Caravan Travel Service

The Number One Chang River Bridge, an old, Soviet-era colossus of engineering incorporating both rail and automobile traffic in a dual-layer setup, connects Wuchang with Hanyang. The more graceful Number Two Changjiang River Bridge, currently only open to automobile traffic, connects Wuchang with Hankou to the north. There are two major bridges across the Han river shuttling automobile traffic between Hanyang and Hankou. These two bridges are within sight of each other on the few smog-free days that exist. The Number Three Chang River Bridge, connects the outskirts of Wuchang with the outskirts of Hanyang to the distant south.

Hanyang was a busy port as long as 3000 years ago in the Han Dynasty. Yellow Crane Tower was first built in 223BCE and became a famous buildings in 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.

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. There remain many grand buildings along Hankou’s riverfront clearly European in design as a result. In 1911 the city was host to the Wuchang Uprising: Sun Yat-sen’s revolution that resulted in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. (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 Guomindang government ruled over by Wang Jingwei in direct opposition to Chiang Kai-shek.

Wuhan is a major city in a central position. It has all the bus, rail, road and air connections you would expect. Arriving by air will likely have you winding up at the Tianhe Airport about an hour’s ride out of town. There are two major passenger train stations in Hankou and Wuchang respectively which rarely share trains. This is in contrast to the two major long distance bus stations, again in Hankou and Wuchang respectively, which tend to have buses visiting both.

You can also reach it via boats on the Yangtse, either from downstream centers such as Shanghai and Nanjing or from Chongqing further upstream, via the famous Three Gorges route.

Where to go

The single largest tourist attraction in Wuhan is Yellow Crane Tower (Huanghelou), a modern construction built on the site of five previous incarnations. It is considered one of the four great towers in China.

A view of Snake Hill Park from about the fourth floor of Yellow Crane Tower.

A view of Snake Hill Park from about the fourth floor of Yellow Crane Tower.

The tower sits atop Snake Hill near the Number One Chang (Yangtze) River Bridge and affords a commanding view of the Chang River as well as the mouth of the Han River where it connects. The view can be very impressive depending on local smog conditions. On the few clear days one can see practically the entire city of Wuhan as well as up and down the Chang River.

Entering the park costs 50RMB which gives access to Snake Hill Park, Yellow Crane Tower and the Mao Pavilion (in which many of the poems of Chairman Mao are etched into stone for viewing pleasure). The park as a whole is nicely landscaped with many charming buildings. Of particular interest is the enormous bronze bell located behind Yellow Crane Tower itself as well as a teahouse on the premises which features regular performances of traditional Chu-era music. The performance itself is free, but it is expected that patrons enjoying it order at least a beverage or a small snack.

The tower itself is a modern building completed in the 1980s using modern materials - most notably, concrete is used instead of wood for all supporting members. It is sited where five previous Yellow Crane Towers have stood, each pervious one destroyed in war or disaster. The ground floor of the tower contains a large entrance hall, two storeys tall, with enormous decorative lamps and a giant ceramic fresco displaying the quasi-mythical story of the tower’s initial construction. The second storey, essentially a balcony around the entrance hall, contains the usual souvenir shops as well as displays of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy. The third storey has a residence done up in the very ancient, Chu style modelled after the kinds of sitting rooms used by nobility greeting guests in the ancient period. The fourth storey contains a souvenir shop and a set of models displaying the tower in its five previous incarnations. This latter display shows the fascinating development of an essentially military watchtower into an increasingly residence/tourist-oriented showpiece. The top accessible storey has pay telescopes for the view (which are generally not useful in the smog which dominates Wuhan air) and some art displays.

Yellow Crane Tower (and, in fact, Snake Hill Park in general) is wheelchair-accessible in most areas of interest. The tower even has two elevators suited to the elderly and the handicapped who would otherwise not be able to climb the stairs to the top. Ramps abound in most of the areas of interest.

What to Do ,Buy

Jiqing Street , an ordinary-seeming street by day, becomes transformed by night into a bewildering maze of streetside restaurants and buskers performing music, dance, opera and stand-up comedy. It is a strongly-recommended experience. Food is plentiful and cheap, and it features a lot of unique local cuisine. The performances can be enjoyed by proxy as performers work other tables or they can be purchased. One can expect to pay about 10RMB per song performed. Other performances are more based on contributions—the more you contribute, the longer the performers will do their routines and the more daring/interesting/funny the routines will be.

Jianghan Road by night:

Also of potential interest to a visitor is Jianghan Road , a pedestrian mall almost as long as Shanghai’s famed East Nanjing Road. During the day it is an interesting look at rampant consumerism in China’s rapidly-growing middle class. At night, starting at 7PM, it is the same but is expanded on each side a few blocks deep by a night market with literally thousands of little stalls hawking every variety of goods imaginable: makeup, souvenirs, clothing, housewares, food, music, movies, etc.

Re Gan Mian is the local specialty for breakfast, if you’re in the mood for greasy peanut butter flavored noodles. Real men find their fuel on the streets betwixt the hours of 12:00-5:00 in the AM. 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 clean night air, the delightful local dialect, and any foods you order. If you’re 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.

a healthy alternative to regular wines, Baijiu (the flavorful but tasty liqueur that that will be the perfect accompaniment to any conversation with a loved one). 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 just 1.5Y per bottle.