武汉市 (Wuhan City)

An excellent Penjing (Bonsai) specimen from the Wuhan National Stone Museum and Penjing Collection (Click to Enlarge)

I arrived in the city of Wuhan on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 9th. Due to visit the botanical garden the entire day on Thursday, I wanted to make the most of the afternoon and explore some of the most notable landmarks of this ancient city. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is the largest city in central China at just under 10 million people. Wuhan is strategically positioned at the intersection of the mighty Yangtze River (长江) and one of its major tributaries - the Han River (汉江). This intersection trisects the city into three large districts, which were actually separate cities until 1927, Wuchang (武昌区), Hankou (汉口区), and Hanyang (汉阳区). These districts function much like the Burroughs of New York City, and each has its own unique culture and idiosyncratic flavor.

The city teems with history, as it lies at the heart of what comprised the ancient State of Chu (楚国) prior to the unification of the Chinese people under one empire in 221 BC. Interestingly, Wuhan's strategic location has long made it a military stronghold for nearly every subsequent imperial dynasty - Wu (武) literally means military, while Han (汉) refers to the Han or Chinese people (i.e. military stronghold city of the Han). I had the opportunity to visit several of the historic landmarks, including the famous Guiyuan Temple (归元寺) and the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼). Pictures can be found below.