At the first sight, Wuhan appears to be disorganized. The buildings are crammed together without any semblance of order and the roads twist and turn throughout the city according to no pattern known to man. Wuhan might not be an ideal place to learn Chinese in China. Wuhan has a very atypical geography. The Yangtze and Han River run through the city and the roads follow their winding paths which are rarely along straight trajectories. Besides,there are over one hundred lakes within the city limits and a number ofmountains. None of the buildings quite follow any very strict code.
The Yangtze and Han rivers separate Wuhan into three boroughs: Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang. Hankou is the traditional financial and commercial center of the city and has one of the most important docks on the Yangtze River. In 1861, the British, German, Russian, French and Japanese Concessions were established there. At the beginning of the 20th century, banks and major companies from around the world were concentrated in Hankou and it became the 2ndlargest financial center in the country. It became known as ‘the Chicago of the East’. Hanheng street and Jiqing street are two must-see places in Hankou. Hanzheng Street is the site of the wholesale markets. The low prices and fashionable products draw people to the area in droves. That’s where you can experience a cab ride in local ‘numbing’ cabs. These rickety cars shake so hard they cause your entire body to go numb. Jiqing Street is fairly quiet during the daytime but, in the evening, it’s a whole different world. Some of Wuhan’s best snack stands are concentrated along the street, and it’s often the site of strange but interesting art performances. Wuchang is the cultural center. TheYellow Crane Tower is a city landmark and has been around for over 1,700 years. Some of the most beautiful poems in Chinese history were written there. Hanyang is an important industrial center that was established around the end of the 19thcentury. During turmoil and constant warfare that dominated the first half ofthe 20th century, almost every soldier in China carried a rifle madein Hanyang.