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Central China · 华中Capital: Wuhan

Hubei湖北·鄂 / 楚

The Yangtze's heart — Three Gorges, the Yellow Crane Tower, and spicy lotus-root cuisine.

Hubei lies on the . Wuhan, the provincial capital, is the largest inland metropolis in China and a major linking north to south.

The province is a launchpad for , a Taoist pilgrimage to , and exploration of central China's .

The 2,400-year-old , unearthed at Suizhou in 1978, are the most spectacular surviving artefacts of early Chinese music.

Top Attractions

Culture & Traditions

Hubei Cuisine

Yangtze freshwater fish, lotus-root soup, hot dry noodles (re gan mian) for breakfast, and three-shred soup are everyday Wuhan staples. Spice level: assertive but not Sichuan-fiery.

Tai Chi Birthplace

Legend credits Wudang Mountain monk Zhang Sanfeng with creating Tai Chi in the 13th century. Today, Wudang trains thousands of students each year in its 13 traditional Taoist forms.

Chu Kingdom Heritage

Before the Qin unification, the Chu kingdom dominated central China. Wuhan and Jingzhou preserve Chu bronze, silk, lacquerware and the source of Daoist mythology in the "Verses of Chu".

Yangtze River Identity

Locals call the Yangtze "Changjiang" (Long River). Hubei's geography, climate, food and historic prosperity are all dictated by it — and the river's biggest engineering project, the Three Gorges Dam, sits in the province.

Hot Dry Noodle Breakfast

Wuhan's signature breakfast — sesame-paste-coated alkaline noodles eaten standing up at the curb. Locals will tell you nothing else can start the morning.

Cities

11 prefecture-level · sorted by tourist popularity
  1. 1

    Wuhan

    武汉Capital

    Provincial capital and central China's largest city — Yellow Crane Tower, East Lake, Hubei Provincial Museum (Marquis Yi chime-bells), Wuhan University (cherry blossoms in March), and the national HSR cross-hub.

  2. 2

    Yichang

    宜昌

    Three Gorges gateway city — Three Gorges Dam, Three Gorges cruise launch port, and the Three Visitors Cave heritage site.

  3. 3

    Xiangyang

    襄阳

    Northwest Hubei historic city — the most-preserved Ming city walls in central China (5.3 km), Mi Fu birthplace, Three Kingdoms-era "Battle of Xiangyang" heritage, and the gateway to Wudang Mountain.

  4. 4

    Shiyan

    十堰

    Northwest Hubei — Wudang Mountain UNESCO Taoist complex, the Dongfeng (Second Auto Works) heritage industrial site, and the Danjiangkou reservoir (the source of the South-North Water Transfer Project's Middle Route).

  5. 5

    Jingzhou

    荆州

    Yangtze-side Chu-kingdom heritage city — 11.3 km Ming city walls, Jingzhou Museum (Chu jade, silk and lacquer), and Three Kingdoms-era Guan Yu defence headquarters.

  6. 6

    Huangshi

    黄石

    East Hubei mining-heritage city — UNESCO-listed Tonglüshan ancient copper mine (China's most important pre-imperial mining site), Yellow Stone National Geopark, and the Dayegate iron-mine deep pit.

  7. 7

    Jingmen

    荆门

    Central Hubei — Chu-kingdom-era Guodian Bamboo Slips birthplace (the earliest extant copies of the Daodejing), and the Mingxianling mausoleum of the Jiajing Emperor's biological father.

  8. 8

    Xiaogan

    孝感

    North Hubei — Yunmeng Bamboo Slips (Qin-era legal texts), Tang-era Filial Piety Memorial Hall, and the Dawu Mountain Buddhist heritage.

Famous Locals

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