Hubei is the province of rivers and lakes: the Yangtze meets its largest tributaries at Wuhan, and the Taoist peaks of Wudang rise to the west. A land of boats, bridges, and breakfasts eaten on the run.

What to See

The Yellow Crane Tower stands above the Yangtze at Wuhan, the “first tower under heaven”: the Tang poet Cui Hao wrote his famous lines about a crane that flew away and never returned, and the view still carries the same feeling.

Wudang Mountain is the holy ground of Taoism: the Golden Summit appears and vanishes in seas of cloud, and the founder of tai chi is said to have attained enlightenment here. And Enshi Grand Canyon is the rising star: waterfalls roaring in a rift valley, plank paths clinging to cliffs.

What to Eat

Hot dry noodles are Wuhan's morning ritual: alkaline noodles tossed while hot with sesame paste and chilli oil, eaten standing up on the street. Wuchang fish, named for the old city across the river, is steamed with ginger and scallion. And lotus root and pork rib soup is the province's winter comfort — sweet, milky and slow-simmered.

Folk Customs

Practical Tips

Photos: Yellow Crane Tower, Wudang Mountain — via Wikimedia Commons, CC-licensed. Licenses and authors available on the original file pages.