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.