Located in Central China, Wuhan is the capital of Hube province. Although now known for being the first city to report the first case of coronavirus, Wuhan has plenty to see and do. Its territory awaits museums, amusement parks, tourist attractions and two major rivers that divide the city.
Wuhan is a centre of commerce. It is the capital of the central Chinese province of Hubei, and is located on the Jianghan Plain, a fertile land formed by the intersection of the Hanjiang and Yangtze rivers. The city divided by the Yangtze River is known as “The Three Towns of Wuhan”: Hankou and Hanyang on the west bank and Wuchang on the east.
Here’s what you can see on your visit to Wuhan.
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What are the best places to see in Wuhan?
1. Yellow Crane Tower
Also called the “first tower under the sky”, the Yellow Crane Tower has a beautiful legend that continues to attract hundreds of tourists.
Twelve times this cultural temple has been reconstructed and you can visit the attraction’s opening hours: November to March from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April to October from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In its modern version, it has the appearance of an old tower but with modern materials, including a lift.
The cheapest way to get from Wuhan to the Yellow Crane Tower is by Line 2 underground, and Line 4 underground which costs ¥4 – ¥16 and takes 46 min.
2. Xinhai Revolution Museum
A short distance from the Tower, the Xinhai Revolution Museum is a themed museum built to commemorate the centenary of the “First Uprising of the Xinhai Revolution in Wuchang”. It is located in Wuchang District.
It consists of an entrance hall, 5 exhibition halls and 1 multi-purpose hall, integrates functions of display, cultural relics collection, publicity, education and scientific research. this is a museum with the best display technology, the largest number of reproduced scenes and the most comprehensive tour guide system among all the museums themed with the Revolution of 1911.
3. Hankou Jiangtan
Hankou Jiangtan Park is one of the must-see places in Wuhan. It has a promenade of almost 8 kilometres where you can walk and enjoy one of the banks of the Yangtze River.
The park also hides a secret: a sunflower field. Built as part of the city’s flood-control plan, the park is a model of how waterfronts can serve two purposes: one ecological and one social.
4. Wuhan University
With traditional Chinese architecture, Wuhan University cannot be excluded from the city tour. The best time to visit is in spring, as its cherry blossom fields make the walk worthwhile.
5. Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
A visit to the first bridge built on the Yangtze River is a must. It is a road and rail bridge on the Beijing-Canton line, with two platforms crossing the Yangtze River in Wuhan.
It links the banks of Turtle Hill in Hanyang, north of the Yangtze, and Snake Hill in Wuchang.
6. Guiyuan Temple
On the other side of the river is a Buddhist temple. It is one of the jewels of Wuhan city. Known as the “Temple of Original Purity”, its history dates back to the mid-17th century, making Guiyuan Temple the oldest of its kind in the province. Guiyuan Temple is located in Hanyang District.
Legend has it that, upon entering the south courtyard, a person must randomly pick one of the Lohan statues there. From that starting point, they must walk along the line of Lohan statues in any direction and count them until the person reaches their age. The facial expression of the last Lohan counted is supposed to be a reaction of the Lohan to seeing the person’s future.
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What to see around Wuhan?
1. Hubei Provincial Museum
The vast history of Wuhan is captured in several museums scattered around the city. You can find many monuments and natural wonders. The Hubei Provincial Museum is an excellent place to learn about the history and culture of ancient China. It has the most extensive collection of science and technology.
It is located in the Wuchang district of Wuhan, Hubei province, not far from the west shore of Wuhan East Lake. Its collection comprises more than 200,000 objects, including the Goujian Sword, an ancient set of bronze bells (Bianzhong) and extensive artefacts from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng and the Baoshan Tombs.
To visit the Hubei Provincial Museum you should know that admission is free on presentation of a passport, and it is open from 09:00 to 17:00 every day except Monday. The visit lasts 2-3 hours. It is advisable to make a reservation for guided tours of the Hubei Provincial Museum in advance.
Adults must pay an entrance fee of 30 RMB, while children who are 1.40 metres tall or shorter can enter for free.
2. Happy Valley Wuhan
To get from Wuhan to the amusement park, you can use underground line 4, which takes just over an hour, or take a taxi.
3. Hanyang
Hanyang was one of the three cities that merged to form today’s Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, China. It also has a beach almost a kilometre long. It is the most westernised district in the area, fusing traditional China with modernity.
4. East lake in Wuhan
Also known for its cherry blossom scenery, East Lake is a must-see from March to October. It is the second largest lake in China, and can even be visited by car. The Donghu Lake Tunnel, the longest tunnel under a lake in China, was opened to traffic at the end of 2015. A car could drive through the 10.6-kilometre-long tunnel in about 15 minutes.
It is China’s largest urban park, covering a total of 73km of land. The lake itself occupies 33 km of the 73 km. It was built in 1950 and in 1982 it was named a civilised tourist area of China, and again in 1999, and by 2000 it had become a tourist attraction.
East Lake consists of four areas, Ting Tao, Moshan, Luo Yan Island and Museum of Hubei Province. It’s so vast that each area has a different entrance fee. While the Tingtao scenic area is free, the Mo Hill area costs 60 RMB, the Bird World 20 RMB, the cable car is priced at 15 RMB one way, but if you get the round-trip pack, it comes out to 25 RMB. It opens at 7:30 and closes at 19:00.
5. Wuhan Botanical Garden
Located at the southern foot of Moshan Hill, it is a must-see botanical garden for tourists when travelling to Wuhan. Its more than 8.5-kilometre walkway allows you to see nearly 4,000 species of different plants from home and abroad. It is the largest botanical collection and plant resource centre in central China.
What to do in a day in Wuhan?
If you don’t have much time to visit the city, here are the places you can visit in one day. But public transport will be your best ally on this express trip.
You can start your tour from the Museum of the Revolution, continuing on to the Yellow Crane Tower. From there you can see the whole city from its height, the great Wuhan. Then you continue over the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, to cross to the other side of the river and see the Guiyuan Temple.
Where to stay in Wuhan?
Although the metro will be your best ally if you want to get around Wuhan, the places to stay in this Chinese city are really cheap, so you can have a meeting place while you decide what to see that day in Wuhan.
- Marco Polo Wuhan: As stated on its website, the five-star Marco Polo Wuhan is located on the riverside overlooking the magnificent Yangtze River. Located 40 minutes from the airport, the price per night is around 70 euros.
- 7 Days Inn Wuhan Liu Duqiao: Across the river is this cheap and simple accommodation. A night doesn’t cost more than 25 euros and it offers a perfect location for sightseeing in the city.
- Howard Johnson Pearl Plaza Wuhan: This four-star hotel is the perfect choice if you are looking for something more luxurious. Located in the Jiang’an District, it has 30 floors and has an estimated nightly rate of 100 euros per room.
Where and what to eat in Wuhan?
Chinese cuisine is well known throughout the world. Its elaborate dishes are based on four aspects: colour, aroma, taste and presentation. In Wuhan, for example, it is typical to eat hot and dry noodles with sesame paste. Here are some tips on how to enjoy the city’s cuisine and atmosphere.
- Kang-Long-Tai-Zi Restaurant: This place offers beautiful views of the museum, allowing for a menu ranging from $15 to $25.
- Grange Western Restaurant: This is a steakhouse that specialises in steaks.
- Liu Pang Zi Jia Chang Cai (Min Sheng): This Chinese restaurant offers fast and spicy home cooking, typical of Hubei.
- Cai Lin Ji Re Gan MianGuan (HuBu Xiang): popular with travellers for local food, offering the famous hot dry noodle dish. They also serve other popular Wuhan dishes, such as lotus meat bone soup or fish soup.
How to get to Wuhan?
Wuhan Tianhe International Airport Wuhan Tianhe is the best option for getting to the Chinese city. From there you can use metro line 2 (1-2 euros per trip) to get to the centre. Or you can use the bus, also on line 2, which will drop you in the centre in about 50 minutes.
What you should know before you travel to Wuhan
In addition to knowing what to see in Wuhan, it is very important to know the epidemiological situation and health restrictions in Wuhan. Here’s some information about the place:
- The official currency of China is called Renminbi (RMB), which means “people’s currency.”
- Spring and autumn are the best times to visit China. Anytime from March to May, and from September to early November, are the best times to plan a great trip.
- You will need a Type A and I electrical adapter, as you may not be able to find the plug similar to the one in your home country.
How to prepare what things to do on your trip to Wuhan?
Register or download the Passporter App and discover all its possibilities.
- Get inspired by the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add suggestions from the app to it.
- Add the stops you’re most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat. You can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference.
- Check out the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make any modifications you need and you’re all set for your trip.
- Share your experience. Upload photos of the places you visited on your trip to the app and recommend to other travellers what to see in Beijing.
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