Wuhan travel guide

Known as the “Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces,” Wuhan is one of the few major cities in China that serves as a hub for rail, road, waterway and air transport. Connections north, south, domestic and international, by land and water, are convenient and fast.

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is 26 km in a straight line from the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge and takes about 25 minutes to reach the city centre by car.

Wuhan has three railway stations: Hankou, Wuchang and Wuhan. All express and direct trains on the Beijing–Guangzhou line stop at Wuhan, Hankou and Wuchang stations. All three stations have large ticket offices, and there are also several ticket outlets around the city.

Wuhan Station is the starting point of the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed rail. The journey to Guangzhou takes about 4 hours, and the fastest trip to Changsha takes 1 hour 18 minutes.

In addition, the Wuhan–Yichang high-speed rail starts at Hankou Station, and the trip from Hankou to Yichang East Station takes less than 2 hours.

Wuhan has excellent road connections and is the leading transport hub in Central China. The Beijing–Zhuhai Expressway runs through the city. Large and medium-sized coaches depart from the city's long-distance bus stations throughout the day for destinations across the province and neighbouring provinces and cities.

Wuhan Port Passenger Terminal is one of the largest river passenger terminals in China. The square in front of the terminal connects to the city's main roads.

Wuhan has built many bridges: the city currently has 694 urban bridges, including 11 spanning the Yangtze alone. These bridges link the three towns of Wuhan and make travel between the two banks of the Yangtze very convenient.

Most city sights are served by direct buses, which is very convenient. Buses are unstaffed: board at the front door and alight at the rear. Fares are ¥2 for air-conditioned buses, ¥1 for standard routes and ¥1.5 for double-decker buses, and some suburban routes use tiered fares.

Wuhan operates one-day city tour bus routes with numbers starting with 4, offered on two ticket types: a standard ticket for ¥2, valid for a single journey from start to finish, and a pass for ¥5, valid for getting on and off at any stop on that route for the rest of the day. Both heating and air conditioning are provided at no extra charge. During major holidays, a tour guide is also on board.

The most convenient ferry piers are Wuhan Customs Pier in Hankou and Zhonghua Road Pier in Wuchang. They connect to Jianghan Road and Simenkou, the city's two main shopping areas.

Luxury coaches run between Wuhan and Beijing. The trip takes about 1 hour longer than by train, and the fare is cheaper than a hard sleeper train ticket, but these coaches only run during public holidays. From Beijing, you can take the Beijing–Zhuhai Expressway directly to Wuhan.

Ride the new double-decker sightseeing buses, which are unstaffed. The fare is ¥2 per single journey, or ¥1.5 if you pay with a Jiangcheng Card (江城通卡). The buses also sell discounted tickets for sights on board.

Wuhan bus stop announcements usually follow the format “Arriving at XX stop, XX reminds you,” and often mix in advertising slogans, so they can be hard to make out.

For cars with engines under 2.0 litres, the flag-fall is ¥10 for the first 3 km, then ¥1.8 per km beyond 3 km. For trips over 10 km, a 50% surcharge applies to the per-km rate.

1. Apart from the expressway toll charged on trips to Tianhe Airport, there are no other bridge or road tolls within the city.

2. Taxis outside the railway stations often overcharge passengers.

Ferry boats are something of a Wuhan speciality. Crossing the Yangtze by boat is a wonderful way to enjoy the riverside scenery.

Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge and the Second Yangtze River Bridge operate odd-even licence plate restrictions, so some vehicles opt to cross by car ferry. Wuhan currently has two car ferry routes, both operating from 7:30 to 20:00.

Wuhan currently has 11 metro lines in operation: Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 16, plus the Yangluo Line. Metro fares are based on distance: ¥2 for up to 4 km; ¥1 per 4 km for 4–12 km; ¥1 per 6 km for 12–24 km; ¥1 per 8 km for 24–40 km; ¥1 per 10 km for 40–50 km; and ¥1 per 20 km beyond 50 km. Each journey is limited to 4 hours.

Located on the middle and lower Yangtze Plain, Wuhan is blessed with abundant produce. Its food culture has been shaped by both northern and southern influences, giving Wuhan cuisine a broad, inclusive character that absorbs the distinctive flavours of many regions. Whether in Wuhan's giant banquet restaurants, small family-run kitchens or roadside stalls and open-air food stands, you'll find dishes that please both the crowd and the connoisseur, and nearly all of them are delicious without being expensive. Wuhan dishes draw on the rich aquatic produce of the rivers, ports and lakes that criss-cross the Jingchu heartland, as well as the wide variety of wild game and mountain delicacies from its rolling hills. They appeal to the modern appetite for natural, green, back-to-basics food, and their affordable prices have won them a loyal following. Beyond this, the abundance of snacks is an indispensable part of Chu culture.

Wuhan's snack culture is especially rich. Breakfast alone offers dozens of varieties, including hot dry noodles (reganmian), thick rice noodle soup (hutang fen), bean-curd skin rolls (doupi), mianwo, shaomei, pan-fried dumplings (guotie) and fried dough sticks (youtiao), each with its own distinctive flavour. Because of long-established habits, most Wuhan people eat breakfast out, a practice they call 'guozao' (过早, literally 'passing the morning'). It sends them into the new day warm, satisfied and full of energy.

Wuhan has a vast range of dishes, and the most famous is steamed Wuchang fish. Its fame was cemented by a poem by Mao Zedong, and it truly lives up to its reputation: tender, fatty bream steamed with ham, winter mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots and chicken broth, then garnished with shreds of red, yellow and green vegetables, so the fish looks colourful. Its broth is fresh and fragrant, with a lingering aftertaste. The most distinctly Wuhan home-style dish is pork rib and lotus root soup. As an everyday dish, its nourishing qualities and rustic character make it a regular on Wuhan family tables.

Many of Wuhan's famous snacks, such as Siji Mei soup dumplings, are currently struggling commercially, and their flavour is no longer what it once was. They still offer a taste of Wuhan, so visitors may sample them as they see fit. Many street stalls, however, have exceptionally skilled cooks and are well worth a try.

Near the Yujiatou post office in Wuchang is a shop called 'Yichang Flavour Snacks', which specialises in Yichang-style snacks. Here you can try sour and spicy noodles, rarely found in Wuhan, with an authentic sour-spicy taste, as well as zhajiang noodles with unusual toppings. Delicious Yichang pickles are served free of charge.

Wangjiang Fish House, on the riverbank beneath the bridgehead at Wuchang, specialises in Yangtze River fish dishes. It is especially known for its white-sauce jiangwei (Yangtze bagrid catfish), stir-fried jiang catfish slices and bright-stove Yangtze eel. The white-sauce jiangwei has snow-white, translucent slices of flesh that are very refreshing, and a broth as white and thick as milk. Many visiting diners have praised it: 'Yangtze fish cooked in Yangtze water, the flavour is unmatched.'

Donghai Fishing Port Restaurant on Minyi Third Road is known for its signature dish, 'surfing fish' (冲浪鱼). The preparation is distinctive, and the result is tender and delicious; the raw ingredient is a single live grass carp. The stones used for the 'surfing' are somewhat larger than ordinary pebbles. Once heated, they are placed in a milky-white, clear broth, and marinated fish slices and greens are added. The fish slices tumble and billow in the boiling broth and hot oil, a lively and attractive sight.

Wuchang Restaurant on Pengliuyang Road in Wuchang (very close to Yellow Crane Tower) is famous for its Wuchang fish, and is well worth a visit.

Barbecue and stir-fries are the stars of Wuhan's nightlife. In short, almost anything you can imagine can be grilled here, and it will be spicy. The most delicious options are grilled fish, grilled stinky tofu and grilled corn. Wuhan's barbecue scene is concentrated around Shouyi Park, Yujiatou in Wuchang, Hongshan's Huquan area and Hankou Railway Station Road.

Jingwu Road's duck necks have become a premium Wuhan product, and you'll find them at night markets across all three towns of Wuhan. They are very spicy, so visitors should be prepared. Duck necks have grown into a brand in their own right, sold in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities across the country. The night market on Jiqing Street is Wuhan's liveliest, but its prices are higher, so visitors should beware of being overcharged.

1. Other restaurants of the same type as those above include Little Blue Whale Food Court, Prince Restaurant and Zuijiangyue Restaurant. They vary in size, but offer diverse menus with a distinctive charm, and none are particularly expensive.

2. Wuhan's restaurant industry is very well developed, and Wuhan people love eating out. At mealtimes these restaurants are almost always full, and you may need to take a number and queue, so visitors should arrive a little early to avoid a long wait.

Wuhan has a well-developed accommodation sector, with hotels and guesthouses everywhere. Well-known chains such as Shangri-La have branches in the city. There are also plenty of budget hotels and guesthouses suited to independent travellers.

Old buildings along Zhongshan Avenue

Wuhan's shopping districts are concentrated along Jiefang Avenue in Hankou and Zhongshan Avenue. Highlights include Wuhan Square, Shimao Plaza, SOGO, Wangfujing Department Store and Xinmin Zhongle Park.

Wuhan's traditional local specialties include Qingshan-brand mahonggao (麻烘糕) and Xiaogan sesame toffee (孝感麻糖). Their flavours are quite distinctive, so choose carefully when buying.

Wuhan's Bund is lined with bars and cafés, offering a lively yet relaxed atmosphere. Night stalls on Baocheng Road, Zhonghua Road and similar streets form small-goods retail markets, where you can pick up appealing trinkets at low prices. They suit shoppers who enjoy browsing and are good at haggling.

Hongshan Square, Xibei Lake Square, Honglou Square and Wuzhan Square are popular spots for evening leisure, chatting and cooling off. Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street is bustling day and night, lined with trendy shops and entertainment venues, where shoppers and strollers find plenty to enjoy.