Hubei
Hubei[a] is an inland province of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake.[7] The provincial capital, Wuhan, serves as a major transportation hub and the political, cultural, and economic hub of central China.
Not to be confused with the province of Hebei.
Hubei
湖北
湖北省 (Húběi Shěng)
China
湖 hú—"lake"
北 běi—"north"
"north of the (Dongting) Lake"
13 prefectures, 102 counties, 1235 townships
Wang Menghui
185,900 km2 (71,800 sq mi)
3,105 m (10,187 ft)
58,300,000
310/km2 (810/sq mi)
CN¥ 92,059
US$ 13,686
CN-HB
Hupeh
"North of the (Dongting) Lake"
Húběi
Húběi
ㄏㄨˊ ㄅㄟˇ
Hwubeei
Hu2-pei3
خُبُوِ
Wu入 poh平
Fù-pet
Wùh-bāk
Wu4-bak1
Ô͘-pak
Ôo-pak
Hù-báe̤k
Hubei's name is officially abbreviated to "鄂" (È), an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the State of E of the Western Zhou dynasty of c. 1045–771 BCE; a popular name for Hubei is "楚" (Chǔ) (suggested by that of the powerful State of Chu, which existed in the area during the Eastern Zhou dynasty of 770 – 256 BCE). Hubei borders the provinces of Henan to the north, Anhui to the east, Jiangxi to the southeast, Hunan to the south, Chongqing to the west, and Shaanxi to the northwest. The high-profile Three Gorges Dam is located at Yichang, in the west of the province.
Hubei is the 7th-largest provincial economy of China, the second largest in the Central China region, the third largest in the South Central China region and the third largest among inland provinces. As of 2021, Hubei's nominal GDP was US$787 billion (CNY 5 trillion) and its GDP (nominal) per capita exceeded US$13,000, making it the richest landlocked province, the richest province in the Central China region, and 2nd richest province in South Central China region after Guangdong.[8]
The province's best-known natural attraction (shared with the adjacent Chongqing municipality) is the scenic area of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze. Located in the far west of the province, the gorges can be conveniently visited by one of the numerous tourist boats (or regular passenger boats) that travel up the Yangtze from Yichang through the Three Gorges and into the neighboring Chongqing municipality.
The mountains of western Hubei, in particular in Shennongjia District, offer a welcome respite from Wuhan's and Yichang's summer heat, as well as skiing opportunities in winter. The tourist facilities in that area concentrate around Muyu in the southern part of Shennongjia, the gateway to Shennongjia National Nature Reserve (神农架国家自然保护区). Closer to the provincial capital, Wuhan, is the Mount Jiugong (Jiugongshan) national park, in Tongshan County near the border with Jiangxi.
A particular important site of both natural and cultural significance is Mount Wudang (Wudangshan) in the northwest of the province. Originally created early in the Ming dynasty, its building complex has been listed by UNESCO since 1994 as a World Heritage Site.
Other historic attractions in Hubei include:
The province also has historical sites connected with China's more recent history, such as the Wuchang Uprising Memorial in Wuhan, Project 131 site (a Cultural-Revolution-era underground military command center) in Xianning, and the National Mining Park (国家矿山公园) in Huangshi.[55]
Professional sports teams in Hubei include:
Sister State/Twinning[edit]
Following a July 1979 State of Ohio Trade Mission to China, Hubei and Ohio formed a sister province-state relationship.[56]: 111–113 The pairing was based on the fact that both Hubei and Ohio are located in national heartlands, are large industrial areas and transportation hubs, and have significant agricultural sectors.[56]: 113
In 2005, Hubei province signed a twinning agreement with Telemark county of Norway, and a "Norway-Hubei Week" was held in 2007.