Wuhan, China

Article by Rob Russell. Edited and Researched by Rob Russell.

This article serves a number of purposes, firstly it is a necessity in order to fill the issue – after the somewhat limited response to our requests for articles of a non-western perspective. This in itself is an interesting reflection on the lack of history which doesn’t relate to either Europe or America available to history students, as well as the interests of historians more generally. Secondly, as I shall be teaching English in China next year, it has been a useful experience to crib up on the history of the city I shall be living in for a year. One of the most enticing prospects of my year abroad will be the opportunity to discover a new culture and the history of a country which I must admit I know very little about. So a whistle stop tour to Wuhan, China here we go…

Wuhan is situated in Central China, within the Hubei province –its archaeological relics date back as far as 770 B.C, suggesting settlement in Wuhan for almost 3,500 years. This is hardly surprising given the geographical location of Wuhan, at the intersection of the Yangtze and Han rivers; it has long been part of a well tread trade route. This prime location has made Wuhan the most important city in central China – and is a crucial nationwide transport hub, now with numerous rail and highway links, including one of the fastest trains in the world the Wuhan-Guangzhou rail link, along which trains reach speeds of almost 400km/h. The result of such extensive transport links and central location has led to Wuhan being described by some as ‘the Chicago of China’.

On a local level, Wuhan is an amalgamation of three cities –which are now distinctive boroughs; Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, the city first being referred to as Wuhan in 1927. The city has an estimated population of over 10 million people, but is renowned for more than its trade and travel links. It is seen as one of the most important cultural and intellectual hubs in China, with 36 colleges and universities. Due to its trade links it has inherited styles from all over China, with the saying going that for food one goes to Guangzhou, for dressing Shanghai and to Wuhan for both.

The national position of Wuhan and its links to the rest of China, have made it a city of strategic importance in terms of military affairs. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Wuhan was captured by the Japanese as a result of its military use and became their base for military operations in China.

With regards to cultural sites of importance in Wuhan, the Yellow Crane Tower must top the list originally built in AD 223 – although on a different site to where the tower exists today it is one of the most important and infamous towers in all of China. The East Lake in Wuhan is also renowned for its beauty and sheer size, with a total size of around 80km it is the largest lake within a city in all of China. Wuhan is also home to the Hubei provincial museum – one of the leading museums in China, and with a staggering collection of over 20,000 artefacts.

The city is also the birthplace of a number of famous people, including the former President of the Republic of China, Li Yuanhong. Li Na the female tennis player and 2011 French Open Grand Slam Champion also hails from Wuhan, as does Fu Mingxia a female diver and four-time Olympic gold medallist.

In many ways this rather brief article pieced together from a number of internet sources highlights the difficulty of obtaining information on certain parts of the world, despite the supposed age of ‘globalisation’ in which we live. The colossal amount of information on similar western cities prominent as transport hubs such as Chicago in America or Birmingham in Britain suggest that perhaps this spread of global information is something of a one way street. For this reason alone the chance to see all that Wuhan and China has to offer is something I eagerly anticipate.

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