Vacation in Wuhan China with Asian Vacations, Inc.

Hubei Provincial Museum
The Hubei Provincial Museum established in 1953 contains the most important collections of artifacts in the province. More than 140,000 items, mainly from a big tomb excavated in 1978, are well preserved here, including 645 first class cultural relics and 16 national treasures. In the summer of 1978, Hubei Provincial archaeologists working near Cheng Guan (present-day Suizhou) in Sui County excavated a huge tomb more than 2,400 years old. Dating from around 433 BC, the tomb was that of Marquis Yi of the state of Zeng. Zeng was one of the hosts of lesser states during the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC). More than 15,000 relics were excavated from the tomb, including the bronze ritual vessels, coffins, musical instruments, gold and jade decorative items, lacquer ware, weapons, inscribed bamboo strips and other relics. Musical Instruments: There are eight kinds and 125 pieces of musical instruments excavated from the tomb, including bells, stone chimes, and drums, Se, Zithers, Sheng, Panpipe and Chi, of which the chime bell is most famous. As the heaviest musical instrument in the world, this set of chime bells, with a total weight of 2,500 kilogram, consists of 65 pieces - the biggest bell is 152 cm high and 204 kgs and the smallest 20 cm long and 3 kgs. They were suspended on three ordered fames and divided into eight groups. The Niu Bell on the upper layer, 19 pieces, were used to producing clear tones, thirty-three pieces of Yong Bell on the middle layer for melody and twelve pieces of Yong Bell on the lower layer for accompanying. Each bell can produce two different tones when struck. The chime bells covered roughly five and half octaves and entire 12 semitones, which were most like current C major. Gold inscriptions of 3,755 words were carved on the body, the frame and hung hooks recording the order of bells, events, notes and records of note names, scale names, octaves and musical pitch connection between other states. The implements used in play the bells that were unearthed were six pieces of T-shaped wooden poles painted in colors and two colorful wooden sticks. According to related materials, there were probably five performers involved in the playing of the bells, with two standing in front of the set playing the larger bells with long poles and three behind playing the smaller bells with smaller sticks. This set of chime bell of Marquis Yi of Zeng reflected achievements in multiple fields: music, study of musical pitch, acoustics and metallurgy. It is one of the major archaeological discoveries in the 20th Century. Bronzes: Altogether 6,239 pieces of bronzes were excavated from the tomb, including 117 pieces of ritual vessels and 17 pieces of utensils. Among these, bronze Zun and Pan are worthy of notice. It consists of two individual vessels - Zun and Pan. The Zun is used as a wine receiver and the Pan is used to hold the Zun. The two vessels are formed into a whole. Four symmetrical dragon-shaped legs are attached to the bottom of the Pan. Four symmetrical hollowed-out handless cubes are adhered to the edge of the pan's mouth. There are hollowed-out additional ornaments stuck to the lower parts on each side of the handles. Four crawling beasts are climbing upwards and throwing up their tongues on the neck of the Zun. The bronze Zun and Pan are exquisite and the ornaments are complicated, reputed as the best model of China's bronze ware in ancient times. Lacquer Ware: The lacquer wares excavated include tableware and wine vessels for picnics, boxes, cups, buckets, suitcases for food and other things. This batch of lacquer ware is both practical and elegant and most of the models are delicately designed according to function. The lacquer ware is colorful and richly ornamented. A suitcase cover was painted with pictures of astronomical phenomena, which indicates that ancient Chinese had already noticed the movements of stars and mastered the law of the four season's changing. Both ends of the cover were also engraved with dragons and tigers. Although the museum is small, its collection is rich and various, which attract more and more appreciative visitors from both home and abroad.

Yangtze River Bridge

Wuchang and Hanyang are linked by this great bridge - it's more than 1,100m long and 80m high. The completion of the bridge in 1957 marked one of Communist China's first great engineering achievements, because until then all road and rail traffic had to be laboriously ferried across the river. A second Trans-Yangtze bridge in northern Wuhan was completed in mid-1995.

Huanghelou
Huanghelou (Yellow Crane Tower), located near the southern end of the Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan, is one of China's most famous towers. The tower inspired many ancient poets and artists. Following is one example, written by Li Bai during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD): "My old friend, Bids farewell to me, In the west at Yellow Crane Tower. Amid April's mist and flowers, He goes down to Yang-jou. The distant image, Of his lonely sai, Disappears in blue emptiness, And all I see, Is the Long River, Flowing to the edge of the sky." This foremost symbol of Wuhan, the original Yellow Crane Tower is said to have existed in the 3rd Century. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It was destroyed last in 1884; the current reconstruction was completed in 1986. The Tower complex consists of the tower, a garden, and a promenade with shops - along with several other buildings.

Gui Yuan Buddhist Temple
Gui Yuan Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple dating from the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), is an example of classic architecture commonly seen in southern China. Inside the temple is a huge hall containing 500 Luohans (also known as arhats or disciples) in different postures, each with a highly individualized facial expression. Some look experienced and astute, others jolly, angry, or complaisant; in other words, the expressions show the full spectrum of human feelings. There is also a large 105-ton Buddha sculpted of white stone--a gift from Burma in 1935. Guiyuan Buddhist Temple (Temple of Original Purity). The Temple, situated on Cuiwei Street, is one of the four largest Buddhist meditation temples in Hubei as well as an important Buddhist temple in China. The temple was first built in the early Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911) by two monks named Baiguang and Zhufeng on the base of Sunflower Garden which was owned by a poet. The temple got its name from the Buddhist chant: "When guided by purity, one can go anywhere." Guiyuan Temple has survived through more than 300 hundred years of repeated cycles of prosperity and decline. Above all others, it has always led the other temples in Wuhan with prosperous public worship, flourishing Buddhist ceremony, and welcoming many pilgrims. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times in its history and the present temple dates from the early Republic of China (1912-1949 AD). Covering an area of 46,900 sq. m with a floor space of 20,000 sq. m, the temple mainly consists of Daxiongbaodian Hall, Arhat Hall, and the Sutra Collection Pavilion. Daxiongbaodian Hall is the main hall of the temple. A statue of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism who preached for 45 years, is enshrined in this hall. On his right is a statue of Mahakasyapa, one of the ten disciples of Sakyamuni. It is said that he was of eminent virtue and is believed to be the first patriarch. After Sakyamuni died, Mahakasyapa carried on his career. On the left is a statue of Ananda. Also one of the ten disciples of Sakyamuni, Ananda was the master of hearing and memory and is believed to be the second patriarch. He followed Sakyamuni for more than 20 years and is attributed with compiling the Buddhist sutras. Arhat Hall was first built in 1850 AD during the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing dynasty, the hall is the most characteristic building of the Temple with its structural layout being in the four-in-one-square shape. In the Arhat Hall are five hundred statues of the disciples of Buddha, sculpted by two artists between 1822 and 1831. Sitting, standing, or reclining, in anger, sadness, or delight, they stimulate people's imaginations. The 500 arhats are the best preserved and most highly valued artistic group of carvings in China. The Sutra Collection Pavilion was built as part of the temple in 1696 AD during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing dynasty to house Buddhist scriptures and art treasure. In this hall, a statue of Sakyamuni carved from a single block of white jade is most attractive. The statue enhances the tranquility of the chambers and pavilions, and the incense smoke filtering through the sky gives the temple a majestic magic. Over 7,000 Buddhist sutras from China, as well as sutras from Japan, India, Burma, Thailand, and other countries are housed in this hall. Although the Guiyuan Temple has a shorter history, it has shared prominence with the White Horse Temple, the most renown Buddhist Temple in China. It is famous not only for spreading Buddhism throughout the entire country, but also for its perfect architecture, excellent sculptures, and rich collection of Buddhist doctrine among Buddhist temples. In 1956, Guiyuan Temple gained status as a historic preservation of antiques within the Hubei province. In 1983, the State Council appointed the Guiyuan Temple as one of the key Buddhist temples of the Han nationality in China. The temple has been a popular tourist attraction, especially during the past ten years. Admission: �10. Opening Times: 8:30 - 17:00.

East Lake
East Lake is often named as a counterpart of the West Lake of Hangzhou. (Although there are many East Lakes and West Lakes throughout China, these two are likely the most famous.) Located in Wuchang, Wuhan's East Lake is approximately six times larger than Hangzhou's West Lake. Also called the Lake of Ninety-Nine Bays, this vast piece of water is so clear that you can see the bottom easily. The scenery around the lake is lovely, including flowers and willow trees as well as pavilions and terraces. A ride in one of the tour boats is a tranquil experience. Due to abundant rainfall and sunshine as well as a humid climate, East Lake has rich botanical resources. There are 372 kinds of trees and over 390 varieties of flowers, of which plum blossom and lotus are most famous. Based on this, China's Plum Research Center and Lotus Research Center are set here. Six scenic areas were established on the lake area, namely Tingtao (Listening to Surging Waves), Moshan (millstone-shaped Hill), Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), Baima (White Horse), Chuidi (Playing the Flute), and Luohong Hills, adding additional beauty to the lake. Admission: �8. Opening Times: 06:00 - 19:00.

Heptachord Terrace (Guqin Tai)
Heptachord Terrace, also named Boya Terrace, is located on the bank of Moon Lake, western foot of Tortoise Hill in Hanyang district. Story goes that Yu Boya used to be a famous musician in Chu kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC). Although good at musical instrument, he was always depressed for few people can keenly comprehended his music. One day, on his way back to his country after a diplomatic mission, he was blocked here by a sudden heavy rain. When it cleared up, Yu Boya played a piece of music. Zhong Ziqi, a woodcutter, understood quite well the message conveyed in Boya's music - a vivid description of mountains and rivers, then traced the music and found Yu Boya. Thus the two became bosom friends. One year later, when Ziqi died, Boya, knowing there would be no one else to appreciate the beauty of his music, smashed his lute in grief and never again played music. Later people built this terrace in memory of the friends. The original terrace was built in the Northern Sung dynasty (960 - 1127), experiencing several destroys and rebuilds, the present one was the result of construction in 1957. The whole complex, although small in size, is elegant in layout and demarcated in arrangement. The main structure is a wide hall. A platform by the waterside in front of the hall is said to be the place where Yu Boya played heptachord. A 2 m high stele was set in the center of the courtyard, with image of Boya engraved on one side and epigraphy about this story the other. Heptachord Terrace now is a notable scenic spot in Wuhan.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wudangshan Mountain
About a 10-hour bus ride from Wuhan is the Wudangshan mountain range. The first Daoist temple there, the "Five Dragon Temple," was built 1,300 years ago during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). In the 15th Century, the Ming emperor sent 300,000 soldiers and workers there to build 160 monasteries, temples, pavilions, and other structures. It took them more than 10 years to complete the construction. The area then became a major center of Daoism. Although many of the old structures decayed in the following centuries, there are still many well-preserved temples. Tai chi originated in Wudangshan as a martial art; it has been transformed over the centuries into a sort of meditative dance.

Surrounding Cities:

Huangshi City, about 60 miles distant, is a city of iron, steel, and garment production. Jing-Sha City, nearly 120 miles distant, is a combination of previous Jinzhou City and Shashi City and is famous for its light industry and tourism. Tianmen City, 70 miles distant, is famous for cotton textiles and traditional printed cloth. Yichang City, 200 miles distant, is the door to Sanxia (Three Gorges), famous for tourism and the first dam (Gezhouba Dam) along the Yangtze River.