Tour of Wuhan

8 september 2010

Hu Bu Xiang

The day began with a quick trip in search for local delicacies at Hu Bu Xiang. Hu Bu Xiang a famous street that sells numerous morning snacks. The entrance was beautiful, made up of dark brick walls the top of the entrance proudly displayed its name.  The first thing that caught my eye was the infamous dragon beard candy, which I bought and took a big bite. The realization was that it was a lot harder than the dragon beard candy that we eat in Singapore however its sweetness was just right for me. An uncommon sight was a very particular looking sort of crustaceans that had a distinct resemblance to the hermit crab only that it was boiled and red. It was later when I tried seafood bean curd skin glutinous rice in courtesy of Miss Anita who treated me to this tasty snack. I later moved on to Chinese Takoyaki, Hot Dry Noodles and the Golden Ball.  The taste of the golden ball was too sweet and had a sour aftertaste naturally it wasn’t my favorite snack of the day. One of the OIP members bought what looked like a Chinese version of the Goreng Pisang dribbled in different colour sauces.

Stroll along Yangtze River was brief but scenic as we saw the large bridge and numerous small boats. Many middle-aged men were reeling in their fishing poles as they set on wooden stool with a small bucket at their side. The air was cool though the city skyline very hazy. Out to sea on a small island was a tall tower but I was unable to read the large words engraved onto it. We took a group picture and stared openly at 2 men swinging in the muddy waters, it is said that Mao Zhe Dong once swam in this river and they would host swimming marathons there.

Yellow Crane Tower

 We couldn’t stay for long and off we were to our next trip, the Yellow Crane Tower. It was a short ride and soon we had arrived, as the tour guide raced off to buy us tickets. We took the time to take a quick toilet break before setting off to snap more pictures. The journey to Yellow Crane Tower was long as I climbed and walked for at least 15 mins. Xinyi and I stopped by a smaller tower that was an art gallery showcasing numerous pieces of art such as calligraphy and Chinese painting. We decided to have a quick look around and quickly ascended to the top level of the tower where we were treated to a magnificent view of the Yellow Crane Tower that towered over the surrounding trees. The air was cool and it was windy, we were able to see many beautiful buildings such as a church and beautiful houses of all shapes and size. It was then when we checked and realized that we had less than 30 mins to visit the Yellow Crane Tower and thus walk briskly towards the tower. We pass a huge gigantic bell and looked on as people queued up to ring the bell, one after another and through coins into a hole under the bell. The next interesting specimen was a fountain that had a large gourd in the middle and Chinese lions surrounding the perimeter.

 The Yellow Crane Tower was just before us and as we raced towards it we noticed the gigantic lanterns that hung outside the doors and entered the tower. It was better than I envisioned with a large vase with pictures of the cranes at the side and a long stretch of mural of the old deity that rode on the yellow crane as the people drank and make merry.  We began the arduous climb up the steps taking a quick look around due to the time constraint as we squeezed up the stairs past people of all ages and walks of life. The view on the top was magnificent, and you see the whole of Wuhan from all 4 directions. The intricate crane designs engraved onto the tiles looked delicate and beautiful. One can believe how much effort it took to design such a complex structure. The only one disappointment I had was that I had enjoyed the view at the pervious tower more than the Yellow Crane Tower.  It had a beautiful balcony at one of the lower levels and the flowers and trees grown at that balcony liven up the atmosphere, not to mention the view of the whole of Wuhan was excellent as well.

Trip to Hubei Providential Museum

 We were treated to a performance where large bells were played. The music was quite soothing yet the performance was short perhaps a longer performance would have made it more enjoyable. The Hubei museum had about 5 exhibitions and I managed to at least view 4 of the exhibition. History was one of my favourite subjects in my secondary school an I always had a interest for it. I viewed early human skulls, types of arrowheads , artefacts retrieved from prince Liang Zhuang's tomb  and ancient porcelain. Having learnt so much my favourite was still the Hall of Records on Jiuliandun  where I got to learn about chariot designs and armor weapons and learn about the excavation sites.

Taking a stroll at a park, I see a different side of Wuhan, where family values and their is a  balance between work and leisure . When I strolled along the park it there where many beautiful willow trees, it also seemed to be a popular place for lovers that want to have some a place where lovers can have some quality time together.

Time to head back to the hostel after I settle my craving for a kebab sandwich!