign powers extracted mercantile concessions, with the riverfront of Hankou being divided up into foreign-controlled merchant districts. These districts contained trading firm offices, warehouses, and docking facilities.
On October 10, 1911, Sun Yat-sen’s followers launched the Wuchang Uprising, which led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty, as well as the establishment of the Republic of China. Wuhan was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang government led by Wang Jingwei, in opposition to Chiang Kai-shek and the nationalist government during the 1920s.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War and following the fall of Nanking in December 1937, Wuhan had become the provisional capital of China’s Kuomintang government, and became another focal point of pitched air battles beginning in early 1938 between modern monoplane bomber and fighter aircraft of the Imperial Japanese forces and the Chinese Air Force, which included support from the Soviet Volunteer Group in both planes and personnel, as U.S. support in war materials waned.As the battle raged on through 1938, Wuhan and the surrounding region had become the site of the Battle of Wuhan. After being taken by the Japanese in late 1938, Wuhan became a major Japanese logistics center for operations in southern China. In December 1944, the city was largely destroyed by U.S. firebombing raids conducted by the Fourteenth Air Force. In 1967, civil strife struck the city in the Wuhan Incident as a result of tensions arising out of the Cultural Revolution.
The city has been subject to devastating floods, which are now supposed to be controlled by the ambitious Three Gorges Dam, a project which was completed in 2008.
Transportation
Wuhan Flights (flight search & ticket booking)
By the end of March, 2013, the airport has operated passenger flights to 72 domestic cities and 47 international cities/regions, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xian, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, Bangkok, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Singapore. A 20-kilometer speedway drive from the Tianhe International Airport (WUH) to the city center takes only twenty minutes. Airport shuttle buses leave for the city following flight arrivals. From the airport to Hankou, the bus will charge CNY per person, and 32 per person for Wuchang; a taxi ride to the city area is CNY 80-120.
Tickets
Within China, air tickets can be booked in advance in hotels, guesthouses, and ticket agencies in the city. Tickets are also available after working hours at the counter in the departure hall in the airport Waiting Building.
Ticket Offices:
Air China: 027-83786780
Southwest Branch of Air China: 027-83619392
Tianhe Airport: 027-83666666 (tickets can be delivered to your hotel room)
Waiting Building of Tianhe Airport: 027- 85818888
Hankou Financial Steet: 027- 85719338 (at No. 901, Jianshe Dadao, Hankou) Railway Station
High Speed Train in Wuhan Railway Station
Train
Train Schedule
As the capital city of Hubei province, is a transportation hub for central China. Trains travel between it and the cities within Hubei Province, as well as most major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xian, Chongqing, Chengdu and Nanchang. The operation of high speed trains between Wuhan and Shanghai, Xian, Shenzhen and Guangzhou makes the city a widely recognized transportation hub, especially the high speed trains to Guangzhou, whose duration time is only 4 hours. Currently, there are three railway stations for passengers in the city: Wuhan Railway Station, Wuchang Railway Station, and Hankou Railway Station.
Ship
As one of the ports of call on the Yangtze River, the city welcomes cruise passengers to this ancient city; ferries are available to Chongqing, Shanghai, and other riverside cities.
Wuhan Passenger Port
Wuhan PortDozens of cruise services offer deluxe cruises to the famous Three Gorges. The Passenger Port is located on the western bank of the Yangtze River, at the right end of the famous Jianghan Road.
Long-Distance Bus
With the rapid development of road construction, China’s highway mileage is second in the world with a total of over 30,000 kilometers (1864 miles). Overland buses are the most important means of transport in many parts of the country. Compared to air and trains, buses are the cheapest means of transport.
Travel to other cities
The national and provincial expressways and highways in Hubei Province connect the city with most provinces and cities in Central and Southern China. Travel from Shanghai to the city by train is 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) and will take about 18 hours and the highway travel is 950 kilometers (590 miles), about 12 hours. The Beijing – Zhujiang Expressway enables passengers to take a 1300-kilometers (808 miles) drive direct to Wuhan from the capital city. Below are destination tables of Distance Passenger Stations listing cities you can reach by bus.
Fu Jia Po Passenger Station
Address: No. 262, Wu Luo Road, Wuchang District
Contact: 027- 87274817, 8008809188
Destinations: Buses leave here for Shanghai and major cities in Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan and Zhejiang provinces.
Jin Jia Dun Passenger Station
Address: Opposite the Hankou Railway Station
Contact: 85870482
Destinations: Buses leave here for Shanghai and major cities in Hubei, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
Wuhan Travel Tips
Wuhan is the place to find both history and natural wonders. Hubei Provincial Museum and Yellow Crane Towerare two places to appreciate ancient Chinese history and culture. In the museum, chimes excavated from tombs reveal the incredible achievements of ancient people in music, acoustics and metallurgy. The classic poems and inscriptions on the tower, (although unrecognizable to most Westerners) can inspire your spirit as you pretend to be a poet with a bird’s-eye view of the river from the tower window. In addition, the famous Villa of Chairman Mao Zedong on the scenic bank of East Lake, Wuchang, is an ideal place for Westerns to learn more about him. Travelers going to Wuhan can also visit these attractions:
Huangpi Mulan Culture Ecological Tourism Area
Dining
Two famous places for local snacks in Wuhan are Ji Qing Jie night street and Hu Bu Xiang breakfast street. Ji Qing Jie features all kinds of special foods plus entertainment at table by classical folk musicians. Snacks top on visitors’ list include Re Gan Mian , Steamed Wuchang Fish and Fried Bean Sheets. Street stalls in Hu Bu Xiang support the local habit of Guo Zao (having breakfast at street stalls with their cheap tasty food and vendors’ skillful performance). Benefited from rivers around, Wuhan Cuisine earns its reputation especially from fish. Chairman Mao Zedong in his poem wrote: “I have just drunk the waters of Changsha Come to eat the fish of Wuchang.” Streamed Wuchang Fish is a must for epicures.
Shopping
Yangtze River Bridge
Yangtze River BridgeTime-honored Han Zheng Street and the bustling walking street near Hanjiang Road are two choices for shopping lovers in Wuhan. Comb through dazzling shops housed in traditional Chinese buildings and find special gifts for friends and family. Even the most fastidious shopper will be satisfied.
Nightlife
Wuhan is also a city with impressive nightlife. Today people have more entertainment choices than ever before. Instead of watching TV at home, locals go to the cinema with friends, or spend the evening at disco parlors, karaoke rooms, bars and pubs and other interesting places.
72 hours visa-free transit policy has been implemented at Tianhe International Airport since May 1, 2015. Passport holders from eligible countries, such as USA, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, can enjoy up to 72 hours free transit when they take an international transfer at the airport. Please read details about 72-hour Visa-free Transit.
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