Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is really three cities - Wuchang, Hankow and Hanyang. They are separated from each other by the Yangtze and Han Rivers and joined together by three bridges. All three cities are situated on low, flat land, interspersed with numerous ponds, canals, and natural waterways. Formerly vulnerable to flooding, Wuhan is today well protected by a newly reinforced series of dikes. Being situated on the major north-south railway, and on the major east-west water route, makes it one of the most important cities in China.

In this century, Wuhan has become known as a center of the revolutionary activity movement that led to the overthrow of the Manchu (Qing) Dynasty. In the 1911 Revolution, much of Hankow was burned to the ground during clashes between revolutionaries and imperial troops. The town's workers were in the forefront of the general strike in 1923. The Peasant Movement Institute was established in the town in 1926, and was important in bringing the Communist doctrine to peasants in the region. After the fall of the capital, Nanjing, in 1937, to the Japanese during the Sino-Japanese War, the Kuomintang government made Wuhan its capital for a year, before moving it to Chongqing. In the 1938 assault on Wuhan, casualty figures were in the tens of thousands. In 1949, Communist forces in this sector won key victories over the last pockets of Kuomintang resistance, paving the way to their final victory.

Today, Wuhan is a working town with an economy based on iron and steel production. Large factories have been established to produce trucks, rail cars, agricultural machinery and machine tools. Glass, chemicals, textiles, processed food stuffs, bicycles, watches and radio and electronic instruments are also produced.

The Three Original Cities
Wuchanci - Located on the southeastern side of the Yangtze, Wuchang is the oldest of the three cities, being founded during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD220). Later, it was the capital of the ancient state of Wu in the 3rd century AD. Under the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368), it was the capital of an enormous province (the area now encompasses four central provinces). Under the Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644), it was still a major provincial capital, but with authority over a much smaller area. Today, it is the capital of the Hubei Province.

Hanyan - Located south of the Han River and northwest of the Yangtze River, Hanyang is the smallest of Wuhan's three cities. It was founded during the Sui Dynasty in about AD 600. In the late 1800's, it was developed for heavy industry. The plant for the manufacture of iron and steel, which was built in 1891, was the first modern one in China and it was followed during the early 1900's by a string of riverside factories. The 1930's depression and then the Japanese invasions totally ruined Hanyang's heavy industries and since the revolution, light industry has been the main activity.

Hankow - Bordered on the southwest by the Han River and on the southeast by the Yangtze River, Hankou is now the largest of the three cities. It was nothing more than a small fishing village until, under the terms of the Treaty of Nanjing (1861) which ended the Opium Wars, it was designated a treaty port. Its status began to change rapidly as the foreign concessions were established: the British in 1861; the Germans in 1895; the Russians and French in 1896; and the Japanese in 1898. Opium was shipped in and tea was shipped out. Today, Hankow is the center for business, industry and an important military installation.

An Interesting Event
Wuhan was the sight of Chairman Mao's famous swims across the Yangtze River. His first swim was in June, 1956. He decided he needed to make a physical display of his own leadership and fearlessness. It took him two hours to cross and he landed nearly nine miles downstream, carried there by the strong current. He swam again in 1958, but his most famous swim was on July 16, 1966, when he was 73 years old. He felt his position was threatened by rumors of bad health and swimming the Yangtze was his way of showing the world that he was still healthy and in command: that he could keep his head above water, so to speak. A swim across the Yangtze is now an annual event with thousands of participants.

Sights Of The Cities
The Yancitze River Bridge - This bridge was built under nearly impossible geological conditions and is regarded as a symbol of China's modern industrial progress and self reliance. It was the first modern bridge to span the Yangtze and was completed on September 25, 1957, two years ahead of schedule. The lower deck supports the railway, allowing for the first time for trains to go from Beijing to Guangzhou without a ferry. The upper deck has six lanes of vehicular traffic as well as broad sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclist. The bridge rises 263 feet above the river and is over a mile long with the approaches. A second bridge across the Yangtze in Wuhan was completed in 1995, and still another one completed in 1999.

The Hubel Provincial Museum - The museum is devoted to the finds excavated from the tomb of Jinzhou, the Marquis Yi of the state of Zeng, who died in 433 BC (Warring States Period). The tomb was discovered in 1978, outside of Suizhou city. The find is important because it demonstrates the extraordinary richness of Chinese cultural life well before China became a unified state. The tomb included more than 7000 artifacts and utensils, ritual lacquerware vessels, and gold and jade objects. The highlight of the artifacts is a set of 64 bronze bells on racks, supported by bronze soldiers. The bells resonate over a five-octave range in 12 tones.

Yellow Crane Tower - It has become a symbol of Wuhan. The first Yellow Crane Tower was actually built on a different location as a sentry post in the city in AD 223. It was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The present tower, here on Snake Hill in Wuchang, was built in 1986, and was based on a design of the tower that existed between 1868 and 1884. Two stories exist on how it gets its name. One says it gets the name from a story of a Taoist priest, Wan Zian, who alighted here on a yellow crane on his journey to become one of the immortals. Another story is inspired by the legend of a wine shop located on the original site. There, the owner gave free wine to an old man who drew a picture of a yellow crane on the wall in gratitude. After the old man left, the crane came to life and danced for the customers. The owner became rich from this new attraction at his shop. When the old man returned decades later, he jumped on the crane's back and flew off into the sky.