Things to do in Húběi
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Yellow Crane Tower
Wǔhàn's magical dancing crane, immortalised in the poetry of Cui Hao, has long flown but the city's pride and joy remains perched on top of Snake Hill. The tower has had its history rebuilt out of it since the original was constructed in AD 223, and today's beautiful five-storey, yellow-tiled version is a 1980s remake of the Qing tower that combusted in 1884. Trolley bus 1 and bus 10 go here.
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Wuhan University
Wuhan University was founded in 1913. The university was the site of the 1967 'Wuhan Incident' - a protracted battle during the Cultural Revolution, where machine gun nests were built on top of the library and supply tunnels were dug through the hill.
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Café Brussels
With more than 40 Belgian brews (Chimay Red Y40), Guinness (Y35) and sports TV, this cavernous bar-restaurant is run by a friendly Belgian bloke who also brews his own (Y20). At the time of writing, the owner was set to move to a new location.
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Night Markets
Night markets spring up east and west of the Jianghan Lu pedestrian zone in Hànkǒu, along Minsheng Lu and on Jiqing Jie (吉庆街), and along Dazhi Lu as it meets Zhongshan Dadao. A boisterous swell of bright, busy dàpáidàng (大排档), Jiqing Jie is pungent with the aromas of barbecued live oysters (shāokǎo shēngháo; 烧烤生蚝, spicy crab hot pot (xiānglàxiè huǒguō; 香辣蟹火锅, river snails (fúshòuluó; 福寿螺, prawn hotpot (dàxiā huǒguō and - at the less appealing end of the spectrum - cow hooves, duck feet, duck hearts and other miscellanea.
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Former Hankou Railway Station
Wǔhàn's history of foreign influence has bequeathed a noble crop of heritage architecture dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in Hànkǒu. Hànkǒu's concession-era streetscapes hint at Shànghǎi's Bund district, despite the neglected condition of many buildings. Walk down Jianghan Lu (with its echoes of Shànghǎi's Nanjing Lu) and Yanjiang Dadao, where Hànkǒu's Bund is located.
The imposing shell of the gutted, French-designed former Hankou Railway Station, at the north end of Chezhan Lu, dates from 1900 and remains decorated with green roofing, an eagle over its main door and a plaque that reads 'Hank'eou (Tatchemen)' (in modern pinyin p…
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Guīyuán Temple
Pass a large rectangular pond where turtles cling like shipwrecked survivors to two metal lotus flowers and examine the magnificently burnished cabinet housing Milefo in the first hall. Also seek out this 350-year-old Buddhist temple's collection of more than 500 statues of enlightened disciples in the Hall of Arhats (罗汉堂; Luóhàn Táng). Completed in 1890, after nine years in the making, they remain in pristine condition. In the Mahasattva Pavilion (大士阁; Dàshì Gé), the 2m-high Tang-dynasty tablet carved with an image of Guanyin holding a willow branch is impressive and a jade Buddha can be found in the Cángjīng Pavilion (藏经阁; Cángjīng Gé). Bus 401 (Y2) …
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Húběi Provincial Museum
The centrepiece of this fabulous museum is the exhibition of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, which includes one of the world's largest musical instruments, a remarkable 5-tonne set of 64 double-tone bronze bells. The museum is beside the enormous East Lake (东湖; Dōng Hú), a pleasant area for cycling. Take bus 402 or 411.
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Máojiāwān
Elderly Chinese will be horrified, but Wǔhàn's white-collar diners and lǎowài (foreigners) have few qualms being served by corpulent Red Guards scampering to and fro with peppery platters from Mao's home province of Húnán. The overall concept may be in bad taste, but the Máoshì Hóngshāoròu (毛氏红烧肉) - a tender pile of plump pork chunks - is succulent, the rice arrives by the steaming bucket load and it's undeniably fun. No English sign.
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Chángchūn Temple
This charming Taoist temple dates back to the Han dynasty. The Hall of Supreme Purity (Tàiqīng Diàn), containing a white-bearded statue of Laotzu, is the centrepiece. Other halls lead up the steep steps behind it. There's a good vegetarian restaurant next door. Buses 411, 401 and 402 all go here.
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Chángchūn Temple Vegetarian Restaurant
Delightful restaurant attached to a Taoist temple priding itself on bizarre mock-meat creations but also serving mouth-watering fish dishes. There's a handy photo menu.
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Minsheng Bank Building
Though there are scores of reminders of its past, Wǔhàn, like China at large, has at all times one eye - and usually two - firmly fixed on the present. Currently the world's 18th-tallest building, the stunning 331m-high Minsheng Bank Building generated controversy with experts warning that the soft geology of Wuhan was unsuited to such a towering edifice.
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Mínyáng Shāobǐng
Also known as Chinese style pizza, this simple hole-in-the-wall outlet serves up delicious, fragrant Tujia (土家) bread pizza (shāobǐng; 烧饼 sprinkled with crumbs of meat and sesame seeds and aromatically seasoned with fried onion and cumin. Filling, cheap and very tasty, with other branches around town.
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Former Headquarters of the Wuchang Uprising
Near the Yellow Crane Tower is the colonial-style red brick Former Headquarters of the Wuchang Uprising, source of the final collapse of the Qing dynasty. Get in the mood by donning full a Republican officer's uniform (around Y10) and brandishing a sword for a photo-op.
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Floating Restaurants
You can try some of the popular local snacks, such as, fresh catfish and charcoal-grilled whole pigeons served with a sprinkling of chilli, on the floating restaurants at the end of Bayi Lu on the shore of Dōng Hú.
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Bordeaux Bar
A short walk north of the York Teahouse, set back from the road, is this unassuming, pocket-sized French-style cafe.
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Yokohama Syokin Bank
The former Yokohama Syokin Bank (dating from 1921) on the corner of Nanjing Lu is one of the monumental old-world buildings - epitaphs to an increasingly distant age - that push up against Yanjiang Dadao.
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Shouyi Garden Snack Street
Innumerable, highly popular food outlets with cuisine from Húnán to Yúnnán and beyond. Purchase cards with credits from the booth and plunge in. It's south off Pengliuyang Lu.
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The National City Bank of New York building
The National City Bank of New York building is one of the monumental old-world buildings - epitaphs to an increasingly distant age - that push up against Yanjiang Dadao.
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Ming Qing Street
Ming Qing Street, a brash tourist bazaar just inside the entrance of Yellow Crane Tower, siphons cash from the swelling crowds dismounting from tour buses.
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Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1881. Newly restored, the church sits alongside a café -its crypt now serving as a nightclub!
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Red Passion Club
This is the most central of many white-hot dance clubs in this zone; just follow the crowds to the others nearby.
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Foreign Languages Bookstore
Good selection of English language novels from Herman Hesse to John Grisham. To left of stairs on 2nd floor.
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The Mao Zedong Villa
The Mao Zedong Villa was one of the Chairman's boltholes and is a tourist fixture for Mao-ophiles.
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Yùxū Temple
This colossal temple with pavilions in a vast courtyard was first built in 1413. Turn immediately right out of the train station, take the first right and go through the tunnel.
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York Teahouse
Run by the fun 'Mr Sugar' (Tang Xiansheng), this old-timer has been doing its thing on the riverfront since 2001. Inside is a warren of rooms, or you can just sit outside with a draught Bud (Y30), a bottle of Snowflake (Y20) or a Sol (Y25).
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