Luzhou means “reed-covered wetland”, while Hubei means “north of the lake”, referring to Dongting Lake. In fact, Hubei province is known by its nickname “the province of a thousand lakes”. The province is full of rivers and lakes and the rich water resources contribute a lot to its agricultural production. Asian Geographic looks at the top five places to visit in Hubei.
1. YELLOW CRANE TOWER
As its name suggests, this tower’s five roofs resemble the wings of a great crane about to take flight. The 
current pagoda is a replica of an older tower one kilometre away from its original site, where it had been destroyed and rebuilt seven times throughout its history. What Yellow Crane Tower offers is not just a bird’s eye view of Wuhan, but also a beautiful garden surrounding its base.
2. HUBU ALLEY
If food adventures are right up your alley, this will be your haven. Hubu Alley provides a heavy dose of local culture through unusual street food such as barbequed frogs, pig’s blood balls, duck neck and fried snails. A must-try is the hot dry noodles, a staple breakfast for locals.
3. THREE GORGES DAM PROJECT
A man-made structure so colossal it is visible from space with the naked eye, the Three Gorges Dam is our planet’s largest power station. Regardless of its controversy for harm, it has brought to its surroundings benefits like flood control and clean energy. The dam is also a breathtaking sight to behold
4. WUDANG MOUNTAINS
For those interested in Chinese kungfu, this is one of the places to put on your bucket list. A counterpart to the Shaolin Temple, Wudang Mountains is the birthplace of tai chi. The 700-year-old buildings and paths are still intact and well-preserved, making a visit to these mountains a travel back in time.
5. ENSHI GRAND CANYON
This canyon bears little semblance to its American counterpart of the same name. Its karst landscape carpeted with lush greenery reminds one of the majestic Zhangjiajie that inspired the Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountains. Apart from stairs, there are cable cars and escalators to assist climbers, making hikes up the towering spires manageable for people of all ages.
For the rest of this article (Asian Geographic Issue 3/2016 No. 118) and other stories, check out our past issues here or download digital copy here.
