Province · Central China
Hubei
湖北
The heartland of Chu on the middle Yangtze and the Han
Hubei is a province in central China on the middle reaches of the Yangtze, where the Han River joins it at the provincial capital Wuhan. It was the core of the ancient state of Chu, holds the Three Gorges Dam and the Daoist Wudang Mountains, and is a national hub for rail, cars and optoelectronics.
Key facts
- Capital
- Wuhan
- Abbreviation
- 鄂 (È)
- Area
- about 185,900 km²[1]
- Resident population
- 58.11 million(as of end of 2025)[2]
- Gross regional product
- CNY 6.27 trillion(as of 2025)[2]
- Census population
- 57.75 million(as of 2020 census)[3]
- Divisions
- 12 prefecture-level cities, 1 autonomous prefecture, 4 units directly under the province[1]
- UNESCO World Heritage sites
- 4, two of them shared (1994–2016)[4]
Profile
- Chinese name
- 湖北
- Abbreviation (简称)
- 鄂 or 楚
- Type
- Province
- Region
- Central China
- Capital
- Wuhan
- Area
- about 185,900 km²
- Divisions
- 12 prefecture-level cities, 1 autonomous prefecture (Enshi Tujia and Miao), and the county-level cities of Xiantao, Qianjiang and Tianmen and the Shennongjia Forestry District directly under the province
- Ethnic groups
- Han, Tujia, Miao, Hui, Dong
- Languages
- Wuhan dialect, Jianghuai Mandarin, Gan, Tujia
Languages
Wuhan dialect
武汉话
A Southwestern Mandarin variety, spoken with local differences across most of the province.
Jianghuai Mandarin
江淮官话
Spoken in the east of the province around Huanggang and Xiaogan.
Gan
赣语
Spoken in the south-eastern counties bordering Jiangxi, such as Tongcheng and Chongyang.
Tujia
土家语
The endangered language of the Tujia people in the Wuling mountains of Enshi; most Tujia now speak local Mandarin.
Name and abbreviation
Hubei means “north of the lake” — the lake being Dongting, which lies across the border in Hunan. The name goes back to the Song-dynasty Jinghu North Circuit (荆湖北路); under the Qing the large province of Huguang was divided in the 1660s into Hubei and Hunan. The official abbreviation 鄂 comes from the ancient city of E, near present-day Ezhou and Wuchang, which gave its name to the Tang and Song prefecture of Ezhou. The literary name 楚 (Chu) recalls the Zhou-era state whose heartland lay on the Jianghan Plain.
Historic names
楚
The southern state of the Zhou period, with its capital Ying near Jingzhou until the Qin conquest of 278 BCE.
荆州
One of the Nine Provinces of early Chinese geography and, in the Han and Three Kingdoms period, the name of the region between the Yangtze and the Han.
湖广
The Yuan, Ming and early Qing province that covered today's Hubei and Hunan until they were separated.
千湖之省
“province of a thousand lakes”
Popular epithet for the lake-studded Jianghan Plain.
Land and climate
Hubei is a basin open to the south. Mountains frame it on three sides — the Wudang and Daba ranges and the Wu Mountains in the west, the Tongbai and Dabie ranges in the north-east, and the Mufu Mountains in the south-east — around the low Jianghan Plain, a flood plain of the Yangtze and Han rivers dotted with lakes. The west is rugged karst and forest country, where the Yangtze cuts through the Three Gorges before entering the plain at Yichang.
Landforms
Jianghan Plain
江汉平原
Alluvial plain between the Yangtze and the Han; rice, cotton, rapeseed, freshwater fish and lotus.
Shennongjia
神农架
Forested mountain massif in the north-west; its peak Shennong Ding (3,105 m) is the highest point of central China.
Wudang Mountains
武当山
Daoist sacred range in the north-west, linked to the cult of the Perfected Warrior (真武) and to Wudang martial arts.
Dabie Mountains
大别山
The watershed between the Yangtze and the Huai on the border with Henan and Anhui.
Three Gorges
长江三峡
The Wu and Xiling gorges lie in Hubei; the Qutang Gorge upstream lies in Chongqing.
Rivers and lakes
Yangtze
长江
Crosses the province from west to east for more than a thousand kilometres, past Yichang, Jingzhou, Wuhan and Huangshi.
Han River
汉江
The Yangtze's longest tributary; flows past Shiyan and Xiangyang and joins the Yangtze at Wuhan. The Danjiangkou Reservoir on its upper course feeds the middle route of the South–North Water Diversion.
Qing River
清江
Clear tributary flowing through the Tujia country of Enshi to join the Yangtze near Yidu.
East Lake
东湖
One of the largest lakes within a Chinese city, on the eastern side of Wuchang.
Climate
Humid subtropical, with cold damp winters and long, very hot summers; Wuhan is counted among the Yangtze “furnaces”. The plum rains of June and July bring the heaviest rainfall and historically the worst floods. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; the western mountains are markedly cooler in summer.
History
Neolithic cultures such as Qujialing flourished on the Jianghan Plain, and Panlongcheng near Wuhan was a walled Shang outpost. From the eighth century BCE the region was the heart of Chu, whose lacquer, silk, bronze and poetry — above all that of Qu Yuan — formed a southern tradition distinct from the Central Plain. The middle Yangtze was fiercely contested in the Three Kingdoms period, from the Battle of Red Cliffs onwards. Under the Ming, Wudang became an imperial Daoist sanctuary, and Hankou grew into one of China's great trading towns. In the late Qing, Wuhan became an industrial centre under Zhang Zhidong, and the Wuchang Uprising of 1911 began the revolution that ended the empire. The twentieth century brought the Yangtze bridge at Wuhan and the Three Gorges Dam.
c. 3000 BCE
Qujialing culture
Rice-farming Neolithic culture of the Jianghan Plain, named after a site in Jingshan, with walled settlements and fine eggshell pottery.
c. 1500 BCE
Shang city of Panlongcheng
A walled town with palace foundations and bronzes in Huangpi, north of Wuhan — evidence of Shang reach far south of the Yellow River.
c. 433 BCE
Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng
The tomb excavated at Suizhou in 1978 contained a set of 65 bronze bells (编钟) that can still play melodies, and thousands of other objects.
278 BCE
Qin takes the Chu capital Ying
The general Bai Qi captured Ying near Jingzhou; the poet-minister Qu Yuan, born in Zigui, drowned himself in despair, according to tradition, in the same year.
208
Battle of Red Cliffs
The allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao on the Yangtze, fixing the division of China into three kingdoms.
1412
Yongle Emperor orders the Wudang building programme
Hundreds of thousands of workers built palaces and temples on the mountain, making it the largest Daoist complex in China.
1660s
Hubei separated from Huguang
The Qing divided the old province of Huguang along Dongting Lake, creating Hubei and Hunan.
1861
Hankou opened to foreign trade
Under the Treaty of Tianjin, Hankou became a treaty port; British, Russian, French, German and Japanese concessions followed along the riverfront.
1889–1907
Zhang Zhidong governs Huguang
The viceroy founded the Hanyang Iron Works, arsenals, mills and modern schools, turning Wuhan into an early industrial centre.
10 October 1911
Wuchang Uprising
A mutiny of New Army troops in Wuchang set off the Xinhai Revolution that ended the Qing dynasty; the date is still marked as Double Ten.
1938
Battle of Wuhan
Months of fighting around the temporary wartime capital before it fell to Japan in October 1938.
1957
Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
The first bridge across the Yangtze, carrying both road and rail and joining the Beijing–Guangzhou line.
1994–2006
Construction of the Three Gorges Dam
The dam at Sandouping near Yichang, the largest hydropower station in the world by installed capacity, flooded the gorges upstream and required the resettlement of more than a million people.
January–April 2020
COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown of Wuhan
The first recognised outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Wuhan, which was sealed off from 23 January to 8 April 2020.
World heritage
World Heritage sites
Cultural · inscribed 1994
Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
武当山古建筑群
Palaces and temples mostly of the Ming dynasty, including the bronze Golden Hall of 1416 on the summit of Tianzhu Peak.
Cultural · inscribed 2000 · shared
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
明显陵
Hubei's component is the Xianling tomb at Zhongxiang, built for the father of the Jiajing Emperor; the serial site spans several provinces.
Cultural · inscribed 2015 · shared
唐崖土司城址
The Tangya chieftain's town in Xianfeng county, Enshi, one of three seats of hereditary Tujia and Miao chieftains inscribed together with sites in Hunan and Guizhou.
Natural · inscribed 2016
湖北神农架
Mountain forests with an exceptional concentration of plant species and habitat for the golden snub-nosed monkey.
Intangible cultural heritage (UNESCO lists)
Inscribed 2009
Dragon Boat festival
端午节
The inscription names the Qu Yuan commemorations of Zigui, his birthplace, and the festival customs of Huangshi among its communities, with Miluo in Hunan and Suzhou in Jiangsu.
Inscribed 2022
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China
中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗
A nationwide element that includes Hubei traditions such as the steamed green tea of Enshi and the brick tea of Chibi.
Culture
Hubei sees itself as the inheritor of Chu culture: the shamanistic poetry of the Chu Ci, lacquerware painted in red and black, phoenix motifs and bronze chime bells. Wuhan's culture is that of a river port and crossroads — brisk, loud and proud of its breakfasts. The south-west, around Enshi, belongs to the Tujia and Miao of the Wuling mountains, with their own songs, dances and wooden stilt houses.
昔人已乘黄鹤去，此地空余黄鹤楼。Xī rén yǐ chéng huáng hè qù, cǐ dì kōng yú Huánghè Lóu.
“The man of old has flown away on the yellow crane; all that is left here is the Yellow Crane Tower.”
— Cui Hao, “Yellow Crane Tower” (黄鹤楼), Tang dynasty, 8th century
Opera, music and dance
Han opera
汉剧
Regional opera of Wuhan whose xipi and erhuang tunes contributed to the formation of Peking opera.
Chu opera
楚剧
Folk opera from the countryside north of Wuhan, sung in local dialect.
Chime-bell music
编钟乐舞
Performances on replicas of the Marquis Yi bells, a fixture of the provincial museum in Wuhan.
Tujia hand-waving dance
摆手舞
Communal dance of the Tujia, performed at the New Year in the villages of Enshi and western Hunan.
Crafts
Chu-style lacquerware
楚式漆器
Red-and-black lacquer in the tradition of the objects found in Chu tombs around Jingzhou.
Han embroidery
汉绣
Bold, densely stitched embroidery of the Wuhan area, used for opera costumes and temple banners.
Xilankapu
西兰卡普
Tujia brocade woven on backstrap and floor looms in geometric patterns, traditionally part of a bride's dowry.
Festivals and customs
Guozao
过早
Wuhan's word for eating breakfast, usually out of the house and on the move; the city's breakfast stalls are a local institution.
Dragon Boat Festival in Zigui
秭归端午
Boat races and poetry recitations in honour of Qu Yuan at his home town on the Yangtze.
Bridal laments
哭嫁
Tujia custom in which a bride sings laments with female relatives in the days before leaving her family.
Cuisine
Hubei cooking (鄂菜) is not one of the Eight Great Cuisines, but it has a strong identity built on freshwater fish, lotus root and steamed dishes. The saying “no feast without fish” (无鱼不成席) holds on the Jianghan Plain. Seasoning is savoury and moderately spicy; Wuhan's street breakfasts are among the most varied in China.
Signature dishes
Hot dry noodles
热干面
Pre-boiled alkaline noodles tossed with sesame paste, pickled radish and spring onion — the signature breakfast of Wuhan.
Wuchang bream
武昌鱼
Blunt-snout bream from Liangzi Lake near Ezhou, usually steamed whole.
Lotus root and pork rib soup
排骨藕汤
Slow-simmered soup made with the starchy, stringy lotus roots of the Hubei lakes.
Doupi
豆皮
A thin layer of egg and bean batter fried over sticky rice, mushrooms and diced meat.
Mianyang three steamed dishes
沔阳三蒸
Meat, fish and vegetables coated in rice flour and steamed, from the Xiantao area.
Jingzhou fish cake
荆州鱼糕
Steamed cakes of minced fish and pork fat, served at banquets across the Jianghan Plain.
Specialities
Enshi Yulu
恩施玉露
A green tea fixed by steaming rather than pan-firing, a technique rare in China.
Chibi green brick tea
赤壁青砖茶
Compressed dark tea from Yangloudong near Chibi, historically carried to Mongolia and Russia on the tea road.
Honghu lotus
洪湖莲藕
Lotus root and lotus seeds from Honghu Lake in the south of the Jianghan Plain.
Xiaogan rice wine
孝感米酒
Sweet fermented glutinous rice, eaten as a soup with small rice dumplings.
Zigui navel oranges
秭归脐橙
Oranges from the slopes of the Three Gorges around Qu Yuan's home town.
Notable people
Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BCE)
屈原
Chu statesman and the first named poet of China, author of “Encountering Sorrow” (离骚); born in Zigui.
Wang Zhaojun (1st century BCE)
王昭君
Han palace lady from Xingshan who was married to a Xiongnu ruler in 33 BCE; one of the Four Beauties of Chinese tradition.
Meng Haoran (689–740)
孟浩然
Tang poet of landscape and retirement from Xiangyang.
Li Shizhen (1518–1593)
李时珍
Physician from Qichun who compiled the Compendium of Materia Medica (本草纲目).
Zhang Juzheng (1525–1582)
张居正
Senior grand secretary and reformer of the Wanli era, born in Jiangling (Jingzhou).
Li Siguang (1889–1971)
李四光
Geologist from Huanggang, founder of geomechanics in China.
Wen Yiduo (1899–1946)
闻一多
Poet and scholar from Xishui, assassinated in Kunming.
Economy
Hubei's economy rests on its position at the centre of China's transport network and on heavy industry built up since the 1950s. Wuhan is a base for steel, cars and optoelectronics; Shiyan and Xiangyang grew around the Dongfeng motor works; Yichang combines hydropower with phosphate chemicals. The Jianghan Plain is a major producer of rice, rapeseed and freshwater fish.
Main industries
- Automobiles and parts (Wuhan, Shiyan, Xiangyang)
- Optoelectronics, optical fibre and semiconductors (Optics Valley, Wuhan)
- Iron and steel
- Hydropower (Three Gorges and Gezhouba)
- Phosphate and fine chemicals around Yichang
- Biomedicine
- Agriculture: rice, rapeseed, cotton, freshwater aquaculture, tea
Zones, ports and hubs
East Lake High-Tech Development Zone (Optics Valley)
东湖新技术开发区
National high-tech zone in south-east Wuhan, known as 中国光谷 for its optical-fibre and laser industries.
China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone
中国（湖北）自由贸易试验区
Established in 2017 with areas in Wuhan, Xiangyang and Yichang.
Ezhou Huahu Airport
鄂州花湖机场
Cargo hub airport east of Wuhan, opened in 2022 and built mainly for express freight.
Cities
- Wuhan武汉Capital · Historic city · Industrial centreThree river towns at the meeting of the Yangtze and the Han
- Yichang宜昌Historic city · Industrial centre · Scenic areaGateway to the Three Gorges and site of the great dam
- Jingzhou荆州Historic city · Cultural centreWalled city on the Yangtze beside the ancient Chu capital
- Xiangyang襄阳Historic city · Industrial centreMoated fortress city on the Han River
- Shiyan十堰Industrial centre · Scenic area · Cultural centreCar city below the Daoist Wudang Mountains
Mountains and nature
Getting there
- Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is the main gateway, with domestic and international routes; Yichang, Xiangyang, Shiyan (Wudangshan) and Enshi have regional airports.
- Wuhan is one of the hubs of the national high-speed network, where the Beijing–Guangzhou line crosses the east–west corridor along the Yangtze; its three main stations are Wuhan, Hankou and Wuchang.
- The Yangtze is navigable through the province; river cruises through the Three Gorges run between Yichang and Chongqing and pass the ship lift and locks of the Three Gorges Dam.
Entry rules for foreign visitors are on the visa and entry pages.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Hubei Provincial People's Government — Hubei Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- 湖北省2025年国民经济和社会发展统计公报 (Statistical Communiqué of Hubei on the 2025 National Economic and Social Development) — Hubei Provincial Bureau of Statistics (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- World Heritage List: China — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: China — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Hubei — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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