Hubei 湖北Húběi

About Hubei

In western Hubei the Yangtze runs through the last of the Three Gorges, between sheer limestone cliffs, and past the giant dam above Yichang. In the northwest, the Wudang Mountains are scattered with Taoist temples and are linked by legend to the origins of tai chi. Wuhan, a sprawling city of rivers and lakes, is known for guozao, its habit of eating breakfast out on the street, and for the Yellow Crane Tower above the Yangtze.

Hubei at a glance

Area

185,900 km²

Population

57.8 million 2020

Highest point

Shennong Peak 神农顶3,105 m

Borders

Anhui, Chongqing, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi

Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.

What to eat in Hubei

• Hot dry noodles (热干面)
• Doupi sticky rice pancake (豆皮)
• Lotus root and pork rib soup (莲藕排骨汤)

Places to visit in Hubei

• 

  Wudang Mountains 武当山

  Taoist palaces strung along forested ridges, and the legendary birthplace of tai chi

  Best time: Apr–May, Sep–Nov · Time needed: 1–2 days · 5A scenic area · National heritage site · UNESCO World Heritage

• 

  Yellow Crane Tower 黄鹤楼

  A tower rebuilt many times over, made immortal by a single Tang poem

  Best time: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · Time needed: Half a day · 5A scenic area · National heritage site

• 

  Shennongjia 神农架生态旅游区

  Primeval forest and alpine meadow on the roof of central China, a UNESCO forest reserve

  Best time: May–Oct · Time needed: 1–2 days · 5A scenic area · UNESCO World Heritage

• 

  Enshi Grand Canyon 恩施大峡谷

  A limestone canyon with a 150 m rock pillar, a cliff plank road and a waterfall floor

  Best time: Late Apr–Sep, Oct–Nov · Time needed: 1 day · 5A scenic area

• 

  Three Gorges Dam 三峡大坝

  The Yangtze's mega-dam, seen from hilltop lookouts and a ship lift that raises whole boats

  Best time: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · Time needed: Half a day · 5A scenic area

• 

  Hubei Provincial Museum 湖北省博物馆

  Marquis Yi's ancient bronze bells, played live, and the sword of King Goujian

  Best time: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · Time needed: Half a day

Listed sites in Hubei

329 sites in Hubei are on the official lists, 12 of them rated 5A and 112 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.

Cities and prefectures of Hubei

• Enshi 恩施 Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
  Limestone canyons, a cave that swallows a river, and Tujia stilt houses
• Ezhou 鄂州 City
  A Three Kingdoms capital of lakes, bream and a temple on a river rock
• Huanggang 黄冈 City
  Su Dongpo's Red Cliff, the Chan patriarchs' temples and the Dabie Mountains
• Huangshi 黄石 City
  Copper mined since the Bronze Age and the furnaces of China's first steel giant
• Jingmen 荆门 City
  A Ming emperor's tomb for his father, and the fields of a Neolithic culture
• Jingzhou 荆州 City
  Chu's old heartland and Guan Yu's city, still inside its walls
• Qianjiang 潜江 County-level City
  China's crayfish town, on the Jianghan Plain above an oilfield
• Shennongjia 神农架 Forestry District · Songbai
  Primeval forest, golden monkeys and tales of a wild man in the hills
• Shiyan 十堰 City
  Taoist palaces on Wudang's peaks, above a city built around a truck works
• Suizhou 随州 City
  A marquis's bronze bells, the farmer-god's birthplace and golden ginkgo valleys
• Tianmen 天门 County-level City
  Hometown of Lu Yu, who wrote the first book on tea
• Wuhan 武汉 City
  Three towns at the meeting of the Han and Yangtze, and hot dry noodles to go
• Xiangyang 襄阳 City
  'Iron Xiangyang', a moated walled city on the Han, and Zhuge Liang's retreat
• Xianning 咸宁 City
  Hot springs, osmanthus and the traditional site of the Red Cliffs battle
• Xiantao 仙桃 County-level City
  Water country of lakes and canals, and the home of steamed rice-coated dishes
• Xiaogan 孝感 City
  A city named for a filial son, with Li Bai's mountain and hot springs
• Yichang 宜昌 City
  Gateway to the Three Gorges, from Qu Yuan's hometown to the great dam

Before you go

• Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
• Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
• Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
• Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
• Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
• When to go When is the best time to visit China?

On the map

Open Hubei on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)