Hubei: China's Diamond Hub
▲ "Stay strong, Wuhan" was one of the most familiar keywords in 2020 (photo shows the light show at Zhengzhou Olympic Sports Center during the pandemic). Photo/VCG
At 10 a.m. one year ago, Wuhan, Hubei announced a "lockdown". At this moment one year later—
(Wuhan Yangtze River Second Bridge, Photo/VCG)
(Xingyin Pavilion at East Lake in Wuhan, Photo/VCG)
(Wuhan Jiqing Street, Photo/VCG)
(On land and water, heavy traffic flows, Photo/VCG)
Early this morning, "Wuhan's one-year anniversary of the anti-pandemic lockdown" flooded social media and became a trending topic. 11 million Wuhan residents recalled that moment and expressed emotions:
"At that time, I had written my will and last words."
"That day, I was on the other side of the globe worrying about how to return."
▲ "White-armored warriors", the most beautiful sight in 2020. Photo/People Visual
In the mist, the bell tolled at 10 a.m. in Wuhan, the River City. At ferry terminals, public cemeteries, and under Luojia Mountain... people held flowers to mourn relatives and friends who had passed away. As of January 23 this year, Wuhan reported a cumulative total of 50,340 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,869 deaths.
Looking back at the extraordinary year of 2020, if we were to select a province of the year, it would undoubtedly be her with overwhelming votes:
▲ 185,900 square kilometers of splendid land. Map/Wu Pan
As the main battlefield in the nation's fight against the pandemic, this 185,900-square-kilometer land gripped the hearts of 1.4 billion people.
Due to nationwide support and global attention, Hubei felt very close during the pandemic. However, the tense atmosphere and battle-like situation made it difficult to carefully observe her vibrant and moving face.
She has colors—the red and black of Chu lacquerware, the orange and yellow of autumn campuses, the blue and white of the vast Chu skies;
▲ The orange and yellow of Wuhan University in autumn. Photo/Han Han
She has sounds—the roaring waves of the Yangtze River, the gentle flapping of migratory birds' wings, the bustling voices in streets and alleys;
▲ Wuhan Baocheng Road Night Market. Photo/VCG
She has temperatures—4°C at Honghu Lake in winter, 68°C for a bowl of warm lotus root soup, 37°C for our tightly held hands.
▲ Wuhan East Lake Lotus Pond, "Lotus leaves in boundless green matching skies". Photo by Zhang Qiao
It is time to celebrate this familiar yet unfamiliar land from diverse perspectives, witnessing the vivid faces of 60 million people shifting through joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
Waters Nurture the Plains
Hubei's prosperity is nurtured by water.
▲ Lushui Lake in Chibi City, Hubei's version of the "Thousand Island Lake". Image/VCG
The mighty Yangtze River surges eastward from west, entering Hubei through the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, flowing through 26 counties (cities) within the province. Stretching 1,041 kilometers here, its course through Hubei is the longest among all Yangtze-bordering provinces. The Yangtze and its tributaries cover 99% of Hubei's water systems, making it truly the "Yangtze Province".
▲ Wu Gorge, one of the Yangtze Three Gorges, spanning Hubei and Chongqing. Image/VCG
The Han River enters Hubei from Shiyan in the northwest, flowing southeast to converge with the Yangtze mainstream in Wuhan. Sharing its name with the Han ethnic group, this river originates from the Qinling Mountains in the north, just a step away from the Yellow River. As the Yangtze's largest tributary, it contributes a water volume equivalent to the entire Yellow River.
▲ The Yangtze and Han Rivers form the foundation of Wuhan's urban layout. Photo by Fu Ding
The Yangtze and Han Rivers form a horizontal "Y" shape, framing Hubei's wider east-west and narrower north-south expanse. The Jianghan Plain formed by their alluvial deposits is the "Two Rivers" cradle of Hubei's civilization. In the "Book of Songs", Central Plains people referred to the Jianghan region and its tribes as "Jingchu". Both "Jing" and "Chu" mean a type of shrub, alluding to the pioneering history of ancient Hubei people and Chu descendants who "blazed trails through mountains and forests with简陋 carts".
▲ Painted lacquerware with dragon and phoenix designs, showcasing Chu imagination. Photo by Arterial Shadow
The "Hu" in "Hubei" refers to Dongting Lake, which—along with numerous other lakes—is a remnant of the ancient Yunmeng Marsh. As silt from the Yangtze and Han Rivers accumulated, Yunmeng Marsh gradually vanished into land, shrinking into the Jianghan Lake group led by Hong Lake, leaving behind the "Land of a Thousand Lakes" landscape and making Hubei China's top freshwater aquaculture province.
▲ Hubei is truly the "Yangtze Province". Map by Wu Pan
Where there are rivers and lakes, there are people. Hubei's history revolves around the interplay between humans and water. As early as the Spring and Autumn period, Chu people dug canals in Yingdu (now Jingzhou) to connect the Yangtze and Han Rivers. In recent decades, China's major water conservancy projects—Gezhou Dam, the Three Gorges Hub, and the South-to-North Water Diversion—are all closely tied to Hubei.
▲ Qingjiang River in Changyang section, where high gorges form flat lakes. Photo by Fu Ding
Yet this isn't the most transformative aspect of Hubei's landscape.
Over 1,200 place names in Hubei contain the character "垸" (yuàn, polder). Large-scale lake reclamation since the Ming and Qing dynasties turned marshes into fertile lands of fish and rice. The polders of the middle Yangtze and the圩田 (wéitián, enclosed fields) of the lower Yangtze together formed the largest wetland reclamation movement in human history. With hindsight, polders hindered flood control and drainage, accelerating lake disappearance; historically, they were necessary for survival.
▲ Modern Wuhan still retains clusters of rivers and lakes. Map/F50BB
Polders created the saying "When Hubei and Hunan have good harvests, the whole country is well-fed", shaping today's Hubei.
Mountains Form Fortresses
The stability of Hubei is forged by mountains.
▲ The roof of Central China—Shennongjia in Hubei is dyed in layered forests. Image/VCG
Plains and lakes are only a small part of Hubei. If you travel by boat down the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, you will see in Yichang the same scenery described by Li Bai: “Mountains give way to plains, the river flows into the vast wilderness.”
▲ The Wuling Mountains and Qingjiang Gorge form a long scroll of landscape. Photo/Fu Ding
This is because Hubei’s terrain is high in the west and low in the east, spanning China’s second and third steps. Yichang lies precisely on this dividing line, with plains to the east and the western Hubei mountainous area on the second step to the west.
▲ Hubei’s terrain is high in the west and low in the east, spanning two major steps. Map/Wu Pan
North of the Yangtze River, in the Qinling-Daba Mountains of northwestern Hubei, stands Shennongding, the “highest peak in Central China” at 3,106.2 meters, along with two World Heritage sites: Wudang Mountain and Shennongjia. Rare animals and plants such as the golden snub-nosed monkey thrive in Shennongjia’s vast forests. Such rich biodiversity inevitably gave rise to legends like Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs and the Shennongjia wild man.
▲ Top: Sea of clouds over the Shennongjia mountains. Bottom: Aerial view of Zijincheng in Wudang Mountain, where gray tiles and green trees create a Taoist sanctuary. Image/VCG
South of the river, the Wuling Mountains, at the cultural intersection of Ba and Chu, serve as a grand stage for ethnic minorities like the Tujia and Miao. Historically, Hubei was home to many “barbarian” tribes. As Han culture expanded south and west, these groups gradually retreated to the southwestern mountains of Hubei, exuding a mysterious aura akin to the area’s enigmatic sinkholes, fissures, gorges, and underground rivers.
▲ Top: Tenglong Cave. Bottom: Pingshan Gorge in Hefeng. Photo/Wen Lin
Beyond the western Hubei mountains, the Tongbai Mountains and Hongshan lie north of the Jianghan Plain, the Dabie Mountains to the northeast, and the Mufu Mountains to the southeast. Mountains encircle Hubei on three sides, leaving the south open to connect with the Dongting Lake Plain south of the Yangtze River.
Zooming in on the map, you’ll see that Hubei’s Jianghan Plain and Hunan’s Dongting Lake Plain, together with the surrounding mountains, form a massive basin—the Two-Lake Basin. No wonder Hubei and Hunan people consider each other half-fellow provincials.
▲ The fertile Dongting Lake Plain. Image/VCG
Firstly, apart from the Yangtze River, there is no clear geographical boundary between Hunan and Hubei. Secondly, historically, both regions belonged to Chu culture and were part of Jingzhou during the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms periods. Although they were divided into Jinghu South and Jinghu North circuits in the Song Dynasty, they were reunited under the Huguang Province during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
After the early Qing Dynasty, these brothers split into two provinces, but geographical and cultural ties are hard to sever. Numerous thoroughfares have tightly interconnected Hubei and Hunan into one entity.
City of Thoroughfares
If one had to choose the most important crossroads in China, it would undoubtedly be in Hubei: north-south, the most critical land artery—the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway—runs vertically; east-west, the most vital golden waterway—the Yangtze River—traverses horizontally.
▲ The Beijing-Guangzhou Line × Yangtze River created the major IP of “Thoroughfare to Nine Provinces.” Map/F50BB
Today, taking a high-speed train from Hubei, you can reach 70% of China’s cities within 4 hours. As early as the water transport era, Hubei was a crossroads in all directions, hence its reputation as the “Thoroughfare to Nine Provinces.” The pandemic highlighted the importance of this thoroughfare—when Hubei is accessible, China flows smoothly; when Hubei is blocked, China’s traffic stalls.
▲ Hubei’s land, water, and air transportation. Photo/Yang Wenjie
Henan, a neighboring province, is known as the "Central Plain," but from the perspective of economic geography and national location, Hubei holds a superior position today:
First, Hubei is the "center of Central China," and Wuhan is the "premier city of Central China." Among all provinces in China, Hubei is the only one—apart from the municipality of Chongqing—whose own territory and adjacent provinces/municipalities are neither coastal nor border regions. The "Central China" region among the seven major geographical divisions includes Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi, with its central city being Wuhan, the capital of Hubei. Central China refers to the middle part of the country, and Hubei's location and status can truly be called the "center of the center."
▲ Panoramic view of the main urban area of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province. Photo/wenidon
Second, the status of "center of the world" is not absolute, but in this era, it belongs to Hubei. In the early stages of Chinese civilization's development, the national political, economic, and cultural centers were concentrated in Guanzhong and the Central Plain, during which Henan held an absolute pivotal position. However, with the southward shift of the economic center, from the Song Dynasty to the present, China's economy has formed a "T-shaped" pattern along the Yangtze River and the coast. From the perspective of economic geography, Hubei has become China's most important "hub."
▲ The geometric center of China's four major economic highlands lies in Hubei. Map/monk
Third, the Han River facilitates the integration of the two great mother rivers. The Yellow River and Yangtze River, two major water systems, engage in economic, cultural, and military exchanges through the northwest-southeast flowing Han River. The heartland of the Han River basin is in Hubei, and its confluence with the Yangtze River is at Wuhan.
▲ Hubei administers 12 prefecture-level cities, 1 autonomous prefecture, and 3 provincial-administered cities. Map/Wang Yue
Throughout the long history of 3,000 years, Hubei's regional center has experienced three eras—Jingzhou, Xiangyang, and Wuhan—each taking the stage in turn, brilliantly performing the grand drama of the "thoroughfare to nine provinces." On an even longer timescale, Hubei and its surrounding regions have witnessed the legend of the "Tale of Three Cities" across different eras.
Tale of Three Cities 1.0丨Jingzhou, Xiangyang, Wuhan
"Yu divided the nine provinces, and thus began Jingzhou."
During the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Chu built its capital Ying 8 kilometers north of present-day Jingzhou, making it Hubei's first regional center. Over the next 411 years, it served as the base for twenty generations of Chu kings in their contention for the Central Plain.
▲ The Jianghan Canal once made Jingzhou the confluence of the Yangtze and Han Rivers. Map/Wang Yue
The fertile land nourished by the Yangtze River provided an economic foundation for Jingzhou, while its water and land transportation networks—extending east to Wu and Yue, west to Ba and Shu, north to the Central Plain, and south to Hunan and Guangdong—gave the State of Chu great flexibility in its rivalry with other states. Although Ying declined with the fall of Chu, the city of Jingzhou rapidly rose to its south, with its location remaining unchanged for 2,000 years, a testament to its superior geographical position.
▲ The ancient city of Jingzhou today was completed during the Ming Dynasty. Photo/Visual China Group
Xiangyang, north of Jingzhou on the banks of the Han River, emerged as Hubei's second regional center in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Zhuge Liang's refuge in Longzhong is an example of the talent gathering in Xiangyang at that time. Situated at a gap in the northern mountains of the Two-Lake Basin and connected to the Central Plain as the southern edge of the Nanyang Basin, Xiangyang naturally became a crucial intersection of Yellow River civilization and Yangtze River civilization.
▲ With the Jing Mountains as a screen and the Han River as a moat, Xiangyang earned the title "impregnable Xiangyang." Map/F50BB
This also made Xiangyang a strategic point contested by northern and southern regimes. Whether during the Three Kingdoms, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Song-Jin and Song-Yuan conflicts, or even modern wars such as the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, the control of Xiangyang was vital to the nation's fate, truly deserving its reputation as "impregnable Xiangyang"!
▲ The Tang City Film and Television Base, a key project in modern Xiangyang. Photo/Visual China Group
Around the same time as Xiangyang's rise, Xiakou (Wuchang) and Hanyang, located at the confluence of the lower Han River and the Yangtze, also developed. These two cities, built against the Snake Hill and Tortoise Hill that "lock the great river," became the precursors of modern Wuhan.
After the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the northern political center shifted from Guanzhong and the Central Plain to Beijing, influencing and altering the selection of the cross-shaped water and land transportation framework in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The southward route shifted from the Nanyang Pass to the "Three Passes of Yiyang" between the Dabie Mountains and Tongbai Mountains. At this time, Wuhan, which offered a more convenient river crossing than Jingzhou, became the new central hub of the Hubei region.
▲ The Han River system connects Wuhan with many major cities. Map by Wang Yue
Jingzhou, Xiangyang, and Wuhan form a tripartite pattern on the map of Hubei, rising successively throughout history:
“From the perspective of the nation, Xiangyang holds the key;
from the perspective of the southeast, Wuchang holds the key;
from the perspective of Huguang, Jingzhou holds the key.”
As cities evolved from military strongholds to comprehensive development, commercial hubs such as Shashi, Fancheng, and Hankou emerged from beneath the fortresses. Jingzhou became Jingsha, Xiangyang became Xiangfan, and Wuchang became Wuhan.
▲ Wuhan Optics Valley International Plaza. Photo by Zhang Qiao
Tale of Three Cities 2.0丨Wuhan, Yichang, Xiangyang
Hubei’s modernization began with forced port openings. Hankou, the first to open, transformed from an ancient trading town into a modern industrial and commercial city.
▲ The busy Wuhan water transport terminal, where 10,000-ton ships can sail directly to the sea. Image/VCG
Subsequently, other riverside areas in Hubei also opened their ports. Yichang opened earlier than Shashi, the center of Jingzhou, hinting at its rising status. However, “the peril of the Yangtze lies in the Jingjiang section,” and Jingzhou’s central role began to weaken due to flood threats and other factors.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the world’s largest water control project shifted from concept to reality. Since its impoundment in 2003, the Three Gorges Dam has retained over 180 billion cubic meters of floodwater, reducing peak flood levels by about 40% and significantly alleviating flood pressure in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
▲ The Three Gorges Project, the world’s largest comprehensive water control hub. Image/VCG
The municipalities of Chongqing and Shanghai control the upper reaches and estuary of the Yangtze River, while Hubei, the “Yangtze Province,” serves as the core and lifeline. The Yangtze is too long to rely solely on Wuhan—it requires other hubs. Thus, Yichang, the “Hydroelectric City” guarding the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze and echoing Wuhan from east to west, became a regional sub-center of Hubei.
The northern sub-center remains Xiangyang. Transportation and pillar industries have shaped Xiangyang into the “leading city of northwestern Hubei.” In modern times, the construction and improvement of railways and highways gradually diminished the role of water transport, and Xiangyang caught the “express train” of railway development amid historical changes.
▲ Xiangyang High-Tech Zone Automobile Logistics Park. Image/VCG
In the 1950s, benefiting from the Handan, Jiaoliu, and Xiangyu railways, Xiangyang became a key railway hub in China. In the high-speed rail era, the Han-Shi section of the Xi-Wu High-Speed Railway, the Zheng-Wan High-Speed Railway, and the Menghua Railway have been completed and opened to traffic. The planned Huhan, Xianggui, and He’an high-speed railways will all pass through Xiangyang. After the reform and opening-up, the Second Automobile Works (SAW) established a second base in Xiangyang, launching the city into the “fast lane” of automobile industry development.
Tale of Three Cities 3.0丨Wuhan, Changsha, Nanchang
Hubei’s focal point remains in eastern Hubei. After the merger of its three towns, Wuhan became the largest and most important city in central China, and the “everyday different” metropolis continues to expand ring by ring.
With Wuhan as the center, eight large and medium-sized cities—Huangshi, Ezhou, Huanggang, Xiaogan, Xianning, Xiantao, Tianmen, and Qianjiang—form the Wuhan Metropolitan Circle for collaborative development.
▲ Greater Wuhan is a multi-dimensional city where lakes and mountains coexist with skyscrapers and urban forests. Photo/VCG
Subsequently, the Wuhan Metropolitan Circle, the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan City Cluster, and the环鄱阳湖 City Cluster collectively formed the massive national-level "Central Triangle" city cluster. Together with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Sichuan-Chongqing city clusters, it forms a super-strong matrix for China's rejuvenation.
▲ The five major city clusters and their representatives: Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. Figure 1 chart by/quan, Figures 2-6/VCG
The development of Chinese history has always revolved around the north-south issue, hence Hubei's strategic significance lies in crossing the river. The 38 Yangtze River bridges standing here today are the answer. In modern times, the focus of history shifted from north-south to east-west. Hubei's historical mission followed the river downstream toward the oceans, which cover 70% of the Earth's surface. The throughput of the "100-million-ton port" Wuhan Port rivals that of seaports. This inland city, which opened its port earliest, has already taken up the banner of moving from inland to ocean.
▲ The golden waterway connects Wuhan to the ocean. Chart by Wang Yue
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in the north, the Pearl River Delta in the south, the Yangtze River Delta in the east, and the Sichuan-Chongqing in the west—China's four economic "poles" form a shining "diamond" on the map. The geometric center of this diamond happens to be Hubei, with Wuhan at its core. A diamond must not only have edges but also a solid substance. Without the support of Wuhan and Hubei, this diamond would lack a central axis and a heart.
The geographical advantage of being the "heart of the diamond"赋予s Hubei a unique mission—it is both a transportation hub connecting all directions and an indispensable economic hub, as well as the leading province in the rise of central China.
▲ Wuhan's Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge, a giant dragon soaring across the two banks. Photo by Zhang Qiao
From this perspective, we can finally understand: historically, more than ten places were known as the "thoroughfare to nine provinces," but only Hubei has retained this crown to this day.
▲ Hubei is the most deserving of the title "thoroughfare to nine provinces." Chart by F50BB
No period in history has made people as sensitive to the term "Hubei people" as the year 2020.
In fact, the concept of "Hubei people" has always been ambiguous, both due to its role as a transportation hub with high population mobility and historical immigration movements such as "Jiangxi filling Huguang" and "Huguang filling Sichuan."
▲ The land of Jingchu produced many famous scholars in ancient times. Chart by/quan
Guan Yu is the most typical example. He was a northerner but became an important spiritual symbol of Hubei. Here, a series of documents, legends, relics, and pseudo-relics related to the Three Kingdoms collectively shape people's imagination of that era and form a culture. The righteousness of Guan Yu, the benevolence of Liu Bei, and the courage of Zhao Yun—Three Kingdoms culture is less based on historical facts and more on the ideals of what it means to be human.
▲ The Jianghan region, where heroes of all kinds are riding the tide. Chart by/quan
Celebrities are ultimately individuals. Historically, the main body of Hubei people consists of ordinary people with "heroic dreams." They reclaimed land from lakes, sailed boats on rivers, traveled thousands of miles for trade, and lived ordinary lives of birth, aging, illness, and death, as plain as a bowl of hot dry noodles. But if you have ever had breakfast in Hubei, you would know that there is also a feast for ordinary people in this world.
"The times produce their heroes"—this phrase, often used in historical narratives, was vividly embodied by Hubei people in 2020. When the pandemic struck suddenly, the "heroic spirit" in ordinary people shone through, not only in the breathtaking moments of life and death but also in countless acts of平凡 yet extraordinary love and courage.
▲ Counting the outstanding figures of today, Hubei依然群星璀璨. Chart by/quan
In the TV series "Together," there is a dramatic scene: medical workers returning to Wuhan against the tide are stopped at Huarong Road, and the village chief,仿效ing Guan Yu's righteousness in releasing Cao Cao, helps them pass. The "righteousness" in their hearts ultimately influenced their choices. The "righteousness" of Hubei people might usually seem like mere江湖气, but in critical moments, it升华s into "the greatness of chivalry."
▲ The Guan Yu statue that sparked heated discussions this year is an important landmark of Jingzhou. Photo by Fu Ding
"Yi" also means sacrifice: the unprecedented lockdown of cities and provinces. What made the people of Hubei strive to accept reality and muster courage was precisely "Yi" (righteousness) and "Yong" (courage). Only this time, it was no longer Guan Yu's solitary defeat at Maicheng (located in present-day Lianghe Town, Dangyang City, Hubei), nor Zhao Zilong's lone charge at Changban Slope (in present-day Dangyang urban area, Hubei). Together with over 42,000 medical personnel from across the country aiding Hubei, the people of Hubei embodied the collectivist spirit of 1.4 billion Chinese.
▲ At the end of January 2020, Huoshenshan Hospital was rapidly constructed. Photo/People Visual.
Thus, "A victory in Wuhan is a victory in Hubei; a victory in Hubei is a victory for China."
In the past, mentioning Hubei people often evoked the term "nine-headed bird." Whether this concept carries more positive or negative connotations, even Hubei people themselves aren't entirely sure. After this pandemic, "heroes" can fully become a new label for Hubei people.
Just like the resounding echo:
"Wuhan truly deserves to be called a heroic city,
▲ For the year 2020, every person in Hubei will remember it deeply. Photo/Visual China Group.
This is Hubei—its rivers, lakes, mountains, cities, and people. For thousands of years, generation after generation, interlinked and continuous, it has created countless heroic moments, contributing the "Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces" to the magnificent land of China and forming the "Diamond Heart" of China's booming economy!
Map Editors丨Wu Pan, Monk, F50BB
Special Cartography | Wang Yue, Quan
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