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Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric plant, is just one of the ambitious projects that transpired in the soils of Hubei, a southern central province that is also credited as the birthplace of China's famous Taichi martial arts.
As home to the ancient Chu, a state of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Hubei developed its unique brand of culture. Hubei's capital and cultural center is Wuhan, one of China's largest cities yet less developed than Beijing and Shanghai. Spreading across the Yangtse and Han Rivers, Wuhan is home to Hubei's traditional Chinese opera (Chuju and Hanju) and "Nine-Headed Birds" or aggressive and loud, Mandarin-speaking people. Wuhan also cradles one of China's best-known museums, Hubei Provincial Museum, which has over 200,000 relics of Chu culture including Bianzhong bronze bells, the Tomb of Marquis Yu, and the thousand-year-old Sword of Goujian, a scientific mystery for years as it has remained perpetually sharp and rust-free.
Another signature facet of Hubei's Chu culture is the province's wacky dishes. The steamed Wuchang fish might be the staple dish, but barbecued scorpions are among Hubei's bet for the adventurous palate.
A ferry ride through the Yangtze River is the best way to bundle up Hubei's sights such as the statues and temples of the ghost city, Feng Du; Jingzhou's ancient city wall; Wuhan's lotus and orchids-filled East Lake; and Yellow Crane Tower, one of China's Four Great Towers often linked to immortality.
The doorstep to the Five-step Ship Lock of the Three Gorges Dam is Yichang, while the gateway to China's educational capital is Wuchang, home to many universities as well as to government buildings. A go-to place for shopping is Hankou, while the must-sees for contemporary Chinese history are Wuhan's Wuchang Uprising Memorial and Xianning's Project 131, an underground military center from the Cultural Revolution.
Some of Hubei's popular getaways for beating the summer heat are the mountains of Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Tongshan's Mount Jiugong, and Wudang's Mount Wudang, whose Ming Dynasty Taoist temples are not only the birthplaces of Taichi but also a World Heritage Site for representing the highest standards of Chinese architecture and art.
Hubei Landmarks:
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