subject: Top Cities in Hubei Province [print this page] Hubei province is situated in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and to the north of Dongting Lake. It is surrounded by Henan Province to the north, Jiangxi and Hunan to the south, Anhui to the east, Sichuan to the west and Shaanxi to the northwest. Hubei covers an area of 180,000 square kilometers (about 69,500 square miles) with a large population of 60,280,000. Its capital, Wuhan, is located in the southeastern part of the province.
1. Wuhan
"I like to eat the delicious Re Gan Mian noodles; I like to wear the cotton jacket I bought in Han Zheng Street; I like to live near the flourishing Liuduqiao area; I like to cross each bridge over the Yangtze," writes a Chinese Wuhan resident. The Hanjiang, a large river, joins China's great Yangtze in Hubei Province creating a river-crossed fertile land known as Jianghan Plain. Situated on the Plain, Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, is the biggest hub city in Central China. Divided by the Yangtze, Wuhan city has come to be known as the Three Towns of Wuhan with Hankou and Hanyang on the west bank, and Wuchang on the east.
2. Jingzhou
History: a cultural ancient city with 2000 years history with the reputation of "the finest under heaven, being overwhelmed by 9 divisions"; one of the cradles of Chu Culture, and used to be the capital of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn Period for totally 20 emperors; in Northern and Southern dynasty, the capital of Qihedi, Liangyuandi, the Later Liang; in Five Dynasties, the capital of the Nanping State
3. Huanggang
Location: Lying at the south foot of the Dabie Mountains, Huanggang City is situated in eastern Hubei Province and is separated from the cities of Ezhou, Huangshi and Jiujiang by the Yellow River. It is bordered by Henan Province in the north and Anhui Province in the east. Downtown Huanggang is about 78 kilometers (48 miles) west of the capital of the province, Wuhan. History: The administrative regionalization of Huanggang began as early as the Xia (21st - 16th century BC) and Shang (16th - 11th century BC) dynasties. It has been about 1,680 years since the first city-level district was established in 329 of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (265 - 316). From the Sui (581-618) to the early Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, this area was governed by Huangzhou and Qizhou. After the Ming Dynasty, Huangzhou became the only political center of the region.
4. Ezhou
History: Long time before the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, this region has been called 'E' as a shire or a county. During the Three Kingdoms Period, the Wu Kingdom put it as the capital, and changed its name to Wuchang. Physical Features: The terrain in southeastern Ezhou is higher and that in central and northwestern Ezhou is relatively flatter and lower. River and lake plains are mainly distributed in the west. The Yangtze River runs through the northern boundary area. The city has more than eighty lakes of all sizes.
5. Xiangfan
Location: Situated in the northwest of Hubei Province, Xiangfan is in the middle reaches of the Han River, which flows through the city and divided the city into northern and southern parts. It neighbors Yichang in the south and Henan Province in the north. Wuhan is 347 kilometers (216 miles) from it. History: Xiangfan was the combination of Fancheng and Xiangyang. The former one was formed in the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-771BC), and the Xiangyang was first built in the early Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). The Xiangfan City was established in 1950.
