Elegant Wuhan

Author: Gu Yibing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: A refined city where the Yangtze and Han rivers converge, with the tortoise and snake as its guardian deities, and the three towns dominating the landscape. A poetic city shrouded in verse, where literati of past dynasties have sung its praises, their poems and songs as brilliant as stars. That ethereal yellow crane still soars in the hearts of generations of Wuhan people. The nine-headed bird, burdened with the curses of ages, still cries out defiantly: "Unwilling to submit to Zhou," "Unwilling to submit to Zhou." A refined city misunderstood. This is a city that holds significant weight in the odes of literati through the ages. It is a refined city where the Yangtze and Han rivers converge, with the tortoise and snake as its guardian deities. That proud yellow crane still soars above this city, dancing in the hearts of its people. The nine-headed bird, laden with the curses of ages, still cries out defiantly: "Unwilling to submit to Zhou," "Unwilling to submit to Zhou." You must have guessed by now that this city is Wuhan, the "Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces." Perhaps you are a true Wuhanite, jogging on the Yangtze River Bridge every morning; perhaps you have just passed through Wuhan, catching a glimpse of the Yellow Crane Tower from the window of a passing car; perhaps you have never had the chance to experience Wuhan's atmosphere, only gazing at it from afar, measuring the distance between you and it on a map; perhaps... but how much do you know about this city that flourished and thrived by the water? Is it Zhang Zhidong's new policies in Hubei? The "Tower of the Underworld?" Or the "Wuchang Fish" that evokes nostalgia in autumn? Or the renowned "Wuhan Manufacturing"? Coordinated by Hubei Nancai Cultural Development Co., Ltd. and published by China Financial and Economic Publishing House, Elegant Wuhan, as part of the "Commentary on China Library Series," uses its pen to illuminate readers' eyes. In recent years, books on cities have become almost fashionable. As this trend has gradually become stylish, the "Commentary on China Library Series" has attempted to find a new relationship between text and images: they are no longer mere illustrations paired with text, but two parallel signal systems that interact and complement each other. Mr. Gu Yibing, with his masterful pen, traverses history and combines it with the present, spreading the elegance of Elegant Wuhan across the vast land of China. He reminds us: we should write not in pursuit of literary clamor, but in pursuit of the world's tranquility. The Wuhan in this book is a profound Wuhan, and also a vibrant Wuhan. It is a Wuhan that remains "unknown to the world," yet also a Wuhan that captures everyone's attention. It is a Wuhan with the refinement of a "small jade," yet also a Wuhan with the elegance of a "noble lady." Brew a pot of fragrant tea and savor this book with your heart. A gentle narrative unfolds, telling legends and tales, historical figures, famous landmarks, local customs, and renowned specialties, as well as some lesser-known anecdotes and fragments of history and culture. If you have the habit of placing a book on your bedside, then Elegant Wuhan is sure to be a soothing melody in your deep blue dreams.