East Lake Scenic Area

East Lake, the biggest scenery tourist attraction in Wuhan and also the largest lake within a city in China, is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River and in the east suburb of Wuchang. It covers an area of 87 square kilometers (33 square kilometers of water area) that is five times greater than the area of the West Lake in Hangzhou . Because of its winding banks and crisscrossing ponds and brooks, it is called 'a lake with 99 bays'. The East Lake Scenic Area was formed from many famous scenic spots along the bank. The six major ones are Tingtao (Listening to Surging Waves), Mo Hill (Millstone Hill), Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), Baima (White Horse), Chuidi (Playing Flutes), and Luohong Hills. Among the six scenic areas, Tingtao and Mo Hill scenic areas are the most two notable and are open to visitors. The East Lake gate opens to the Tingtao scenic area featuring the rare sequoia especially elegant in late autumn. The Listening-to-the-Waves Tower (Tingtao Xuan), with its classic elegance is one of the famous buildings in this area, along with Land of Water and Cloud (Shuiyun Xiang) which serves as a teahouse, and the Tingtao Inn of Wine, a restaurant offering local fish dishes. On the north, the center of this area, is the Poetry-Reciting Pavilion (Xingyinge), built for memorizing works of Qu Yuan, the great patriotic poet of the State of Chu (one of the seven warring states before Qin (221BC-206BC) in China's first feudal dynasty). Many exhibits about Qu Yuan are featured in this building including his great literary masterpieces. In addition, the first allegory sculpture park in China is here displaying wonderful sculpture and allegories. Characterized by beautiful landscape, abundant plants, the customs of the State of Chu and unique gardens, the Mo Hill Scenic Area attracts many tourists. In this area, the Chu cultural theme park displays the Chu culture in China. The Botanical Viewing Garden where more than 360 kinds of plants are nursed in 13 special gardens with flowers blooming all the year round - orchids and cherry blossoms in spring, lotus in summer, osmanthus in autumn, and plum blossoms in winter - is also admirable. Two of the most famous are the Cherry Blossom Garden said to be one of the world's three cherry blossom capitals along with Hirosaki in Japan and Washington in America, and the Plum Blossom Garden which is listed as the top plum garden. For more details about Mo Hill, please click Mo Hill. Other scenic areas include Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), known for its serene environment, Baima (White Horse), with the white horse tombs, Chuidi (Playing Flutes), Zhu Zhen (the sixth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)), and Luohong Hills, where the highly respected Wuhan University is situated. Besides these, the Bird Forest with 200 kinds of birds, the mysterious East Lake Ocean Park, the biggest sand beach bathing area in inner China, the Friendship Forest where many other cities' delegates together with Wuhan people have planted trees symbolizing friendship are all worth a visit. What make the East Lake Scenic Area more incredible are its recreational facilities: the exciting slide way, the ropeway, the yachts, tandem bikes, the skating rink and the pleasure ground for children.

Yellow Crane Tower

Yellow Crane Tower is located on Snake Hill in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Enjoying the fame of 'The First Scenery under Heaven', it is one of the most renowned towers south of the Yangtze River. Its cultural significance led to its being made the symbol of Wuhan City. According to legend, Yellow Crane Tower was built by the family of an old pothouse owner living in Wuhan City long ago, named Old Xin. One day, a shabbily dressed Taoist priest came to the pothouse and asked for some wine. Old Xin paid no attention to him, but his son was very kind and gave the Taoist some wine without asking for money. The Taoist priest visited the pothouse regularly for half a year when one day the Taoist said to the son that in order to repay his kindness, he would like to draw a crane on the wall of the pothouse, which would dance at his request. When people in the city heard of this, they flocked to the pothouse to see the dancing crane. The Xin family soon became rich and they built the Yellow Crane Tower as a symbol of gratitude to the Taoist priest. The Yellow Crane Tower has a very long and complicated history. It was first built in 223, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). Due to the ideal location, it was built by Sun Quan (182 - 252, King of Wu) as a watchtower for his army. After hundreds of years, its military function was gradually forgotten and the tower was enjoyed mainly as a picturesque location. During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), many popular poems were written in praise of the Yellow Crane Tower. It was these poems that made the Tower so renowned and induced for people to visit. During the following centuries, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties alone the tower was destroyed seven times and rebuilt seven times. In 1884, it was completely destroyed in a fire and was not rebuilt until 1981. The tower had different architectural features in different dynasties. However the tower which stands today is based on the one designed during the Qing Dynasty. It stands 51.4 meters (about 168 feet) high and has five floors. The appearance of the tower is the same regardless of the direction it is viewed from. The roof is covered by 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. With yellow upturned eaves, each floor seems to have been designed to resemble a yellow crane spreading its wings to fly. The Yellow Crane Tower offers visitors an abundance of things to see. The exhibit on each floor has a theme, for example, the theme of the first floor is about legend. On the wall, there is a nine-meter (about 30 feet) long and six-meter (about 20 feet) wide painted porcelain picture which depicts clouds, rivers and cranes to represent a romantic mood in the heaven. The third floor mainly shows poems written to praise the tower in different dynasties. On top of the tower, visitors are treated to a fabulous panoramic view of the Yangtze River, its bridge and the surrounding buildings in Wuhan City. Outside the tower, there are bronze yellow cranes, memorial gateways and pavilions.

Hubei Provincial Museum

Hubei Provincial Museum, located in the Wuchang District of Wuhan, Hubei Province, is the only provincial comprehensive museum in the province. The museum collects, protects, and exhibits the cultural relics discovered in the province. Since 1953, the museum has collected over 200,000 cultural relics, including pottery, porcelains, jade, bronze vessels, ancient weapons, and ancient musical instruments. Among these cultural relics, 812 are listed as first-class relics of China, and 16 are considered national treasures. This museum is divided into three parts: the Chime Bells Exhibition Hall, the Chu (a state in the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC)) Culture Exhibition Hall, and the Comprehensive Exhibition Building. The Comprehensive Exhibition is still under construction at the present time. The Chime Bells Exhibition Hall contains two parts: the Exhibition Hall and the Music Hall. In the Exhibition Hall, you can see many cultural relics that have been unearthed from the tomb of Yi (the king of the Zeng Sate in the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC), such as the exquisite bronze vessel known as 'Crane Standing on the Antler', ancient halberds, triangle-shaped swords called Shu, and the bamboo slips that were used for writing on in ancient times. The most famous treasure is the Chime Bells, which is the largest bronze musical instrument ever discovered. With a set of bells of different sizes, it can play various tones of the musical scale, and the timbre is quite beautiful. There are about 3,000 ancient Chinese characters on the bells, describing the music and the owner of this instrument. In the Music Hall, musicians wearing ancient clothes play a replica of the Chime Bells from 11:00 to 16:00 every day. You will surely be enchanted by the ancient beautiful music, which has been played overseas on many occasions. The Chu Culture Exhibition Hall features the regional culture of the Chu State. Most of the cultural relics displayed here are bronze vessels, lacquer works, bamboo and wooden artifacts, and silk knitted products. You can also see various ancient weapons of the Chu State such as the sword of Gou Jian (the king of the Yue State in the Spring and Autumn Period) and the shaft of Fu Chai (the king of the Wu State in the Spring and Autumn Period). In 2002, archaeologists discovered pieces of chariots and horses of the Chu State. After careful restoration, some of the chariots and horses are now displayed in this hall. In addition to the unearthed cultural relics, some restored models of the houses in which Chu people lived are shown to the visitors to give them more direct impression of the ancient Chu people's lives. There are also antique stores in the museum. After you visit the two exhibition halls, you can buy some souvenirs if you like.

Guiyuan Buddhist Temple (Temple of Original Purity)

Covering an area of about 46,900 square meters (approx. 55,812 square yards), Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is situated in the west section of Hanyang district in Wuhan City. Being one of the four best temples in Wuhan, the temple, which was originally established in 1658 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was initially built on the site of Wuzhangpu Kuiyuan in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The word 'Guiyuan' originates from a sutra, meaning to surpass the circumscription of existence and extinguishment, to return to purity and tranquility. Though it is a construction of a Buddhist temple, it is also in a garden style. The distribution is compact, and the design is delicate. The temple is even interspersed by kiosks and parterres. There are five courtyards in the temple: the eastern courtyard, the western courtyard, the southern courtyard, the northern courtyard, and the middle courtyard. The distribution of the temple is in the shape of a cassock. Initially, the temple was not completed, but was extended in the next several decades to reach the present scale. The eastern courtyard is the entrance of the temple, in which a large apricot coloured door opens towards the east, indicating the importance of forming kind relationships and saving all human beings from sufferings. On the lintel of the door, a tablet is hanging with the name of the temple written on it. After entering the temple, you can see the northern courtyard to your right, in which the Amitabha, Kwan-yin Bodhisattva, and Dashizhi Bodhisattva are worshipped. Collectively they are called the 'three western saints'. The Wenshu Bodhisattva and Puxian Bodhisattva are also worshipped. The Sutra Collection Pavilion in the courtyard has a rich collection of cultural relics of Buddhism, figures of Buddha, religious paraphernalia, stone carvings, paintings, calligraphies, and books from abroad. In the southern courtyard, the most famous hall is the Lohan Hall. It is also one of the five best Lohan halls in China. The 500 Lohans here are vivid and lively just like real people. They are all identical in size, and each is no more than 25 kilogram's in weight. What is most amazing is that one can never find two Lohans with the same appearance or expression. They are all totally different from each other. Counting Lohans in the courtyard forms an interesting custom in Wuhan. It is said that one can know the disasters and fortunes in the present year by counting the Lohans. The method is like this: counting from the discretional Lohan in the direction according to one's first step into the hall until he has counted the numbers of his age. When he reaches the last Lohan, the expression of it will tell him all. In the centre of the middle courtyard, there is the Daxiong Baodian. The statue of Sakyamuni in this hall is the biggest Buddhism figure in the temple. A lion that is said to be the image of Sakyamuni in pre-existence lies to the north of the statue. Behind the statue, some other figures are worshipped. Now the temple attracts people from both home and abroad to admire its wonderful architecture, delicate yet perfect statues, and the large collection of precious items.

Mo Hill (Mo Shan)

An important part of the famous Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area, Mo Hill, also called Millstone Hill, lies southeast of East Lake. The graceful east peak that looks like a millstone gave the hill its present name, Millstone Hill. Covering a total area of about 5 square kilometers, it boasts abundant plants and unique gardens, amid the culture of the State of Chu (one of the seven warring states before Qin (221BC - 206BC) in China's first feudal dynasty). Many charming scenes, such as Chutian Jimu (Looking at the State of Chu As Far As One Can See), Botanical-Viewing Garden, Tiantai Chenxi (Morning Rays of Heaven Platform), and Zhu De's Stele Pavilion, are located on the hill. On the first peak of the Mo Hill stands the pavilion called Zhu De's Stele Pavilion. Two stories high, it is famous for a red stele lying in front on which is carved the epigraph of Zhu De (an important leader of the Chinese revolutionary period), and an attached horizontal board inscribed 'Zhu De's Stele Pavilion' by Guo Moruo (a famous Chinese author). The second floor of the pavilion affords an excellent view of the beautiful lake. Fans of Chu culture will particularly enjoy the State of Chu culture theme park. Many historical places such as the City Wall of the State of Chu, the Chu Market, the Chu Talent Garden, the Chu Heaven Platform, etc., introduce the current State of Chu in this area. At the entrance to the State of Chu's cultural sightseeing area is the City Wall at 23.4 meters (77 feet) tall and 11 meters (36 feet) wide. Chu people prefer the color red. The surrounding wall made of reddish-brown stones is magnificent in its primitive simplicity. The street of the Chu Market with special craftworks and distinctive local foods exemplifies Chu architectural styles. Not far from the Chu Market is the Chu Talent Garden, where over a hundred statues in the garden depict outstanding Chu litterateurs, scientists, myths characters and so on. The Chu Heaven Platform affords clear views of Chu relics, great paintings, calligraphy, and waxworks of famous persons. Thirty-six meters (118 feet) tall and with an area of 2260 meters (7415 feet), it has 345 steps in front, culminating in the soul part of Mo Hill - the four-floor Chu Heaven Platform. Wearing classic Chu costumes, bandsmen play upbeat ancient music. Lifelike waxworks of eminent persons are displayed on the second floor, while Chu relics are exhibited on the third floor. A panoramic view of the entire East Lake Scenic Area is available from the summit. The incredible Botanical Viewing Garden lies on the south side of Mo Hill. More than 360 kinds of plants are nursed in 13 special gardens, such as the Plum Garden, Cherry Blossom Garden, Rhododendron Garden, etc., for viewing and education. Among them the most famous is the Cherry Blossom Garden which covers an area of 150 mu (25 acres), valued as one of the world's three cherry blossom capitals, together with Hirosaki in Japan and Washington D.C. in America. The 2006 Wuhan Cherry Blossom Festival offers top grade cherry blossoms plus rich and colorful activities in the garden that attract visitors from all over the world. The Plum Garden, listed as the top of the four plum gardens in China, is also worth a visit. March, April, and May are the best viewing months. Recreation facilities such as the slide way and ropeway, offer an exciting change of pace. Put Mo Hill belongs on everyone's itinerary.

Yangtze River Bridge

The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is the first highway-railway bridge over the Yangtze River. Built in 1955, the grand bridge is 1670.4 meters (5480.3 feet) long with the main body of 1156 meters (3,793feet). It has 8 piers and 9 holes. The bridge is divided into two levels with the upper one for bus transit and the lower for trains. The driveway is 18 meters (59feet) wide for 6 buses to run parallel. To fully view the splendid bridge and the marvelous river, you can climb up the 7-story bridge tower at either end of the bridge by elevator or staircases. The attached buildings and decorations are harmonious and exquisite, reflecting rich Chinese architectural features. The theme of sculptures on the 143 panes along each side of the bridge is from the folk art, such as the peacock showing its fine feathers, carp playing among lotus, a magpie singing on blossom tree. From the bridge, you can see the rolling water run to the east with ships coming and going; on the bank, Hubei TV Tower stands tall on Tortoise Hill (Gui Shan) in Hanyang, while the first tower in southern China, the Yellow Crane Tower (Huang He Lou), stands on Snake Hill (She Shan) in Wuchang.

National Stone Museum

National Stone Museum, Wuhan opened to public in 1993 is a new tourist attraction, and it has been receiving a large number of visitors both domestic and foreign. National Stone Museum, Wuhan will let you know how enchanting unique stones would be. So far the National Stone museum has stored more than 1300 pieces of stones, which were all discovered in China, except one, which came from Malaysia. Those stones were collected from different regions of China; some were original in Inner Mongolia in the north, some were discovered in Hainan Province in the south end of China, some were collected from Suzhou Province in the east and some from Gansu Province in the west. Needless to say, the complete collection is too large to display. Visitors have an opportunity to see the most famous four kinds of stones: Taihu, Lingbi, Yuha, and Yingde and those amazing stones of Shoushan, Qingtian, Chanhai, Guanglu, and Balin. The most valuable stone in the museum is a piece of crystal, the third largest in China. Stones here are divided into different groups by figure, vein, mineral component, and ancient animal fossil. Some of the stones placed there named Ji Nian Shi (Commemorative Stone), which have a close relation with some important historical event. All the unique stones in this museum are intact and crude with naturally pleasing shapes or designs. However, we are concerned how to estimate a piece of stone? Generally speaking, a piece of stone should have at least one of the peculiarities listed below: slender, large, elegant, odd, ugly, rugged, or clear enough that light can go through. In China, the appreciation of stones dates back to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and was popular all over the country until the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties. With a thousand-year history, Chinese have developed their particular interest in searching, collecting, and appreciating stones. This tendency gradually spread into Southeast Asia and Europe and has developed to one of international fashion. Statistics shows that there are at least 2000 stones aficionados all over the world.

Chairman Mao Zedong's Villa

The famous villa of Chairman Mao Zedong in Wuhan is strategically located at the scenic bank of East Lake of Wuchang, which consists of Meiling Buildings One, Two and Three. It was built in 1985 as a retreat house for Chairman Mao and other privileged ruling members of the Politburo. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Mao in a letter nicknamed it 'Home of the White Clouds and Yellow Cranes' where he enjoyed the quiet ambiance and great relief it offered. The attractive scenery of tree-lined footpath, dense grove, flying songbirds, and Chairman Mao's favourite pines, bamboo trees and plums seen everywhere can undoubtedly, make one reluctant to leave. Meiling was Mao's summer villa where he lived for a long time and often visited many times besides Zhongnanhai. He came here once a year up to three times a year, at the most, and stayed for one month to as long as six months. Meiling Building One is the most interesting structure since it was Chairman Mao's private residence where he ate, slept, wrote and conducted numerous daily national affairs. He gave audience to many celebrities and foreign friends, including President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger of the United States of America in 1972. Moreover, he wrote here the famous poem Swim that won universal praises. It has a bedroom, a sitting room, a reception room and a formal dining room. As the picture shows, the dining room is accentuated by a restful scenic painting of trees with dark gray foliage, soft rose colored flowers and a gentle orange sun, with its questionable mix of plum carpeting, red tablecloth and emerald green crushed velvet armchairs. The same grey covered chair where the great leader sat is still there, but rather faded and frayed now. The chair and lamps are still in the same semi-circular position as they were 27 years ago.The bedroom was furnished with plain fifties furniture with a pink and white patterned chaise. Next to the large-sized bed hangs his blue and white striped king size bathrobe. There still remain the slippers of him and his wife, Jiang Qing. Meiling Building Two, the assembly hall, has a huge lobby cloaked in heavily worn curtains. The hall with its hundreds of red upholstered chairs facing the stage is cordoned off while the lobby is open to the public. On the balcony, there is a wicker chair placed in a certain position as was placed in the past, with a framed photograph hanging next to it. Visitors are permitted to sit on the chair and take photos of themselves as souvenirs. Meiling Building Three houses Mao's private indoor swimming pool. It is about 30-meter long and six lanes wide, the same as most competition-sized pools. It is lined with tiles with stainless steel ladders, and underwater lights. There are nine floor-to-ceiling tinted windows, which Mao could see through during his daily swims. Meiling was open to the public in the early 1993, and has received numerous travellers, both local tourists and foreigners. It is now a very hot tourist spot where many could recall Chairman Mao's experiences of his late years and get glimpses of the great leader's historical and colourful life.