Wuhan

Understand

History Wuhan once consisted of three cities; Hanyang, Hankou (formerly known as Hankow), and Wuchang. Hanyang was a busy port as long as 2,000 years ago in the Han Dynasty. Yellow Crane Tower was built in 223 BCE and gained fame throughout China through the poetry of Cui Hao during the Tang Dynasty. Wuchang has been a center of learning for centuries, especially in the field of the arts. It became a provincial capital in the Yuan Dynasty. Hankou was considered to be one of China's top four cities during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was the busiest inland port, first opened as a treaty port in 1861. During the 19th century, as a result of concessions granted in the aftermath of the Opium Wars, large areas of Hankou's riverfront were carved up into foreign mercantile divisions with port and rail facilities and the area's economy expanded rapidly. There remain many grand buildings along Hankou's riverfront clearly European in design as a result.

The city is perhaps most famous for its pivotal role in the formation of modern China. On October 10, 1911, the Wuchang Uprising took place, sparking the Xinhai Revolution throughout the nation which resulted in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty (China's last) and the formation of the Republic of China, led by Sun Yat-Sen. The event is commemorated in many place names beginning with "Shouyi", literally "First Revolution", including a public square with an attached museum. In the ensuing chaos of the Republic of China, Wuchang was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang government ruled over by Wang Jingwei in direct opposition to Chiang Kai-shek. In 1927, Hanyang, Hankou, and Wuchang were united to form the city of Wuhan. In 1938, during the Japanese invasion of China, Wuhan briefly became the temporary capital of the Republic of China, after the government had been moved here from Nanjing, which had been captured by the invaders. In the late 1938, however, Wuhan fell to the Japanese as well, and the ROC government moved further west to Chongqing. During the rest of World War II, fighting shifted to the western part of Hubei, Wuhan being liberated from the invaders only with the surrender of Japan in 1945, after much of the city had been flattened during the war. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan was rebuilt and became an important industrial hub of China. With Soviet aid in the friendly 1950s, major infrastructure like the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation and a refurbished riverfront were completed. As part of the economic reforms, Wuhan was reopened in

Getting there

Wuhan is a major city in a central position. It has all the bus, rail, road and air connections you would expect.

By plane 4 Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH IATA) (about an hour northwest of the city center). Flights from all major domestic airports are available, including Xian, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong. International flights operate from Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, and Moscow. Taxi from Wuhan Tianhe Airport to the city (Wuchang) costs ¥70–80, plus ¥10 toll. A commuter rail line connecting Wuhan's Hankou Railway Station with the city of Xiaogan, has a stop at the airport. The train schedule is somewhat irregular, but, as of 2017, there is typically a train from the airport station (天河机场) to Hankou (汉口) Railway Station every 1-1½ hours. At Hankou, you can transfer to Wuhan Metro (subway), or to long-distance or commuter trains to various destinations. Some of the trains from the airport may continue beyond Hankou, to other cities in Hubei, such as Huanggang/Daye/Huangshi (with a stop at Wuhan Railway Station), or Yichang, Xiangyang and Shiyan. (Schedule). Wuhan Metro's Line 2 also reaches the airport, providing frequent and inexpensive service to destinations throughout the city. As of 2018, Metro Line 2 trains run to and from the airport from 06:00 to 22:30. As of 2015, there was regular bus service from Wuhan airport to several locations throughout Wuhan, including the Hankou and Wuhan railway stations and the Fujiapo Bus Station (in downtown Wuchang, within 1 km from the Wuchang Railway Station). These services may have been affected by the opening of the rail and metro connection to the airport, though. If you get stuck at the airport for any length of time, the airport has free wifi throughout the domestic terminal (subject to verification of mobile phone number, any country OK), and you can find power outlets (with purchase) at Cite Coffee on the mezzanine above the pre-security departures hall (2F). There is a left-luggage service on the back wall of the departures hall as well, next to the odd-sized luggage check.

By train

Wuhan is a major railway hub, connected by direct trains to most of China's major cities, including Beijing and Lhasa in faraway Tibet. The G-trains flash along at 300 km/h, and are often quicker than flying. There are also slow conventional trains, often overnight given the great distances involved. There are three main railway stations: 5 Wuhan Railway Station has the fastest trains. The others are 6 Wuchang Railway Station, and 7 Hankou Railway Station. All three stations are connect

Getting around

By metro 1 Wuhan Metro. Wuhan's metro system has an elaborate network with 12 lines and over 300 stations, connecting all three major sections of the city (Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang); it continues to expand at a rapid pace. The airport and the Hankou Railway Station are served by Line 2; the Wuhan Railway station (the major high speed railway station) and the Wuchang Railway Station, by Line 4. As in most other subway systems in China, the fare depends on distance. For single trips, you can buy tickets from vending machines, although some machines might have problems in accepting cash. You can also buy a Wuhan Tong card (from the person at the booth in the subway, or elsewhere) for ¥15 and add cash value to it, allowing you to enter the stations more quickly; subway rides using the Wuhan Tong are discounted by 10%, and the Wuhan Tong also works on public buses and ferries. Stations are clean, and the trains are usually (outside of the rush hour) not very crowded. Public toilets are available at many stations (usually, outside the toll gate); drinking water fountains are found on the platforms of some stations. It is useful to be aware of where subway construction work is being carried out, since large sections of streets may be fenced off for the construction, and street-level traffic may be significantly affected during the construction work.

By bus

The earliest public bus route in Wuhan was Route 1, running from Shuangdun to Wufu Road. Over time, the city’s bus network has expanded to include hundreds of routes numbered with prefixes 1 through 9, as well as 8 trolleybus routes and 16 clean energy routes (1,500 vehicles). There are also four ferry lines connecting the three districts of Wuhan across the two rivers and four banks. While bus drivers are known to be reckless in the past, their driving has been improved (at the cost of being slower) thanks to better surveillance. Wuhan has implemented an urban-rural integrated public transport system, launching multiple routes to suburban areas such as Huangpi, Qingshan, Xinzhou, and Jiangxia. This reform replaced privately operated and unlicensed buses with a unified management system.

Bus fares Non-air-conditioned buses: ¥1 (¥0.8 with a transport card). Air-conditioned buses: ¥2 (¥1.6 with a transport card; some long-distance routes cost ¥1.8). Double-decker buses: ¥2 (¥1.6 with a transport card). Suburban routes: Variable tiered pricing. Transfer Discounts The "Regular Bus Transfer Discount Program:" within a 90-minute period, passengers using the Wuhan Tong Card can enjoy up to three trans

See

Individual listings can be found in Wuhan's district articles

Do

Individual listings can be found in Wuhan's district articles

Buy

Individual listings can be found in Wuhan's district articles

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Wuhan's district articles Wuhan is famous for its morning xiaochi - a variety of breakfast foods. Hubuxiang in Wuchang is Wuhan's famous breakfast alley where you will find all of Wuhan's famous breakfast dishes. Reganmian (热干面) (literally, "hot dry noodle") is the epitome of Wuhan's breakfast food. It is noodles with peanut sauce, tossed in sesame paste and other seasonings. You will find these noodles for around ¥10 from street vendors. They are perfect. Other Wuhan breakfast specialties include mianwo, a type of savory donut; tangbao (汤包), small dumpling-buns filled with pork and soup; mibaba, a lightly sweetened pancake made with rice flour; and mijiu tangyuan (米酒汤圆), a sweet soup of rice wine (fermented from glutinous rice) with rice flour dumplings sometimes stuffed with sesame paste. Adventurous eaters find their fuel on the streets between the hours of 12:00-05:00. On these streets there are generous and well-meaning folk selling dumplings, noodles, wok food, and foies gras. On the odd occasion that the lounge is closed, one is able to sit outside and enjoy the night air, the delightful local dialect, and any foods you order. If you are in the mood for a more romantic night on the town, there are countless 3-wall restaurants with candle lights upon the tables, live music flowing from the muses' mouths, and 4-star restaurants' finest fair at a reasonable and sanitary locale. Since Wuchang is an education center with many universities hosting so many international students, therefore, a number of South Asian and Arabic cuisine restaurants have opened in the city. These restaurants are equally popular among Chinese and the foreigners, especially the international students.

Drink & nightlife

Individual listings can be found in Wuhan's district articles There are a few drinks that are associated with the city. Included in this list is Jingjiu (a healthy alternative to regular wines), Baijiu. If you would like to taste something slightly more low key, there is a local micro-brew called Singo (Xingyinge), that will be the beginning of every good night, at ¥1.5 per bottle.

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Wuhan's district articles

Go next

Jingzhou, the capital during the Warring states period. Yichang for the Three Gorges and the Shennongjia Mountains. Mount Wudang for its Taoist temples and monasteries. Xianning for the Underground Project 131 Zhongxiang with the Ming Xianling mausoleum Xi'an retains its city walls and has a remarkable collection of buildings and museums, including the Terracotta army.