Wuhan

Wuhanis the capital ofHubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and theeighth-most-populous cityin China.It is also one of the ninenational central citiesand the second most livable city in China.
Wuhan historically served as a busy city port forcommerceand trading with some crucial influences onChinese history. The name "Wuhan" came from the city's historical origin from the conglomeration ofWuchang,Hankou, andHanyang, which are collectively known as the "Three Towns of Wuhan" (武汉三镇). Wuhan lies in the easternJianghan Plain, at the confluence of theYangtzeriver and its largest tributary, theHan River, and is known as "Nine Provinces' Thoroughfare" (九省通衢).Wuhan was the site of the 1911Wuchang Uprisingagainst theQing dynastywhichended 2,000 years of dynastic rule. Wuhan was briefly a capital of China twice, in 1927 under a left wingKuomintang(KMT)government,and in 1937 as a provisional wartime capital duringWorld War II.In 1938, during theSecond Sino-Japanese War, the city was the site of theBattle of Wuhan. On December 31, 2019,SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that later caused theCOVID-19 pandemic, was first discovered in Wuhanand the city was the location ofthe firstlockdownof the pandemic in January 2020.
Wuhan is considered the political, economic, financial, commercial, cultural, and educational center of Central China.It is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads, and expressways passing through the city and connecting to other major cities.Because of its key role in domestic transportation, Wuhan is sometimes referred to as "theChicagoof China" by foreign sources.The "Golden Waterway" of the Yangtze River and the Han River traverse the urban area and divide Wuhan into the three districts ofWuchang,Hankou, andHanyang. TheWuhan Yangtze River Bridgecrosses the Yangtze in the city. TheThree Gorges Dam, theworld's largest power stationin terms ofinstalled capacity, is located nearby. Historically, Wuhan has suffered risks of flooding,prompting the government to alleviate the situation by introducing ecologically friendly absorption mechanisms.
While Wuhan has been a traditional manufacturing hub for decades, it is also one of the areas promoting modern industrial changes in China. Wuhan has three national development zones, four scientific and technological development parks, over 350 research institutes, 1,656 high tech enterprises, numerous enterprise incubators and investments from 230 Fortune Global 500 firms.It producedGDP (nominal)of US$274 billion in 2021. TheDongfeng Motor Corporation, an automobile manufacturer, is headquartered in Wuhan. The city is home tomultiple notable institutesof higher education, includingWuhan Universityand theHuazhong University of Science and Technology. Wuhan is a major city in the world by scientific research outputs and it ranks9thglobally and 5th in the Asia-Pacific & China (afterBeijing,Shanghai,NanjingandGuangzhou).In 2017, Wuhan was designated as aCreative CitybyUNESCO, in the field of design.Wuhan is classified as a Beta- (global second tier) city together with seven other cities in China, includingChangsha,Dalian,Jinan,Shenyang,Xiamen,Xi'anandZhengzhouby theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network.Wuhan is also one of the world's top 100 financial centers, according to theGlobal Financial Centres Index.
The name "Wuhan" comes from the two major cities on the banks of theYangtze Riverthat make up the Wuhan metropolis: "Wu" refers to the city ofWuchang(Chinese:武昌), which lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze, while "Han" refers to the city ofHankou(Chinese:汉口), which lies on the northern bank of the Yangtze. "Hankou" means "Mouth of the Han", from its position at the confluence of the Han with the Yangtze River.
In 1926, theNorthern Expeditionreached the Wuhan area and it was decided to merge Hankou, Wuchang andHanyanginto one city in order to make a new capital for Nationalist China. On January 1, 1927,the resulting city was proclaimed as '武漢' (the traditional Chinese characters for 'Wuhan'), which was latersimplifiedas '武汉' (also 'Wuhan').
The Wuhan area has been settled for 3,500 years.Panlongcheng, an archaeological site primarily associated with theErligang culture(c.1510– c.1460BC) (being sparsely populated during the earlierErlitou period), is located in modern-dayHuangpi Districtof Wuhan.
During theWestern ZhoutheState of E, which gives its name to the single character abbreviation for Hubei province, controlled the present-day Wuchang area south of the Yangtze River. After the conquest of the E state in 863 BC, the present-day Wuhan area was controlled by theState of Chufor the rest of the Western Zhou andEastern Zhouperiods. After theState of Huangwas conquered by State of Chu in the summer of 648 BC,the people of Huang were moved into the area in and around present-day Wuhan. Local geographical terms including the name of Wuhan's Huangpi District were named after the State of Huang.Chu was in turn conquered byQinin 223 BC.
During theHan dynasty, Hanyang became a fairly busy port. TheBattle of Xiakouin AD 203 andBattle of Jiangxiafive years later were fought in the region over control ofJiangxia Commandery, territories of which included much of present-day eastern Hubei. In the winter of 208/9, one of the most famous battles inChinese historyand a central event in theRomance of the Three Kingdoms—theBattle of Red Cliffs—took place near theYangtze River, with the cliffs near Wuhan identified as one of the potential locations.Around that time, walls were built to protect Hanyang (AD 206) and Wuchang (AD 223). The latter event marks the foundation of Wuhan. In AD 223, theYellow Crane Tower, one of theFour Great Towers of China, was constructed on the Wuchang side of the Yangtze River by order ofSun Quan, leader of theEastern Wu. The tower became a sacred site ofTaoism.
Due to tensions between theEastern WuandCao Weikingdoms, in the autumn of 228,Cao Rui, grandson ofCao Caoand the second emperor of the state ofCao Wei, ordered the generalMan Chongto lead troops to Xiakou (夏口; in present-day Wuhan).In 279,Wang Junand his army conquered strategic locations in Wu territory such asXiling(in present-dayYichang, Hubei), Xiakou (夏口; present-day Hankou) and Wuchang (武昌; present-dayEzhou, Hubei).
During theNorthern and Southern dynastiesperiod, the Wuhan area was part of the successive Southern dynasty statesLiu Song(420–479),Southern Qi(479–502),Liang,andWestern Liang.
In fall 550,Hou Jingsent Ren Yue to attack both Xiao Daxin and Xiao Fan's son Xiao Si (蕭嗣). Ren killed Xiao Si in battle, and Xiao Daxin, unable to resist, surrendered, allowing Hou to take his domain under control. Meanwhile, Xiao Guan, who had by now settled at Jiangxia (江夏, in modern Wuhan), was planning to attack Hou, but this drew Xiao Yi's ire—believing that Xiao Guan was intending to contend for the throne—and he sent Wang to attack Xiao Guan. In summer 567, Chen Xu commissionedWu Mingcheas the governor of Xiang Province and had him command a major part of the troops against Hua, along with Chunyu Liang (淳于量). The opposing sides met at Zhuankou (沌口, in modern Wuhan).
The city has long been renowned as a center for the arts (especially poetry) and for intellectual studies.Cui Hao, a celebrated poet of theTang dynasty, visited the Yellow Crane Tower in the early 8th century; his poem made it the most celebrated building in southern China.
In spring 877,Wang Xianzhicaptured E Prefecture (鄂州, in modern Wuhan). He then returned north, joining forces with Huang again, and they surrounded Song Wei at Song Prefecture (宋州, in modernShangqiu,Henan). In winter 877,Huang Chaopillaged Qi and Huang (黃州, in modern Wuhan) Prefectures.
BeforeKublai Khanarrived in 1259, word reached him thatMöngkehad died. Kublai decided to keep the death of his brother secret and continued the attack on the Wuhan area, near theYangtze. The present-dayWuying Pagodawas constructed at the end of theSong dynastybetween attacks by the Mongolian forces. Under theMongolrulers (Yuan dynasty) (after 1301), the Wuchangprefecture, headquartered in the town, became the capital ofHubeiprovince. Hankou, from theMingto lateQing, was under the administration of the local government inHanyang, although it was already one of the four major national markets (四大名镇) of the Ming dynasty.
Hanyang'sGuiyuan Templewas completed in the 15th year of Shunzhi (1658).
By the dawn of the 18th century, Hankou had become one of China's top fourtradingcenters. In the late 19th century,railroadswere extended on a north–south axis through the city, making Wuhan an importanttransshipmentpoint between rail and river traffic. Also during this period foreign powers extracted mercantile concessions, with the riverfront of Hankou being divided up into foreign-controlled merchant districts. These districts contained trading firm offices, warehouses, and docking facilities. The French had aconcessionin Hankou.During theTaiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Wuhan area was controlled for many years by rebel forces and the Yellow Crane Tower,Xingfu Temple,Zhuodaoquan Templeand other buildings were repurposed or damaged. During theSecond Opium War(known in the West as the Arrow War, 1856–1860), the government of the Qing dynasty was defeated by the western powers and signed theTreaties of Tianjinand theConvention of Peking, which stipulated eleven cities or regions (including Hankou) as trading ports. In December 1858,James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, High Commissioner to China, led four warships up theYangtze Riverin Wuhan to collect the information needed for opening the trading port in Wuhan.
In the spring of 1861, CounselorHarry Smith Parkesand Admiral Herbert were sent to Wuhan to open a trading port. On the basis of theConvention of Peking, Parkes concluded the Hankou Lend-Lease Treaty with Guan Wen, the governor-general of Hunan and Hubei. It brought an area of 30.53 square kilometers (11.79 sq mi) along the Yangtze River (from latter-day Jianghan Road to Hezuo Road) to become a British Concession and permittedBritainto set up its consulate in the concession.
In 1862, Russian tea merchants arrived in the treaty port of Hankou. Russians in Hankou established four factories using assembly lines and machinery to produce brick tea, and became the city's richest industrialists in what would become the Russian concession.Japanese immigrants, mainly traders, also started arriving in 1874.
In 1889,Zhang Zhidongwas transferred fromViceroy of Liangguang(GuangdongandGuangxiprovinces) toViceroy of Huguang(HunanandHubeiprovinces). He governed the province for 18 years, until 1907. During this period, he elucidated the theory of "Chinese learning as the basis, Western learning for application," known as the ti-yong ideal. He set up many heavy industries, founded Hanyang Steel Plant,DayeIron Mine, Pingxiang Coal Mine and Hubei Arsenal and set up local textile industries, boosting the flourishing modern industry in Wuhan. Meanwhile, he initiated education reform, opened dozens of modern educational organizations successively, such as Lianghu (Hunan and Hubei) Academy of Classical Learning, Civil General Institute, Military General Institute, Foreign Languages Institute and Lianghu (Hunan and Hubei) General Normal School, and selected a great many students for study overseas, which well promoted the development of China's modern education. Furthermore, he trained a modern military and organized a modern army including azhenand axie(bothzhenandxieare military units in the Qing dynasty) in Hubei.
Originally known as the Hubei Arsenal, theHanyang Arsenalwas founded in 1891, with funds diverted from theNanyang FleetinGuangdongto build the arsenal. It cost about 250,000 pounds sterling and was built in 4 years.On April 23, 1894, construction was completed and the arsenal, occupying some 40 acres (160,000 m), could start production of small-caliber cannons. It built magazine-fed rifles, Gruson quick fire guns, and cartridges.
In 1896, theRussian Empirealso acquired a concession in Hankou.
By 1900, according toCollier'smagazine, Hankou, the Yangtze River boom town, was "theSt. LouisandChicagoof China."On October 10, 1911,Sun Yat-sen's followers launched theWuchang Uprising,which led to the collapse of the Qing state and 2,000 years of dynastic rule,as well as the establishment of theRepublic of China.
The Wuchang Uprising of October 1911, which overthrew the Qing dynasty, originated in Wuhan.Before the uprising, anti-Qing secret societies were active in Wuhan. In September 1911, the outbreak of the protests in Sichuan forced the Qing authorities to send part of the New Army garrisoned in Wuhan to suppress the rebellion.On September 14 the Literary Society (文學社) and the Progressive Association (共進會), two local revolutionary organizations in Hubei,set up joint headquarters in Wuchang and planned for an uprising. On the morning of October 9, a bomb at the office of the political arrangement exploded prematurely and alerted local authorities.The proclamation for the uprising, beadroll and the revolutionaries’ official seal fell into the hands of Rui Cheng, the governor-general of Hunan and Hubei, who demolished the uprising headquarters the same day and set out to arrest the revolutionaries listed in the beadroll.This forced the revolutionaries to launch the uprising earlier than planned.
On the night of October 10, the revolutionaries fired shots to signal the uprising at the engineering barracks of HubeiNew Army.They then led the New Army of all barracks to join the revolution.Under the guidance of Wu Zhaolin, Cai Jimin and others, this revolutionary army seized the official residence of the governor and government offices.Rui Cheng fled in panic into the Chuyu ship. Zhang Biao, the commander of the Qing army, also fled the city. On the morning of the 11th, the revolutionary army took the whole city of Wuchang, but leaders such as Jiang Yiwu and Sun Wu disappeared.Thus the leaderless revolutionary army recommendedLi Yuanhong, the assistant governor of the Qing army, as the commander-in-chief.Li founded the Hubei Military Government, proclaimed the abolition of the Qing rule in Hubei, the founding of the Republic of China and published an open telegram calling for other provinces to join the revolution.
As the revolution spread to other parts of the country, the Qing government concentrated loyalist military forces to suppress the uprising in Wuhan. From October 17 to December 1, the revolutionary army and local volunteers defended the city in theBattle of Yangxiaagainst better armed and more numerous Qing forces commanded byYuan Shikai.Huang Xingwould arrive in Wuhan in early November to take command of the revolutionary army.After fierce fighting and heavy casualties, Qing forces seized Hankou and Hanyang. But Yuan agreed to halt the advance on Wuchang and participated inpeace talks, which would eventually lead to the return of Sun Yat-sen from exile, founding of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912.Through the Wuchang Uprising, Wuhan is known as the birthplace of the Xinhai Revolution, named after the Xinhai year on the Chinese calendar.The city has several museums and memorials to the revolution and the thousands of martyrs who died defending the revolution.
With the northern extension of theNorthern Expedition, the center of the Great Revolution shifted from the Pearl River basin to the Yangtze River basin. On November 26, theKuomintangCentral Political Committee decided tomove the capitalfrom Guangzhou to Wuhan. In mid-December, most of the KMT central executive commissioners and national government commissioners arrived in Wuhan, set up the temporary joint conference of central executive commissioners and National Government commissioners, performed the top functions of central party headquarters and National Government, declared they would work in Wuhan on January 1, 1927, and decided to combine the towns of Wuchang,Hankou, and Hanyang into Wuhan City, called "Capital District". The new national government, later known as "Wuhan nationalist government", was based in the Nanyang Building in Hankou, while the central party headquarters and other organizations chose their locations in Hankou or Wuchang.
In March 1927,Mao Zedongappeared at the Third Plenum of the KMT Central Executive Committee in Wuhan, which sought to strip General Chiang of his power by appointingWang Jingweileader. The first phase of the Northern Expedition was interrupted by the political split in the Kuomintang following the formation of theNanjingfaction in April 1927 against the existing faction in Wuhan.Members of theChinese Communist Party, who had survived the April 12 massacre, met at Wuhan and reelectedChen Duxiu(Ch'en Tu-hsiu) as the Party's Secretary General.The split was partially motivated by thepurge of the Communistswithin the party, which marked the end of theFirst United Front, andChiang Kai-shekbriefly stepped down as the commander of the National Revolutionary Army.
In June 1927,Stalinsent a telegram to the Communists in Wuhan, calling for the mobilization of an army of workers and peasants.This alarmed Wang Jingwei, who decided to break with the Communists and come to terms with Chiang Kai-shek. TheWuhan coupwas a political shift made on July 15, 1927, by Wang Jingwei towards Chiang Kai-shek, and hisShanghai-based rival in the Kuomintang. The Wuhan Nationalist Government was established in Wuhan on February 21, 1927, and ended by August 19, 1927.After the end of the Northern Expedition, Hankou was elevated to a centrally-controlled municipality.
In the1931 China floods, one of the deadliest flood disasters in world history, Wuhan was a refuge for flood victims from outlying areas, who had been arriving since the late spring. But when the city itself was inundated in the early summer, and after a catastrophic dike failure just before 6:00 AM on July 27,an estimated 782,189 urban citizens and rural refugees were left homeless. The flood covered an area of 32 square miles and the city was flooded under many feet of water for close to three months.Large numbers gathered on flood islands throughout the city, with 30,000 sheltering on a railway embankment in central Hankou. With little food and a complete breakdown in sanitation, thousands soon began to succumb to diseases.Jin Shilong, Senior Engineer at the Hubei Flood Prevention Agency, described the flooding:
The high-water mark was reached on August 19 at Hankou, with the water level exceeding 16 m (53 ft) above normal.In 1936, when natural disaster struckCentral Chinawith widespread flooding affectingHebei,Hunan,Jiangxi, Wuhan andChongqingcaused by theYangtzeandHuai Riversbursting their banks,Ong Seok Kim, as Chairman of the Sitiawan Fundraising and Disaster Relief Committee, raised money and materials in support of the victims.
During theSecond Sino-Japanese Warand following thefall of Nankingin December 1937, Wuhan had become the provisional capital of China's Kuomintang government, and became another focal point of pitched air battles beginning in early 1938 between modernmonoplanebomber and fighter aircraft of the Imperial Japanese forces and theChinese Air Force, which included support from theSoviet Volunteer Groupin both planes and personnel, as U.S. support in war materials waned. As the battle raged on through 1938, Wuhan and the surrounding region had become the site of theBattle of Wuhan. After being taken by the Japanese in late 1938, Wuhan became a major Japanese logistics center for operations in southern China.
In early October 1938, Japanese troops moved east and north in the outskirts of Wuhan. As a result, numerous companies and enterprises and large numbers of people had to withdraw from Wuhan to the west of Hubei and Sichuan. The KMT navy undertook the responsibility of defending the Yangtze River on patrol and covering the withdrawal. On October 24, while overseeing the waters of the Yangtze River near the town of Jinkou (Jiangxia District in Wuhan) in Wuchang, the KMTgunboatZhongshancame up against six Japanese aircraft. Though two were eventually shot down, theZhongshansank with 25 casualties. Raised from the bottom of the Yangtze River in 1997, and restored at a local shipyard, theZhongshanhas been moved to a purpose-built museum in Wuhan's suburbanJiangxia District, which opened on September 26, 2011.
As a key center on the Yangtze, Wuhan was an important base for Japanese operations in China.On December 18, 1944, in a planned strategic move, and as revenge for the torture and execution of three captured American pilots by Japanese soldiers in the city, Wuhan was bombed by 77 American bombers with the approval of Chiang Kai-Shek. This set off a firestorm that destroyed much of the military resources of the city.For the next three days, Wuhan was bombed by the Americans, destroying all of the docks and warehouses of Wuhan, as well as the Japanese air bases in the city. The air raids also killed thousands of Chinese civilians."According to casualty statistics compiled by Hankou city in 1946, more than 20,000 were killed or injured in the December bombings of 1944."
Wuhan returned to Chinese control in September 1945. Administratively, Wuchang and Hanyang were initially combined into a new City of Wuchang, but in October 1946 were separated into the City of Wuchang (including Wuchang only) and the County of Hanyang. Hankou became a centrally controlled municipality in August 1947. Militarily, the Wuhan Forward Headquarters was established in Wuhan, headed byBai Chongxi.
During the later stages of the Chinese Civil War, Bai sought to broker peace, proposing that the Communist Party could rule northern China while the Nationalist government retained southern China. This was rejected, and on May 15, 1949, Bai and the Wuhan garrison retreated from the city. People's Liberation Army troops entered Wuhan on the afternoon of Monday, May 16, 1949.
The Communists redeveloped industry in Wuhan, which had damaged by war.During the PRC's first decade, it became an important center of industry again.Hundreds of factories were built in the city, including most prominentlyWuhan Iron and Steel, which opened in 1958.
TheChangjiang Water Resources Commissionwas reestablished in February 1950 with its headquarters in Wuhan. From June to September 1954, theYangtze River Floodswere a series of catastrophic floodings that occurred mostly in Hubei Province. Due to an unusually high volume of precipitation as well as an extraordinarily long rainy season in the middle stretch of the Yangtze River late in the spring of 1954, the river started to rise above its usual level in around late June. In 1969, a large stone monument was erected in the riverside park in Hankou honoring the heroic deeds in fighting the 1954 Yangtze River floods.
Before construction of theWuhan Yangtze River Bridge,Hunslet Engine Companybuilt two extra heavy0-8-0locomotives for loading thetrain ferriesfor crossing the Yangtze River in Wuhan.
The project of building theWuhan Yangtze River Bridge, also known as the First Yangtze River Bridge, was regarded as one of the key projects during the first five-year plan. On October 25, 1955, construction began on the bridge proper. The same day in 1957, the whole project was completed and an opening-to-traffic ceremony was held on October 15. The First Yangtze River Bridge united theBeijing–Hankou railwaywith theGuangdong–Hankou railwayinto theBeijing–Guangzhou railway, making Wuhan a 'thoroughfare to nine provinces' (九省通衢) in name and in fact.
After Chengdu Conference, Mao went to Chongqing and Wuhan in April to inspect the countryside and factories. In Wuhan, he called all the leaders of provinces and municipalities who had not attended Chengdu Conference to report their work. Tian Jiaying, the secretary of Mao, said that Wuhan Conference was a supplement to Chengdu Conference.
As theThird Front campaignshifted the focus of industrial development to China's hinterlands, Wuhan's development slowed.
In July 1967, civil strife struck the city in theWuhan Incident("July 20th Incident"), an armed conflict between two hostile groups who were fighting for control over the city at the height of theCultural Revolution.Economic development was further disrupted by the Cultural Revolution.
In 1981, the Wuhan City Government commenced reconstruction of theYellow Crane Towerat a new location, about 1 km (0.62 mi) from the original site, and it was completed in 1985. In 1957, theWuhan Yangtze River Bridgewas built with one trestle of the bridge on the site of the tower, which had been last destroyed in 1884.
During the1989 Tiananmen Square protests, students in Wuhan blocked theYangtze River Railway bridgeand another 4,000 gathered at the railway station.About one thousand students staged a railroad 'sit-in'. Rail traffic on the Beijing-Guangzhou and Wuhan-Dalian lines was interrupted. The students also urged employees of major state-owned enterprises to go on strike.The situation was so tense that residents reportedly began abank runand resorted to panic-buying.
Wuhan was the first stop onDeng Xiaoping's 1992southern tour.
In the wake of theUnited States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgradeon May 7, 1999, protests broke out throughout China, including in Wuhan.
On June 22, 2000, aWuhan Airlines flightfromEnshito Wuhan was forced to circle for 30 minutes due to thunderstorms. The aircraft eventually crashed on the banks ofHan RiverinHanyang District,all on-board perished (there were varying accounts of number of crews and passengers). In addition, the crash also killed 7 people on the ground.
Chinese protesters organized boycottsof the French-owned retail chainCarrefourin major Chinese cities includingKunming,Hefeiand Wuhan, accusing the French nation of pro-secessionistconspiracy andanti-Chineseracism.The BBC reported that hundreds of people demonstrated in Beijing, Wuhan, Hefei, Kunming andQingdao.On May 19, 2011,Fang Binxing, the Principal ofBeijing University of Posts and Telecommunications(also known as "Father ofChina's Great Fire Wall") was hit on the chest by a shoe thrown at him by aHuazhong University of Science and Technologystudent who calls herself "hanjunyi" (寒君依, or小湖北) while Fang was giving a lecture atWuhan University.
The city has been subject to devastating floods, which are now supposed to be controlled by the ambitiousThree Gorges Dam, a project which was completed in 2008.The2008 Chinese winter stormsdamaged water supply equipment in Wuhan: up to 100,000 people were out of running water when several water pipes burst, cutting the supply to local households.The2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat wavehit Wuhan on July 3.In the2010 China floods, theHan Riverat Wuhan experienced its worst flooding in twenty years, as officials continued sandbagging efforts along the Han and Yangtze Rivers in the city and checked reservoirs.In the2011 China floods, Wuhan was flooded, with parts of the city losing power.In the2016 China floods, Wuhan saw 570 mm (22 in) of rainfall during the first week of July, surpassing the record that fell on the city in 1991. Ared alertfor heavy rainfall was issued on July 2, the same day that eight people died after a 15-meter (49 ft) section of a 2 m (6.6 ft) tall wall collapsed on top of them.The city's subway system, theWuhan Metrowas partially submerged as was themain railway station.At least 14 city residents were killed, one was missing, and more than 80,000 were relocated.
The2019 Military World Gameswere hosted in Wuhan in October.
In December 2019,SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that caused theCOVID-19 pandemic, was first discovered in Wuhan,and the city was the location ofthe firstlockdownof the pandemic in January 2020.Wuhan and other Hubei cities were placed under lockdownfor nearly three months to contain the disease.On April 8, 2020, the Wuhan lockdown officially came to an end after no new domestic cases were reported in Hubei province.The virus is believed to have been a mutation of a virus that existed in bats, and first spread to humans at awet marketin Wuhan.Although no bats were sold at the market, some 38 other species of animals were offered, one of which could have served as an intermediary species. In December 2024, a congressional committee, chaired by Rep.Brad Wenstrup, completed a two-year investigation and released a final report concluding that theCovid-19likely leaked from a virology laboratory in Wuhan.
Wuhan is in east-central Hubei, at latitude 29° 58'–31° 22' N and longitude 113° 41'–115° 05' E. Wuhan sits at the confluence of theHan Riverflowing into theYangtze Riverat the East of the Jianghan Plain along the Yangtze's middle reaches.
The metropolitan area comprises three parts—Wuchang,Hankou, andHanyang—commonly called the "Three Towns of Wuhan" (hence the name "Wuhan", combining "Wu" from the first city and "Han" from the other two). The consolidation of these cities occurred in 1927 and Wuhan was thereby established. The three former cities face each other across the rivers and are linked by bridges, including one of the first modern bridges in China, known as the "First Bridge".
It is simple in terrain—low and flat in the middle and hilly in the south, with the Yangtze and Han rivers winding through the city. TheShe Riverenters the Yangtze in Huangpi District. Wuhan occupies a land area of 8,494.41 square kilometers (3,279.71 sq mi), most of which is alluvial plain and decorated with hills and a great number of lakes and ponds. Water makes up one quarter of Wuhan's urban territory, which is the highest percentage among major cities in China.Wuhan has nearly 200 lakes, including theEast Lakeof 33 km2, andTangxun Lake, which are the largest lakes entirely within a city in China.
Other well-known lakes includeSouth LakeandSand Lake.Liangzi Lake, the largest lake by surface area in Hubei province, is located in the southeast ofJiangxia District.The twin peaks at the junction of Huangpi District and Xiaogan City, with an altitude of 872.5 meters, are the highest points in Wuhan. There are also several mountains within the city limits of Wuhan includingMount Luojia(珞珈山) in Wuchang District as well asMount Hong(洪山) andMount Yujia(喻家山/瑜珈山) inHongshan District.
Wuhan's climate ishumid subtropical(KöppenCfa) with abundant rainfall in summer and four distinctive seasons. Wuhan is known for its humid summers, whendewpointscan often reach 26 °C (79 °F) or more.Historically, along withChongqingandNanjing, Wuhan is referred to as one of the "Three Furnacelike Cities" along the Yangtze River for their hot summers.However, the climate data of recent years suggests that Wuhan is no longer among the top tier of "The hottest cities in summer" list, the New Four Furnacelike Cities areChongqing,Fuzhou,Hangzhou, andNanchang.Spring and autumn are generally mild, while winter is cool with quite low rainfall and occasional snow. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 4.1 °C (39.4 °F) in January to 29.3 °C (84.7 °F) in July.Annual precipitation totals just under 1,320 mm (52 in),the majority of which falls from April to July; the annual mean temperature is 17.4 °C (63.3 °F),the frost-free period lasts 211 to 272 days.With monthly possible sunshine percentage ranging from 30 percent in January to 53 percent in August, the city proper receives 1,783 hours of bright sunshine annually.Extreme low and high temperatures recorded are −18.1 °C (−1 °F) on January 31, 1977, and 39.7 °C (103 °F) on July 27, 2017 / on August 18, 2022 (unofficial record of 41.3 °C (106 °F) on August 10, 1934).
Wuhan is asub-provincial city. Municipal government is regulated by the localChinese Communist Party(CCP), led by the WuhanCCP Secretary(Chinese:武汉市委书记), Wang Zhonglin (王忠林). The local CCP issues administrative orders, collects taxes, manages the economy, and directs a standing committee of the Municipal People's Congress in making policy decisions and overseeing the local government.
Government officials include the Mayor of Wuhan (市长), Cheng Yongwen (程用文), and vice-mayors. Numerous bureaus focus on law, public security, and other affairs.Zhou Xianwang(周先旺) was mayor from 2018 to 2021.
The sub-provincial city of Wuhan currently comprises 13districts.As of theSixth Census of China in 2010, the 13 districts comprised 160township-level divisionsincluding 156subdistricts, 3towns, 1townships.
There are four countries that have consulates in Wuhan:
The current U.S. Consul General, Jamie Fouss, was posted to Wuhan in August 2017. The office of theU.S. Consulate General, Central China (located in Wuhan) celebrated its official opening on November 20, 2008, and is the first new American consulate in China in over 20 years.
In 2015, Japanand Russiaannounced their intentions to establish consular offices in Wuhan.
Up until the 21st century, Wuhan was largely an agricultural region. Since 2004 it has been a focal point of theRise of Central China Plan, which aims to build less-developed inland economies into hubs of advanced manufacturing.
Since 1890,the steel industry has been the backbone of Wuhan's industry.In 2010, automobile industry exceeded GDP for Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation (WISCO) steel for the first time. There are 5 car manufacturers, includingDongfeng Honda,Citroën,SAIC-GM, DFM Passenger Vehicle andDongfeng Renault.Dongfeng-Citroen Automobile Co., Ltdis headquartered in the city.
As of 2016, Wuhan has attracted foreign investment from over 80 countries, with 5,973 foreign-invested enterprises established in the city with a total capital injection of $22.45 billionUSD.Among these, about 50 French companies includingRenaultandPSA Grouphave operations in the city, representing over one third of French investment in China, and the highest level of French investment in any Chinese city.
Wuhan is an important center for economy, trade, finance, transportation, information technology, and education in China. Its major industries include optic-electronic, automobile manufacturing, iron and steel manufacturing, new pharmaceutical sector, biology engineering, new materials industry and environmental protection. Environmental sustainability is highlighted in Wuhan's list of emerging industries, which include energy efficiency technology and renewable energy.
As of 2021, Wuhan is ranked among the world's top 100 financial centers, according to theGlobal Financial Centres Index.
Major industrial zones in Wuhan include in chronological order:
Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone is a national level industrial zone incorporated in 1993.Its current zone size is about 10–25 square km and it plans to expand to 25–50 square km. Industries encouraged in Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone include Auto-mobile Production/Assembly, Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals Production and Processing, Food/Beverage Processing, Heavy Industry, and Telecommunications Equipment.
Wuhan Export Processing Zone was established in 2000. It is located in Wuhan Economic and Technology Development Zone, planned to cover 2.7 square kilometers (1.0 square mile) of land. The first 0.7-square-kilometer (0.3-square-mile) area has already been created.
Wuhan Donghu New Technology Development Zone is a national level high-tech development zone. Optical-electronics, telecommunications, and equipment manufacturing are the core industries of Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone (ELHTZ) while software outsourcing and electronics are also encouraged. ELHTZ is China's largest production center for optoelectronic products with key players like Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable,(the largest fiber-optical cable maker in China), and Fiberhome Telecommunications.Wuhan Donghu New Technology Development Zone also represents the development center for China's laser industry with key players such asHGTECHand Chutian Laser being based in the zone.
Wuhan Optical Valley (Guanggu) Software Park is located in WuhanDonghu New Technology Development Zone. Wuhan Optics Valley Software Park is jointly developed by East Lake High-Tech Development Zone and Dalian Software Park Co., Ltd.The planned area is 0.67 square kilometers (0.26 square miles) with total floor area of 6,000,000 square meters (65,000,000 square feet). The zone is 8.5 km (5.28 mi) away from the 316 National Highway and is 46.7 km (29.02 mi) away from the Wuhan Tianhe Airport.
Biolake is an industrial base established in 2008 in theOptics Valley of China. Located inEast Lake New Technology Development Zoneof Wuhan, Biolake covers 15 km(5.8 sq mi), and has six parks including Bio-innovation Park, Bio-pharma Park, Bio-agriculture Park, Bio-manufacturing Park, Medical Device Park and Medical Health Park, to accommodate both research activities and living.
Wuhan is the most populous city in Central China andamong the most populous in China. In theSeventh Census of China in 2020, Wuhan was home to 12,326,500 inhabitants, a 25.97% increase by 2.5411 million compared to the last census in 2010. 2010-2020 is the fastest growing 10 years in history since the census was established, averaging 2.34% annually, and it was the first time that Wuhan's population reached 10 million.
The encompassingmetropolitan areawas estimated by theOECD(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) to have, as of 2010, a population of 19 million.As of November 2019, urban development status considering both spatial and socioeconomic processes has been examined using Night Time Lighting data and land cover data as proxies; it showed Wuhan's high concentration
of socioeconomic activities compared to its urban spatial development.
According to a survey published in 2017, 79.2% of the population of Wuhan are either irreligious or practiceworship of gods and ancestors; among these 0.9% areTaoists. Among other religious doctrines, 14.7% of the population adheres toBuddhism, 2.9% toProtestantism, 0.3% toCatholicismand 1.6% toIslam, and 1.6% of the population adheres to unspecified other religions.
China Railway Wuhan Groupmanages theWuhan Railway Hub. Wuhan Railway Hub is considered one of the four keyrailway hubsof China.The city of Wuhan is served by three major railway stations: theHankou railway stationinHankou, theWuchang railway stationinWuchang, and theWuhan railway station, located in a newly developed area east of theEast Lake(Hongshan District). As the stations are many miles apart, it is important for passengers to be aware of the particular station(s) used by a particular train.
The (original) Hankou Station was the terminus for theJinghan railwayfrom Beijing, while the Wuchang Station was the terminus for theYuehan railwayto Guangzhou. Since the construction of the First Yangtze Bridge and the linking of the two lines into theJingguang railway, both Hankou and Wuchang stations have been served by trains going to all directions, which contrasts with the situation in such cities as New York or Moscow, where different stations serve different directions.
With the opening of theHefei-Wuhan high-speed railwayon April 1, 2009,Wuhan became served by high-speed trains with Hefei, Nanjing, and Shanghai; several trains a day now connect the city with Shanghai, getting there in under six hours. As of early 2010, most of these express trains leave from theHankou railway station.
In 2006, construction began on the newWuhan railway stationwith 11 platforms, located on the northeastern outskirts of the city. In December 2009, the station was opened, as China unveiled itssecond high-speed trainwith scheduled runs from Guangzhou to Wuhan. Billed as the fastest train in the world, it can reach a speed of 394 km/h (244.82 mph). The travel time between the two cities has been reduced from ten and a half hours to just three. The rail service has been extended north to Beijing.
As of 2011, the newWuhan railway stationis primarily used by the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed trains, while most regular trains to other destinations continue to use the Hankou and Wuchang stations.
Construction work is carried out on several lines of the newWuhan Metropolitan Area intercity railway, which will eventually connect Wuhan's three main rail terminals with several stations throughout the city's outer areas and farther suburbs, as well as with the nearby cities ofXianning,Huangshi,Huanggang, andXiaogan. The first line of the system,the one to Xianning, opened for passenger operations at the end of 2013. The line toXiaogenopened on December 1, 2016, and it was extended with the opening of theWuhan–Shiyan high-speed railwayto Shiyan on November 29, 2019.
The main freight railway station andclassification yardof the Wuhan metropolitan area is the extensiveWuhan North railway station, with 112 tracks and over 650 switches. It is located inHengdian Subdistrict[zh]ofHuangpi District, located 20 km (12 mi) north of the Wuhan Station and 23 km (14 mi) from Hankou Station.
Wuhan Metrois arapid transitsystem serving the city of Wuhan. Owned and operated by Wuhan Metro Group Co., Ltd., the network now includes 11 lines, 282 stations, and 435 km (270 mi) of route length. Line 1, the first line in the system, opened on July 28, 2004, making Wuhan the seventh city inmainland Chinawith arapid transitsystem, afterBeijing,Tianjin,Shanghai,Guangzhou,Changchun, andDalian.Line 2 opened on December 28, 2012, and is the first underground metro line crossing theYangtze River. Commuting across the Yangtze River and Han River has been the bottleneck of Wuhan traffic. However, the appearance of Wuhan Metro greatly relieved this problem. With 1.22 billion annual passengers in 2019, Wuhan Metro is the sixth-busiest rapid transit system inmainland China.Wuhan Metro is a rapidly developing metro system. There are a number of lines or sections under construction. The government of Wuhan City promised the citizens that at least two lines or sections open every year.Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the entire network was out of service from January 23 to March 27, 2020.
Trams were brought to the streets of Wuhan on July 28, 2017, with the first line (Auto-city T1 Line) opened that day.The trams under construction or planning in Wuhan are:
Local transport is also provided by buses, includingtrolleybuses. The trolleybus system has been operation since 1958.Its first route, which remains in operation today, isroute 1.
Wuhan is a major hub for maritime transport in central China. ThePort of Wuhanprovide services for the local population and shipping services.
Located on the banks of the Yangtze River, Wuhan has a long history of ferry services. Modern ferry services were established in 1900 by steam boat. In 1937, a train ferry was established to transport train cars from Hankou to Wuchang.There are numbered stops around Wuhan where people can get on and off the ferry and there is a tourist ferry in the night.
Currently, ferry services are provided by the Wuhan Ferry Company. In 2010, the company bought ten new ships to replace those that had been in service for 29 years.
Wuhan Tianhe International Airportis one of the busiest airports in central China. The airport opened in April 1995 to replace the old Hankou Wangjiadun Airport andNanhu Airportas the major airport of Wuhan.It is located in Wuhan's suburbanHuangpi District, 26 kilometers (16 mi) north of Wuhan city proper. The extension of Line 2 ofWuhan Metroto Tianhe Airport opened on December 28, 2016.It has also been selected as China's fourth international hub airport afterBeijing Capital,Shanghai PudongandGuangzhou Baiyun. A second terminal was completed in March 2008, having been started in February 2005 with an investment of CNY 3.372 billion. International flights to neighboring Asian countries have also been enhanced, including direct flights toTokyoandNagoya, Japan. Terminal 3 has been available for service since early 2017.
Wuhan Hannan General Airportis an airport dedicated to general aviation, located inHannan Districtof Wuhan. It is the largest airport in China that only handles general aviation.On December 1, 2017, construction began onWuhan Caidian General Airport, another airport dedicated to general aviation, which is located inCaidian Districtof Wuhan.
Numerous major highways and expressways pass through Wuhan, including:
As of May 2011, the Wuhan andHangzhou Public Bicyclebike-share systems in China were the largest in the world, with around 90,000 and 60,000 bicycles respectively.In 2012 the Wuhan and Hangzhou Public Bicycle programs in China are the largest in the world, with around 90,000 and 60,000 bicycles respectively. China has seen a rise in private "dockless" bike shares with fleets that dwarf systems in size outside China.Initially, a number of traditional (third-generation) docked public bike systems operated by local municipal governments opened across China, with the largest ones being in Wuhan and Hangzhou. The first was introduced in Beijing in 2007. However, third-generation bike sharing is not considered successful for the majority cities in China. Bike sharing in Beijing virtually stopped and it also has encountered difficulties in Shanghai and Wuhan.
The institute has been an active premier research center for the study ofcoronaviruses.
As of 2023, there are 82 higher educational institutions in Wuhan, making it a leading educational hub in theCentral Chinaregion.Wuhan is also an important hub for international students, and it was ranked the best city in the Central China region, 4th in China, and 98th globally by the QS Best Student Cities Rankings in 2023.
Prominent institutions includeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyandWuhan University. Three state-level development zones and many enterprise incubators are also significant in Wuhan's education and business development. Wuhan ranks third in China in overall strength of science and technology.
As of the end of 2013, in Wuhan there were 1,024 kindergartens with 224,300 children, 590 primary schools with 424,000 students, 369 general high schools with 314,000 students, 105 secondary vocational and technical schools with 98,600 students, and 80 colleges and universities with 966,400 undergraduates and junior college students and 107,400 postgraduate students.There are severalinternational schools in Wuhan.
Wuhan is a major city in the world by scientific research outputs and it ranks9thglobally and 5th in the Asia-Pacific & China (afterBeijing,Shanghai,NanjingandGuangzhou).
Huazhong University of Science and Technology(HUST), located in theOptics Valley of Chinanear East Lake, is aProject 985and Class ADouble First Class University.HUST manages Wuhan National Laboratories for Opto-electronics (WNLO), which is one of the five national laboratories in China. HUST is also one of four Chinese universities eligible to run the national laboratory and the national major science and technology infrastructure. Founded in 1953 as Huazhong Institute of Technology, it combined with three other universities (including former Tongji Medical University founded in 1907) in 2000 to form the new HUST, and has 42 schools and departments covering 12 comprehensive disciplines.HUST has 12 Fellows ofChinese Academy of Sciencesand 17 Fellows ofChinese Academy of Engineering.As of 2024, theU.S. News' 2024U.S. News & World Reportranked HUST 100th in the world, 17th in Asia and 9th in China,while theAcademic Ranking of World Universitiesranked the university 79th in the world, 13th in Asia and 8th in China.More than 2,000 international students from 120 countries pursue degrees at HUST.
Wuhan Universityis anotherProject 985and Class ADouble First Class University,which was ranked 89th in the world, 17th in Asia and 10th in China by the 2024Academic Ranking of World Universitiesand 108th in the world by theU.S. News & World Report,while it was ranked the 194th by the 2024QS World University Rankingsand 134th by the 2025Times Higher Education;established in 1893, the old Wuhan University absorbed three other schools (two of them being its spin-offs since the 1950s) in 2000 to become a university with 36 schools in 6 faculties. Since the 1950s it has received international students from more than 109 countries.
Wuhan contains three national development zones and four scientific and technological development parks, as well as numerous enterprise incubators, over 350 research institutes, 1470 high-tech enterprises, and over 400,000 experts and technicians.
Founded in 1958, the Wuhan Branch ofChinese Academy of Sciencesis one of the twelve national branches of CAS. It is composed of 9 independent organizations, including the headquarters at Xiaohongshan, Wuchang. It has had a staff of 3,900, among which 8 are CAS fellows, and one is aChinese Academy of Engineeringfellow. As of 2013, the achievements gained by WHB had won 23 National Awards and 778 Provincial Awards.Wuhan Research Institute of Post and Telecommunications (now known as FiberHome Technologies Group) is the national center for optical communication research in China, and is where the firstoptical fiberin the country was produced.TheWuhan Institute of Virologyis also operated by the CAS.
Wuhan University of Technologyis another major national university with three main campuses located in theWuchang District. Founded in the year 2000, it was merged from three major universities, Wuhan University of Technology (established in 1948), Wuhan Transportation University (established in 1946) and Wuhan Automotive Polytechnic University (established in 1958). Wuhan University of Technology, together withChina University of Geosciences (Wuhan),Huazhong Agricultural University,Zhongnan University of Economics and LawandCentral China Normal University(orHuazhong Normal University), are the leading Chinese universities accredited by the Ministry of Education under the "StateProject 211" forChinese higher education institutions. Other majorresearch universitieshave its seat in the city, includingWuhan University of Science and Technology,Hubei University,Hubei University of Technology, andSouth Central University for Nationalities.
Wuhan is a major site for water planning and research in central China.
The headquarters ofHubei Televisionis located in Wuchang District.Tortoise Mountain TV Toweris China's first self-developed TV tower, opened in 1986. The modern newspapers in Wuhan can be dated back to 1866, whenHankow Times, a newspaper in English, was founded. Before 1949, more than 50 newspapers and magazines were published by foreigners in Wuhan.Chao-wen Hsin-pao, founded by Ai Xiaomei in 1873, was the first Chinese newspaper to appear in Hankou (one of the cities that was merged into Wuhan). During theNorthern Expeditionera (1926–1928), journalism in Wuhan came to a climax; more than 120 newspapers and periodicals, including national newspapers such asCentral Daily NewsandRepublican Daily News, were founded or published during this time.Chutian Metropolis DailyandWuhan Evening Newsare two major local commercial tabloid newspapers. Both of them have entered the list of 100 most widely circulated newspapers of the world.
The plum blossom is the city's emblem, chosen partly because of the long history of local plum cultivation and use, and partly to recognize the plum's current economic significance in terms of cultivation and research. Local wild plums were used medicinally during theQinandHandynasties. Cultivation of the fruit began during theSong dynasty. Some traditional new year customs revolve around the planting of plums.
Wuhan natives speak a variety ofSouthwestern MandarinChinese referred to as Wuhan dialect that differs slightly between the districts of Wuhan, including Wuchang dialect in Wuchang District, Hankou dialect in the Hankou districts, Hanyang dialect in Hanyang District, and Qingshan dialect in Qingshan District.
Hubei cuisine is one ofChina's ten major styles of cooking. With a history of more than 2,000 years, Hubei cuisine, originating in ancient Chu cuisine, has developed a number of distinctive dishes, such as steamed blunt-snout bream in clear soup, preserved ham with flowering Chinese cabbage, and others. On the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, many in Wuhan eatdìcài zhǔ jīdàn(地菜煮鸡蛋), an egg dish which is supposed to prevent illness in the coming year.
"No need to be particular about the recipes; all foods have their own uses.Rice wineandtangyuanare excellent midnight snacks, while fat bream and flowering Chinese cabbages are great delicacies."This attitude expressed inHankou Zhuzhicireflects indirectly the eating habits and a wide variety of distinctive snacks with a long history in Wuhan, such as Qingshuizong (a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) in the Period of the Warring States, Chunbinbian in Northern and Southern dynasties, mung bean jelly in the Sui dynasty, youguo (a deep-fried twisted dough stick) in the Song and Yuan dynasties, rice wine and mianwo in the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as three-delicacy stuffed skin of bean milk,tangbao (steamed dumpling filled with minced meat and gravy) and hot braised noodles (reganmian) in modern times.
Guozao(過早) is a popular way to say 'having breakfast' in Wuhan, and a part of the city's culture. As a hub for land transport in China, Wuhan has gathered and mixed together various habits and customs from neighboring cities and provinces in all directions, which gives rise to a concentration of diverse cuisines from different places. The most famous place toguozao(have breakfast) is Hubu Street (戶部巷), a 150-meter-long street in the neighborhood of Simenkou (司门口). Along its short length one can find nearly all the traditional foods of Wuhan, such as:
Han opera, which is the local opera of Wuhan area, was one of China's oldest and most popular operas. During the late Qing dynasty, Han opera, blended with Hui opera, gave birth to Peking opera, the most popular opera in modern China. Thus Han opera has been called the "mother of Peking opera."
Wuhan had a professional football team,Wuhan, that plays in theChina League One. Xinhua Road Sport Center, the team's home stadium, with a capacity of 32,137, is located in the heart of the city next to Zhongshan Park. For the 2013 season, Wuhan Zall was promoted to the top-tier league of Chinese football,Chinese Super League, and relocated its home toWuhan Sports Center Stadium, a modern stadium with 54,357 seats located in the suburbs of the city. However, the team did not play well in the ensuing season and was demoted back to China League One as the 2013 season ended. For financial and transportation reasons, the team moved back to Xinhua Road Sport Center in 2014. In January 2023, the team folded. Wuhan also has theWuhan Three Townsin the Chinese Super League, who won the title during the 2022 season for the first time upon promotion from China League One.
TheWuhan Gatorswere a professionalarena footballteam based in Wuhan. They were members of theChina Arena Football League(CAFL).
The 13,000-seatWuhan Sports Center Gymnasiumheld the2011 FIBA Asia Championshipand was one of the venues for the2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.The 7thMilitary World Gameswere hosted in Wuhan from Oct 18 to 27, 2019.
The city has been the venue for the women's tennis tournament, theWuhan Open, one of theWTA'sPremier 5 tournaments, since 2014.
Wuhan haseleven bridges and one tunnel across the Yangtze River. TheWuhan Yangtze River Bridge, also called the First Bridge, was built over theYangtzein 1957, carrying a railroad directly across the river between hills known as Snake Hill and Turtle Hill. Before this bridge was built it could take up to an entire day tobargerailcars across. Including its approaches, it is 5,511 feet (1,680 m) long, and it accommodates both a double-track railway on a lower deck and a four-lane roadway above. It was built with the assistance of advisers from theSoviet Union.
TheSecond Bridge, acable-stayed bridgebuilt ofprestressed concrete, has a central span of 400 meters (1,300 feet); it is 4,678 meters (15,348 feet) in length (including 1,877 meters (6,158 feet) of the main bridge) and 26.5 to 33.5 meters (86.9 to 109.9 feet) in width. Its main bridgeheads are 90 meters (300 feet) high each, pulling 392 thick slanting cables together in the shape of double fans so that the central span of the bridge is well poised on the piers and the bridge's stability and vibration resistance are ensured. With six lanes on the deck, the bridge is designed to handle the daily passage of 50,000 motor vehicles. The bridge was completed in 1995.
TheThird Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, also called Baishazhou Bridge, was completed in September 2000. Located 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) southwest of the First Bridge, construction of Baishazhou Bridge started in 1997. With an investment of over 1.4 billion yuan (aboutUS$170,000,000), the bridge, which is 3,586 meters (11,765 feet) long and 26.5 meters (86.9 feet) wide, has six lanes and has a capacity of 50,000 vehicles a day. The bridge is expected to serve as a major passage for the future Wuhan Ring Road, greatly easing the city's traffic and aiding local economic development.
TheYangluo BridgecarriesWuhan's Ring Roadacross the Yangtze in the city's eastern suburbs (connecting theHongshan Districtwith theXinzhou District). It was opened on December 26, 2007.
TheWuhan Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridgecrosses the Yangtze in the northeastern part of the city, downstream of the Second bridge. It is named after Tianxing Island (Tianxingzhou), above which it crosses the river. Built at a cost of 11 billion yuan, the 4,657-meter cable suspension bridge was opened on December 26, 2009,in time for the opening of theWuhan railway station. It is a combined road and rail bridge, and carries theWuhan–Guangzhou high-speed railwayacross the river.
TheYellow Crane Tower, historically one of the tallest buildings in Wuhan, is considered one of theFour Great Towers of Chinaand was destroyed twelve times, both by warfare and by fire. The tower is classified as anAAAAA scenic areaby theChina National Tourism Administration.At 475.6 meters (1,560 ft) in height, theWuhan Greenland Centeris the tallest skyscraper in Wuhan and in Central China, as well as theeighth tallest building in China.
TheWuhan Center, the second tallest skyscraper in Wuhan, was the tallest building in the city when it was completed in 2019. It retained the title until Wuhan Greenland Center surpassed it in 2023.Riverview Plazais a 376 meters (1,234 ft) tall skyscraper located in Wuhan. It was completed in 2021 and is currently the third tallest building in the city. ThePhoenix Towersare proposedsupertall skyscrapersplanned for construction in Wuhan. At 1 kilometer (3,300 ft) high, the towers would be among the tallest structures in the world when completed.
Wuhan istwinnedwith:
And Wuhan has friendly exchange relationships with:
The city of Arnhem has unilaterally ended its twinning with Wuhan on July 21, 2021, citing concerns about thepersecution of Uyghurs in China.
InChinese mythology, theBaiji("Yangtze River dolphin") has many origin stories. In one legend, the Baiji was the daughter of a general who was deported from the city of Wuhan during a war. During his duty, the daughter ran away. Later, the general met a woman who told him how her father was a general, and when he realized that she was his daughter, he threw himself into the river out of shame. The daughter ran after him and also fell into the river. Before they were drowned, the daughter was transformed into a dolphin, and the general a porpoise.