“Will the weather get better?” I asked the driver as I fidgeted in my soggy socks and considered the overcast sky. His eyes twinkled at me in the rearview mirror. “Tomorrow will be a much better Wuhan,” he said.

I sat back on the cloth covered seats and wondered how my trip would shape up. As the capital of Hubei Province, Wuhan boasts over nine million residents, making it the most populous city in central China, not to mention an economic powerhouse and hub of transportation and modernity. But is it a good place to visit? Watching the steady stream of concrete buildings whir by my window, I began to doubt it.

I knew the place had historical significance. Nestled at the intersection of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, Wuhan has seen 3,000 years of trade and conflict. It was here in 208 AD that the famous Battle of Red Cliffs took place, the culmination of which led to end of the Han Dynasty. Soon, I knew, all eyes would turn toward Wuhan to remember a different battle, one that had an equal, if not greater impact on Chinese history. This October marks the hundredth anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising, known as the catalyst that brought down the last dynasty and ushered in the modern era.
My goal, however, wasn’t to rehash history, but to find the best present-day Wuhan had to offer. It was a challenge that I feared would have me prying culture from steel and concrete just to meet my quota. Yet as I collapsed in my hotel bed that first night, the cab driver’s optimistic words still rang in the back of my mind, “Tomorrow will be a much better Wuhan.”
Like a fulfilled prophecy, clear blue skies greeted me the next morning, and the city’s grays erupted into vibrant hues. In the winding back alleys of Wuchang District, visions of industrial uniformity dissolved into a glorious mess of houses crammed together, lost in a sea of wires, stone rafters and winding metal staircases. Life was everywhere—from the shirtless men who passed the morning hunkered over dilapidated lounge chairs, bowls of soup in hand, to the old women whose bickering and cackles echoed down the street. And in the distance, past the silhouetted skyline of tall buildings, I could just barely make out the glow of a sunrise reflecting off East Lake.

8:30 A Stroll by East Lake Enter the Kikunami area
(听涛景区 t~ngt`o j@ngq$) to view the breathtakingly vast East Lake. For those who are traveling to Wuhan during the rainy season, be forewarned: you may get your feet wet. Often after a heavy rain the lake will rise and partially submerge the lower paths. Though you can easily charter a 60 RMB riverboat or wooden junk, the best way to see all the sights is to follow the lead of the locals and either hike up your pants or get a loved one to piggyback you across the stretches of shallow water.
Near the entrance, the most popular sights are the 1,000 year old Chu Sang Su trees and the Chanting Pavilion (行吟阁 X!ngy!n G9). Further down the path, the park features newer attractions, such as an aquarium, an archery range and roller coasters. If this seems too lively for you, just rent a hammock from one of the many vendors, find a quiet spot and watch as fishermen attempt to catch the elusive Wuchang Fish with 25-foot-long poles.

11:00 Cool down in Mini Harbin Walking further into Kikunami with the heat steadily rising, what could be more welcome than cooling down in a refrigerator the size of a warehouse? The 30 RMB ticket will get you a heavy snow jacket and temperatures that range from 35°C to below zero. Inside this frigid paradise, you’ll find a miniature neon-lit tribute to Harbin’s famed ice city, complete with ice statues, staircases, temples and slides.

11:30 Pork shank meal at Shan Xiang Wine House Exit the park and head to 34 Huangli Road (黄鹂路), where you’ll find Shan Xiang Wine House (山乡酒轩 Sh`nxi`ng ji^xu`n), a restaurant known for its pork shank dish (蹄髈 t!p2ng). The dish costs 58 RMB, and is prepared with 28 different kinds of herbs. If you don’t have a big appetite, try their fried tofu skins (炒豆丝 ch2od7us~) or fish heads (鱼头 y%t5u).
12:30 Museum District Just a 6 RMB taxi ride from the restaurant looms the giant pyramid-like structure of the Hubei Museum (湖北省博物馆 H%b0ish0ng B5w&gu2n). Here you can see exhibits ranging from cavemen skulls, to dynasty relics, to the military regalia of famous revolutionaries. One of the most popular attractions is the sword of Gou Jian, King of Yue, known for his intimidating military tactics, like forcing convicted felons to commit suicide in sight of enemy troops before a battle.
If relics aren’t your style, just hop on over to the Hubei Culture Center next door. On the first floor, you are granted free entry into an atrium where a group of dancing and singing Mao-era workers light up the stage in a flashy display of patriotism. Go up one level, and you will find a modern art exhibit full of half-human, half-telephone statues and cigarettes the size of fire hydrants.

14:00 Mo Shan Take the 401 bus to Mo Shan and weave through a zigzagging land bridge until you see a massive red-tiled pagoda protruding from the mountainside. Explore the culture of the Chu people as you walk along the base of Mo Shan (莫山), which includes a vast assortment of statues and religious platforms.
Ascend a shadowy staircase to the summit of Mo Shan and enter the Chutian Tower. Inside, you can sit down and watch the regular performance of an emerald-costumed dancer twirl her flowing silk sleeves to the twanging melodies of traditional Chu music.
In another room, you can try your hand at the Singing Fountain Bowl, a 2,000 year old custom that is supposed to promote health and extend life. By rubbing the brass handles of the bowl just right, the sound vibrations send droplets of water flying into the air with a low hum.
Next, go up the wooden staircase and check out the breathtaking view of East Lake from the highest level of the pagoda. Descending back to the base of the tower, you can either return the way you came, or zip down the mountainside on the nearby toboggan.

17:00 Lotus Lake  Located just a five-minute walk from the entrance of Mo Shan, Lotus Lake lives up to its namesake, with a surface entirely covered with lily pads, lotus flowers and small pavilions. Here you can buy a street BBQ lotus and munch away while watching the sunset.

9:30 Hubu Alley In Wuhan there is a local tradition called guozao (过早), in which local residents go out for breakfast and taste all the new dishes brought by traders. For guozao, no place in Wuhan is tastier or livelier than Hubu Alley (户部巷). This breakfast street has dozens of stalls set up with foods ranging from tasty pastries to spicy fried frogs. The signature dish of Hubu Alley, however, is the pork dumpling soup (猪肉馄饨 zh$r7u h%ntun). If you want to try the breakfast soup, simply look for the stand with the largest line and wait to be served your paper bowl full of steaming, flavorful and slightly sweet pork dumplings.

11:00 The First Bridge A short walk from Hubu Alley brings you to the First Bridge. This 1600-meter-long structure is not only one of the first modern bridges in China, but also the first bridge to cross the Yangtze River. Completed in 1957, the multilevel feat of engineering led to a spike in commerce that secured Wuhan’s reputation as a trade city.
Now, parks and markets surround the base of the bridge, and locals gaze out to watch it disappear into the distance beyond. Monuments are constructed all around, and an army of rice inscribers and fortune tellers hang around to offer you their services.
12:30 Yellow Crane Tower Walking into the city on the raised paths of the First Bridge, you will soon come across the most famous sight in Wuhan, the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼 Hu1ngh- L5u). Constructed on Snake Hill in 223 AD, this tower is believed to be the first of its kind and one of the Four Great Towers of China.
After buying a somewhat exorbitant 80 RMB ticket, you can tour each of the five levels that make up the 51-meter tall tower. The most famous level of the tower features a 10-meter-high mural called the “White Cloud and Yellow Crane,” which symbolizes the relationship between the Yellow Crane Tower and the nearby White Cloud Pavilion (白云亭 B1iy%n T!ng).

16:30 Jinqi Street As the location that inspired Chi Li’s famous book, “Life Show,” this unpaved, trash-strewn backstreet has managed to immortalize itself in Wuhan culture with its unique display of street performers. Rumors of Jinqi’s musical origin suggest that the first performer on the street was a little girl who played her violin to earn a living. Now, almost 300 performers choose this 150-meter-stretch as their main stage. Of these, one of the most well-loved acts is the Four Singing Stars of Jinqi Street, a quartet that has been performing here for 20 years. As I discovered, for a small sum one of the Stars will plop down and serenade you (along with the growing crowd) with one of his swinging ditties. Even when one his rapid strumming snapped one of his strings, he maintained a comical expression and never missed a beat.

18:00 Crawfish Dinner Choose from one of the many restaurants in Jinqi Street, slip on a pair of plastic gloves and dig into a plate of boiled crawfish (螯虾 1oxi`). These succulent crustaceans from the nearby Yangtze River are difficult to open, but once past the hardened shell you’ll be rewarded with rich and oh-so-gooey insides.

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