Hubei

Hubei lies on the middle reaches of the Yangtze, which crosses the province from west to east and for centuries made it a crossroads of China. A vacation in Hubei combines the big city of Wuhan with the Three Gorges near Yichang and the Taoist monasteries of Wudang Shan.

Wuhan at the Confluence

Wuhan grew out of three cities at the point where the Han River meets the Yangtze, and today has more than ten million residents. The Yellow Crane Tower, celebrated again and again by Tang dynasty poets, looks out over the river and the first Yangtze River Bridge, built in 1957. The Hubei Provincial Museum displays the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, with a famous chime set of 65 bronze bells more than 2,400 years old. You can bike around East Lake, and in the Hankou district, buildings from the era of the foreign concessions recall the city's trading history. In 1911, the uprising that toppled the empire began in Wuchang. In the evening, the skyscrapers on both banks light up in a light show best seen from the riverfront promenade or a ferry.

Sights in Hubei

Near Yichang lies the gateway to the Three Gorges. This is where the Three Gorges Dam stands, the world's largest hydroelectric power station, with viewing platforms and a ship lift. From Yichang, river cruises head upstream toward Chongqing through the Xiling, Wu and Qutang Gorges. In the northwest rises Wudang Shan, the birthplace of Taoist tai chi, with Ming-era palaces and temples protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The forested Shennongjia region in the west is considered one of the most biodiverse areas in central China. Enshi in the southwest draws visitors with karst gorges, the Enshi Grand Canyon and Tujia villages.

Food, Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Wuhan's breakfast culture is legendary: reganmian, "hot dry noodles" with sesame paste; doupi, fried layers of sticky rice wrapped in tofu skin; and duck necks in a spicy marinade. The region's many lakes supply lotus root and fish, such as Wuchang bream. Wuhan is a hub of the high-speed rail network: Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai are reachable in just a few hours. The best time to visit is spring and fall; Wuhan is known as one of China's "furnaces," and summer is very hot and humid. In spring, the cherry trees bloom on the campus of Wuhan University.