Hubei Provincial Museum

Located near the East Lake in Wuhan city of Hubei Province, the Hubei Provincial Museum is the only one provincial comprehensive museum in Hubei Province which is responsible for the collection, protection, exhibitions and the research work of the cultural relics in the whole Hubei province. It covers an floor space area of 81,909 square meters, structure area of 49,611 square meters and exhibition hall area of 13,427 square meters. There are more than 200,000 cultural relics in the museum, among which there are nearly 1,000 are belong to the first level relics and there is the biggest exhibition hall of ancient instrument in China.

Hubei Provincial Museum

Characterized by the strong Chu culture, the Hubei Provincial Museum is composed of three parts: the Chimes Hall, the Chu Culture Hall and the Comprehensive Exhibition Hall. Though it is unknown to some foreigners, it is a fantastic place where you can see a 2000 year old coffin in good condition and most of the items displayed there are unearthed from one king’s tomb for more than 2000 years ago during the Spring and Autumn Periods, among which the bronze bells that once were used as musical instruments are also in display here. Traveling in the Hubei Provincial Museum, you will learn about some Chinese history especially the Chu culture which features strong music performance as the Chu Kingdom was famous for the quality of the music. Just prepare a good mood to enjoy the bell of the Chimes Hall and the music of the Chu culture, you will have a enjoyable trip there!

Hubei Provincial Museum

Travel tips: 1) Opening time: 9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. but Monday is closed. 2) Ticket price: free. 3) Best time to visit: spring and autumn especially March, April, September and October. 4) Ways to get there: City public buses No. 14, 810, 701, 402, 411, 552, 578 and 709 to the Hubei Museum stop and the No. 605, 709 and 712 to the Huangli stop.

Covering an area of 73 square kilometers including 33 square kilometers of lake area, the East Lake is located in the downtown of Wuhan City and it is the largest inner city lake in China. It has been listed as an AAAA level scenic area in China in the year of 2000.

The East Lake

Surrounded by urban area and small parks and featured densely distributed plants, the East Lake is divided into six scenic areas characterized by its respective charm and beauty: the Tingtao Scenic Area, the Moshan Scenic Area, the Chuidi Scenic Area, the Luoyan Scenic Area, the Luohong Scenic Area together with the Baima Scenic Area whose project is uncompleted nowadays. Among which the first four scenic areas are the main areas opening to the travelers whose attractions total more than 100, which will make your time visiting here fulfilled.

The East Lake

The temperate climate such as the sufficient rainfall and sunshine makes the scenery of the East Lake alluring and fantastic all the year round. You can view the verdant hills and green waters and enjoy the singing of the birds in spring, take a boat in the lake under the blue sky in fresh and cool atmosphere in summer, appreciate the red leaves all over the mountain while intoxicated in the sweet osmanthus in autumn and admire the elegant plum decorated by the snow in winter—all of these will make your trip in Wuhan amazing and memorable! When travelling here, you can also see various plants such as Snow Pines, Dawn Redwoods (Shui-Has), and Camphor trees. Do not forget to have a view to the special and exquisite plum park inside the East Lake as it will leave you a wonderful mood!

The East Lake

Travel tips: 1) ticket prices: free for Tingtao Scenic Area; 60 Yuan/adult for the Moshan Scenic Area; 13 Yuan/adult for the Luoyan Scenic Area; 20 Yuan/adult for the Maan Shan Forest Park in peak season during 11th March to 10th June, 11th November to 10th December and 7 Yuan/adult for the rest time of a year. 2) Ways to go there: take the city public buses No. 14; 36; 401; 402; 411; 423; 515; 605; 701; 712; 578; 573; 537; 643 or take the trolleybus line 1 and line 8.

Yellow Crane Tower

Located in the Wuhan city, theYellow Crane Tower is one of the three famous towers in Jiangnan area of China and it is one of the forty famous scenic spots in China also. It has been honored as the ” No. 1 Tower under the Heaven”. Rushing toward the Bashan peaks and adopting the nearby cloud water, the vast and mighty Yangtze River joins with its longest tributary Han River in the hinterland in the Three Chu area, which contributes to the spectacular scene that the Wuhan city separates the Han River and Yangtze River to make its three towns confront each other. You’ll find the scene spectacular and fantastic there.

Yellow Crane Tower

The Yellow Crane is first built in the Three Country period and most famous in the Tang Dynasty period mainly because of the ancient poem named “The Yellow Crane Tower” written by Cui Hao, and the Song painting ” Yellow Crane Tower Painting” reshowes the appearance of the towers in Song Dynasty. It is located in the top of the She Mountain whose altitude of height is 61.7 meters above sea level and it is designed with the Tongzhi Tower in the Qing dynasty as its prototypes.

Yellow Crane Tower

There are 5 floors in the Yellow Crane Tower with its height 51.4 meters and the architectural area 3,219 square meters. 72 cylinders rise straight from the ground, forcefully and robustly, and its 60 rake angles stretches for all sides just like a Yellow Crane is soaring. Its roof is covered with more than 100, 000 yellow glazed titles, which makes the Yellow Crane Tower look colorful and majestic under the decorations of the blue sky and the white cloud. Its center main tower has two floors whose planes are square, and its down floor stretches out from both left side and right side; the corridor entrances in front and behind are connected with the annex building, which make it convenientfor your visit there.

Tips: 1) Opening time: 7:00a.m. to 18:30p.m. from 1st April to 31st October; 7:30a.m. to 17:30p.m. from 1st November to 31st March. 2) Ticket price: 80 yuan/ adult. 3) Visiting duration: 2 hours. 4) Ways to get there: take the public city bus no. 10, 61, 64, 401, 402, 411, 413, 503, 507, 519, 522, 541, 542,554, 561, 571, 584 and 706.

Located in the west countryside of the Chongqing City, the Chongqing Zoo is one of the large-scale zoos in China covering an area of 45 hectares and built in the year of 1955. It has accepted more than 2 millions travelers from home and broad annually,of which 100,000 are foreigner travelers. It is a famous attraction which worthy your visit during your Yangtze Cruise.

Chongqing Zoo

The Chongqing Zoo is surrounded by the spectacular hills and valleys. The beautiful lakes, green mountains, clean water and the special geography there makes its scenery charming and fantastic. You can see variously flourishing old trees and different species of every type plants there with a green surface rate of 71% and green covered rate 85%. There are more than 20 animal halls for more than 250 species and 4,000 animals including the rarest giant pandas, small pandas, antelope, Southern tigers, Asian elephants etc. There are also human-made lacks, bend bridges, islands and pavilions connected with each other adding charm to the Chongqing Zoo. Your time visiting here will be colorful and wonderful as there is also a variety of the amusement facilities available in the Zoo including an open stage, a roller skating rink,a children’s play area reading room, tea garden and restaurants.

Chongqing Zoo

When travelling here, what you must see is the panda room from where you can view the giant pandas and the cat-like small pandas that are more beautifully colored and don’t act like cats, besides, there are also their off springs. The best time to visit the pandas is 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. when you can see the pandas feeding there—It’s so interesting and wonderful!

Chongqing Zoo

Travel informations: 1) Ticket Price: 30 RMB/ adult in the peak season including February, March, April, May, June, July, August and October; 20 RMB/ adult in the slack season in January, November, September and December. 2) Ways to go there: Type1, take the No.2 rail to the zoo stop; Type2, take the city bus lines No. 148, 204, 207, 226, 229, 310, 341, 463, 471, 475, 832 and get off in the zoo stop.

Located in the Guangkou County about 60 km northwest of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project is a large irrigation project that was built in ancient times and till has been utilized nowadays. It is a famous scenic spot that honored as” the Originator of the Irrigation Culture in the World”. It is normally believed by Chinese people that the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project was built by the satrap of Qin County—Libin and his son in ancient times about 256 BC. It is the only one maintaining grand irrigation project with the longest history that characterized by non-dam diversion in the world, and also a key cultural relic protection units in China.

Dujiangyan Irrigation Project

Dujiangyan Irrigation Project can be divided into three major parts: first is a levee with best design named Yuzui erected in the middle of the river that was shaped to control the amount of water that entered the two channels; next will be the channel of the irrigation project that was cut through a mountain by means of heating the rock and then pouring water on it, and finally is a spillway called Feishayan that was dug to discharge water and silt.

Dujiangyan Irrigation Project

Dujiangyan is not only a well famous Chinese ancient irrigation project, but also a famous scenic spot area in China. You will see charming scenery and cultural relic sites near it including FuLong View, Erwang Temple, Calm Cable Bridge, Yulei Guan, Lidui Park, Mt Yulei Park, Yunu Peak, Lingyan Temple, Puzhao Temple, Cui Moon Lake and the Dujiangyan Irrigation. Traveling here, you will find your time full filled with beautiful scenery and ancient culture.

Tips: 1) Ticket Price: 90 RMB/ adult. 2) Climate: Central Asian tropical humid climate zone with its annual average temperature 15.2 ℃and annual precipitation nearly 1200 millimeters, and annual frost-free season 280 days. Its average temperature of the hottest year is 24 ℃ in July and August, and 4.6 ℃ in January–the coldest month.

Located in the the Chongqing city in the range of Dazu district, Tongnan County, Tongliang County and Bishan County, the Dazu Rock Carving represents the carved stone statue art of the Tang dynasty and Song dynasty. And the Dazu Rock Carving is the generic terms of the grotto art that show in the way of bas-reliefs precipices in the district of the Dazu. It is the religious cliff carving with the main theme mainly being the Buddhist during the Tang dynasty and Song dynasty, among which the Beishan cliff statues and the Baodingshan cliff statues are the most famous—They are the most famous ancient carving art in China.

The Dazu Rock Carvings sets for more than 70 sites and totals 100,000 Rock Carvings, and it is the model of the grottoes statues art in late China in ancient times. With its large scale, exquisite art, various content and profound culture, the Dazu Rock Carvings enjoys the same reputation as the Dungannon Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and the MaiJiShan Grottoes.

When having a visit here, don’t forget to visit one of the most rock carvings, yes, that is the Beishan cliff statues! It is located in the Beishan Mountain with 1.5 kilometers north of the Dazu District. The status of on the Beishan Mountain are 300 meters long, fantastic, majestic and beautiful, it has been listed as the The national key cultural relics protection units and the world cultural heritage because of its high cultural relic value, sculpture value and tourism value.

Travel tips: 1) ticket price: in slack season from the 1st December to the 28th or 29th February: 70 RMB/adult for the Beishan Rock Carving, 90RMB/adult for the Baodingshan Rock Carving and 20 RMB/ adult for the Holy Life Temple; in the peak season from the 1st March to the 30th November: 120 RMB/ adult for the Baodingshan Rock Carving, 90 RMB/ adult for the Beishan Rock Carving and 20 RMB/ adult for the Holy Life Temple. 2) How to get there: Travelers from Chongqing can take the bus ( every 20 minutes will comes a bus) in the Caiyuanba bus station or Chenjiaping bus station in Chongqing along the expressway to the Dazu area with the price of about 50 RMB for about 1.5 hours drive; those who from Chengdu can take the bus in the Hehuachi bus station with the price of about 80-100 RMB. 3) Nearby attractions: DaZu ShiMa Catholic church, Hechuan Fishing City, Ware Gukou County etc..