China Travel: Hubei

(This photo was taken in Wuhan University during the cherry blossom season. Chill, the photographer, is an active member of the Photography Association of Sun Yat Sen University.

Hubei Province is located in central China. This mid-sized province has no direct access to the ocean, but it is criss-crossed by several major waterways in China, including the Yangtze River. Hubei is bordered by the Shaanxi, Henan, Chongqing, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces, and major population centers include Huangshi, Jingmen, Shashu, Xiangfan, Xianning, Yichang, and Wuhan. The population of the province is around 60 million people and covers approximately 185,900 square km. In the east, the world-famous Yangtze Three Gorges Dam Project, located just outside of Yichang City, is the largest water conservation project in the world. In the west, the national reservation of Shengnongjia is a dense wilderness Always mysterious, the reservation remains an enigma today after the discovery of traces of an ancient people and continues to aroused public curiosity.

Hubei Province is home to a relatively large number of ethnic minorities: according to the fifth national census, nearly 5 percent of the province’s population is a member of one of the 56 ethnic minorities. Approximately 50 of these groups (including the Tujia, Miao, Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian peoples) are present in the province, with most living in tightly woven compact communities. The Tujia, with 3.7% of the population, and the Miao, 0.7% of the population, are the two largest. The population of Hubei is concentrated in the eastern half of the province, while the western areas have a lower population density and are more agrarian. The majority of the Hubei Province population has a junior secondary education, meaning that the literacy rate in this province is among the highest in the country.

Hubei’s landscape runs the gamut from high-altitude mountainous to flat. low-lying plains. Hubei’s unique location between the second and third terraces of the overall topographical scheme of China creates this diversity in the landforms. Generally speaking, the western portion of the province has a higher elevation. Approximately 70 percent of the total land area is hilly and mountainous, with the Wuling, Wushan, Daba, Wudang, Tongbai, Dabie, and Mufu mountain ranges all located in this province, as well as Wudang Mountain, a sacred Taoist peak with hundreds of temples. The remaining 30 percent of flat land is heavily concentrated on the large Jianghan plain. The highest summit in the province is the Shennong Summit of the Shennongjia Mountains, which is also known as “the Roof of China.” The Yangtze River flows through the entire length of the province, and a large number of lakes and smaller rivers make the land rich and arable.

Hubei Province has a subtropical monsoon climate. Generally, temperatures are high, with annual temperatures averaging between 13 and 18 degrees Celsius. The plentiful sunlight, soaking rains, and long growing period (the frost-free portion of the year can number as many as 300 days) apparent in this province make it ideal for agriculture. Here, paddy rice, ramie, sesame, and wheat are grown in great abundance.

Many people are drawn to the Hubei Province due to its great natural beauty, as Hubei’s landscape is dotted with beautiful sights and awe-inspiring views. The Hubei Province is also home to a large number of cultural and historical points of interest. In Wuhan, for example, visitors can visit the beautiful East Lake and Yellow Crane Tower, while Wuhan City boasts ancient Longzhong, which was a spot of strategic military importance during past dynasties. Visitors looking for local specialties can find intricate embroidery, Siaogan sesame candy, and Suizhou sweet dates. A trip to Hubei is a great trip for those interesting in both China’s long history and its dramatic landscapes.