Tourist Attraction Ideas For Wuhan Visitors
Some tourist attraction ideas for Wuhan, including the Yangtze River and waterfront, the Yellow Crane Tower, Provincial Museum, and the summer home of Chairman Mao.
Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province of China, is perhaps not as well known or as visited as other parts of the country. However, it offers some fascinating colonial architecture and one of Chinas best museums of local history, art and culture. Its strategic position on China’s legendary river - the Yangtze - also makes it a good place to begin a river cruise, or to break your journey along the river for a day or two. The most fascinating area of the city and a good place to begin any visit is the old colonial quarter next to the waterfront.
Like other Chinese cities, Wuhan was at one time a British concession and as a result, this area has a distinctly British feel to parts of it, with impressive Victorian buildings. One of the most imposing buildings is the customs house with its decorative columns and ornate doorway. The main street in this area, modeled after the Bund, the famous waterfront promenade in Shanghai, runs alongside the river and offers a pleasant way to see the river traffic. Another spectacular view of the busy Yangtze river can be obtained from the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, the first bridge over the river to carry both road and rail traffic. The bridge is also richly decorated with architectural details, and the 143 panels alongside each side of the bridge depict traditional Chinese designs, such as birds, flowers and trees.
The Hubei Provincial Museum is considered to be one of the best provincial museums in China. Established in 1953, it contains over 140,000 items, many of which are from a single tomb belonging to a Chinese nobleman that was excavated nearby. Buried along with him, and on display here, are weapons, decorative gold and jade items and bronze ritual items. The highlight of the collection is the superb collection of stone and metal musical instruments – many archaeologists consider the workmanship to be years ahead of its time. Don’t miss the set of stone chime bells, believed to be the heaviest musical instrument in the world.
Wuhan has a couple more museums that are worth visiting. The National Stone Museum displays over 1300 pieces of stone and crystal, many decorated with painting or carving; many sculpted by wind or water into unusual shapes. The Wuhan Museum has an outstanding collection of antique porcelain, paintings and scrolls, many with a local connection. The highlight of the collection is a 1700 year old bronze mirror, decorated with scenes from Chinese mythology.
Wuhan has a reminder of more recent history as well – a house along the shore of the nearby East Lake was used as a summer home for many years by Chairman Mao. The house is now a museum and most of the original furnishings and décor remain as they were back in the early 1970s when President Nixon and others were visitors. There are some interesting personal touches too – the bathrobe and slippers of Mao are still next to his bed. East Lake itself is considered one of the most scenic in China, and because of the abundant plant life found around the lake, China’s Lotus research center was established here.
The other highlight of any visit to Wuhan is the Yellow Crane Tower, on a hilltop site overlooking the river. The present building is an accurate reconstruction of an earlier tower built in 223 AD in honor of a local priest who, according to legend, claimed to have seen a magic crane bird nearby. Today, the tower, which stands 150 feet high, is regarded as the symbol of Wuhan, and is built in the traditional Chinese style of red pillars and decorative yellow tiles.
Author: Martin Loughlin
About Author: Martin Loughlin works in the airline industry and is an avid traveler. When not traveling, he enjoys researching his articles and planning his next trip.