Map of Hubei Province

Author: Ma Ruiping, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features:
Geography: Hubei Province is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It is called Hubei because it is north of Dongting Lake. Its geographical coordinates are 108°21' to 116°07' east longitude and 29°05' to 33°20' north latitude. The area is 186,000 square kilometers. The central and southern parts are the Jianghan Plain, while the rest are the West Hubei Mountains, North Hubei Plateau, and East Hubei Low Mountains and Hills. To the north is Henan, to the south are Jiangxi and Hunan, to the east is Anhui, to the west is Sichuan, and to the northwest is Shaanxi. It is 740.6 kilometers wide from east to west and 470.2 kilometers long from north to south.
Climate: Subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 15-17°C. The average temperature in January is 1-5°C, and in July, it is 27-30°C. The average annual precipitation is 800-1,600 millimeters.
Population: At the end of 2003, the total population of the province was 60.017 million.
Administration: The province administers 12 prefecture-level cities, 1 autonomous prefecture, 38 district-level cities, 24 county-level cities, 37 counties, 2 autonomous counties, and 1 forest region.
Introduction: Hubei Province is abbreviated as Hubei. Its capital is Wuhan. Hubei Province is rich in resources and has numerous rivers and lakes, making it a land of water and lakes. It has many ethnic groups, including the Han, Tujia, Miao, Hui, Dong, Manchu, Zhuang, and Mongolian. Agriculture and fishery are well-developed, with abundant production of rice, wheat, cotton, silk, tea, lacquer, oranges, and fish. Industries such as iron and steel, automobiles, and shipbuilding hold an important position in the country.
Specialty Foods: Steamed Wuchang Fish, Doupi (wheat gluten skin), dumplings, fried eel with skin strips, chicken essence fish stomach and fish meatballs, Three-Fresh Head Vegetable, Dragon-Winding Vegetable, Scattered Eight Treasures, and Miyang Three-Steamed Dishes, etc.
Local Arts: Han Opera and Chu Opera are popular throughout the province. Huangmei Opera has a wide influence. The narrative arts include Hubei Drum, Hubei Storytelling, HanTan Small Songs, and HanChuan Good Books, etc. Wuhan Acrobatics enjoys a high reputation both domestically and internationally.
Tourist Resources: Hubei Province combines beautiful landscapes with cultural relics and historical sites. The river networks are dense, and there are many lakes, earning it the name "Province of a Thousand Lakes." Combined with mountains and gorges, it offers abundant natural scenery, especially the magnificent Yangtze Three Gorges, which are world-famous. Wudang Mountain and Jiugong Mountain are sacred places for Taoism. Shennongjia is an important nature reserve, not only rich in rare animal species but also famous for the "Wild Man Mystery." Cultural relics and historical sites are scattered throughout the province, such as the Flame Emperor Temple in Suizhou, Qu Yuan's Hometown in Zigui, Jining Ancient City, Zhaojun's Hometown, Wuhan Ancient Guqin Terrace, Yellow Crane Tower, and the Three Kingdoms Red Cliff in Puyi, which are like a thick and vivid book of Chinese history.