The name “Wuhan” came from the city’s historical origin from the conglomeration of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, which are collectively known as the “Three Towns of Wuhan” . It lies in the eastern Jianghan Plain, at the confluence of the Yangtze river and its largest tributary, the Han River and is known as “Nine Provinces’ Thoroughfare” .
Wuhan is considered by some to be one of the potential sites of the pivotal Battle of the Red Cliffs, which stopped warlord Cao Cao’s incursion into southern China at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty.
Wuhan is considered the political, economic, financial, commercial, cultural and educational center of Central China. The “Golden Waterway” of the Yangtze River and the Han River traverse the urban area and divide Wuhan into the three districts of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang.
While Wuhan has been a traditional manufacturing hub for decades, it is also one of the areas promoting modern industrial changes in China. The city is home to multiple notable institutes of higher education, including Wuhan University and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
