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Wuhan
Situated at the confluence of
the Yangtze River and its greatest branch, the
Han River, Wuhan, with a population of 8 million,
serves as the provincial capital of Hubei and
is one of the major industrial cities in China.
Although there is little indication
of the important historical and cultural role
the city once played, Wuhan was one of the most
politically crucial spots in the nation, when
the Kuomintang moved the capital here from Guangzhou
in 1927. After the foundation of the People's
Republic of China, Wuhan was directly under the
control of the Central Government and under provincial
control by 1954.
Located in the very centre of China,
and known as one of China's "Three Furnaces"
(due to the incredible heat of the summer months),
Wuhan is a huge metropolis, divided into three
separate districts, each the size of a small city.
It is also an important domestic and foreign commercial
port and the center of industry, finance, commerce,
science and education for central China. With
the development of the Yangtze Valley, Wuhan is
becoming increasingly important both in domestic
and international terms, specifically as an educational
and scientific research base, due largely to the
sizeable university and student population here
and local governmental efforts to promote this
as a premier business and commercial destination.
Though Wuhan is not really a
place for pleasant holidays, it is usually chosen
as a convenient starting or ending point for the
Yangtze River cruise. As for business travelers,
this city may create business opportunities at
the first glimpse.
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