Roaming Jingchu~

Dragged my luggage to the office early in the morning, finished a day of work, clocked out right on time, and dashed to the high-speed railway station — vacation mode for a working person begins~

Arrived at Hankou Station at 11 p.m. The city had shed its daytime hustle, and the roads were clear all the way to the hotel.

Opening the hotel curtains, a perfect night view of Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was presented~

An Americano kick-started a vibrant day.

After breakfast, took the subway to ➡ Yellow Crane Tower. The trendy red-wall Yellow Crane Tower is a must-photo for tourists, so I quickly captured it before the main crowds arrived.

Popular photo at the red wall of Yellow Crane Tower

Early morning by the Yangtze River

Yellow Crane Tower framed with railway tracks — that took some effort. I crossed the footbridge to the Yangtze River Bridge, found a military guard post, and waited over 20 minutes through the closed iron railings for a train to come. To get this angle, you need to check the departure times from Wuchang Station, otherwise you'll end up waiting like me.

I braved the river breeze for a long time for that shot of Yellow Crane Tower and the train together, but it was worth it~

Hubei Provincial Museum: Opens at 9 a.m. — book in advance. First, dash to the King Goujian's Sword exhibition hall on the second floor before the queue builds up. After viewing the sword, the Marquis Yi of Zeng exhibition hall is right next door; the treasure of the museum, the chime bells, are on the first floor. The rest can be viewed slowly since it was a weekday and the crowd wasn't huge.

In the Hubei Provincial Museum: "The ceiling for working people"

Hubei Art Museum, right next to the provincial museum. The main idea was "since we're already here," just snap a picture and say we've visited. It has many sculptures, all handmade by the former curator, worth seeing.

Originally planned to visit Wuhan University, but it was closed to outsiders due to freshman military training — a pity. Wu Da is near the museum, so it could have been visited together.

Liangdao Street: just passed through quickly; didn't eat anything. Not a noodle lover, so I really can't appreciate this Capital of Carbs.

Tanhualin: concentrates all the literature and romance of Wuhan. Not only does it have a strong scholarly atmosphere and a quiet ancient town vibe, but also unique graffiti walls and arty shops popular with young people. Maybe I'm not that interested in man-made attractions; I was just there for a stroll and photos~ Literary youth might slowly appreciate its beauty.

Gude Temple: a temple with distinctive Eurasian architecture. It's not big and can be visited quickly — about an hour including photo-taking. Incense can be offered at the entrance. Don't dress too revealingly, or you won't be allowed in. I heard it used to be free, but now they charge because of too many tourists. The architecture is nice to see, and even on a weekday, there were still many young ladies taking photos.

Holy Gude Temple, good, good things happen~

The Bagong Building on Lihuangpi Road is beautiful, but there are way too many people, and the prime photo spots are already permanently occupied by follow-up photographers. I couldn't compete for a spot. The follow-up photography at Bagong Building has become an industry — many photographers sitting on small stools by the roadside hawking their services for that Instagram-worthy shot. Actually, there are many century-old buildings in the old concessions of Hankou; every street corner is a surprise. Lihuangpi Road is my favorite — I have to say anywhere you look is photogenic. You don't necessarily need the Bagong Building; you can also visit the Consulate, the Museum site, or even the Starbucks entrance.

Lihuangpi Road is great for strolling; every building at the corner has its story. Savor it slowly~

Jianghan Guan Museum: passed by on the way to the ferry. Documented it with a photo.

From Wuhan Guan Pier to Zhonghua Road Pier, I experienced the 1.5-yuan ferry crossing the Yangtze River. I happened to catch the rehearsal of a fireworks show, saw the light show, and enjoyed the evening breeze — so healing~

The 1.5-yuan ferry across the Yangtze River

Wuhan local milk tea — Grandpa Doesn't Brew Tea. The staff recommended lychee fermented rice drink, which was good.

Just in time for the rare fireworks show in Wuhan (once every ten-plus years). At midnight, Wuhan was still bustling with traffic, and I felt the enthusiasm of the people of Wuhan~

Wuhan's daily 30k+ steps citywall

Jingzhou Museum: In my opinion, a must-visit — considered the ceiling of prefecture-level museums. Jade face covers, bamboo slips, chime bells, various bronze ware, lacquerware, and jade ware — too much to take in! The jade face cover and the Western Han Dynasty Five Senior Officer Sui were truly震撼; the on-site awe can't be captured in photos. You'll have to see it yourself. The guide was professional, with interactive explanations, which added to the experience.

A millennium-old Western Han Dynasty wet corpse of a Five Senior Officer is the most technically remarkable among the museum's treasures — internal organs undecayed, muscle tissue clearly visible; this preservation is pure ancient Chinese technological prowess, comparable to Lady Xin Zhui of Changsha. Considering the relic might be disturbing, I didn't take photos. Truly astonishing!!!

Tiger Seat Phoenix Bird Suspended Drum

Kaiyuan Temple: on the west side of Jingzhou Museum, can be visited along the way. Unfortunately, the Ancestor Hall at the back is under internal renovation and not open. The environment is quite serene, bringing inner peace.

A quiet corner of Kaiyuan Temple

Jingzhou Ancient City Wall: the towering walls guard the everyday life of the people of Jingzhou. Best appreciated slowly.

Binyang Tower on the ancient city wall~

Experiencing relaxation on the ancient city wall~

Taihui Temple: built by Zhu Bai, the 12th son of Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, Prince of Xiangxian. Among the three major temples of Jingzhou, only Taihui still holds religious activities.

Simple and serene Taihui Temple~

The last stop of Jingzhou trip: Shashi Yangtze Pier Cultural and Creative Park. On the Yangtze River embankment, I strolled along the riverbank, felt the river breeze, watched the passing ships, and experienced the busy freight traffic of the Yangtze. The park has exhibition halls, distinctive architecture, bars, cafes, and various small shops. If you have time, it's lively in the evening.

Wanshou Pagoda is under renovation and closed to the public — a small regret for this Jingzhou trip. Jingzhou is worth revisiting~

A little surprise in Jingzhou~

Huanggang: a treasure among lesser-known cities. No crowds, free attractions, and a fantastic experience. Huanggang, called Huangzhou in ancient times, has over 2,000 years of history. It's famous nationwide not only for "Huanggang Test Papers" but also for the countless popular poems left by Su Dongpo. Traces of Dongpo can be found everywhere; he lived in Huangzhou for four years, composing 753 poems, reaching the peak of his creativity.

Tree atop the ancient pagoda, 126 years old~

Dongpo Red Cliffs Park~

Ancient pagoda in Red Cliffs Park~

Huanggang Museum: first time experiencing a museum without air conditioning. The staff were all fanning themselves — hard work~

The hustle and bustle of Chopstick Street only comes at night, I suppose~

Comic on Chopstick Street~

Order a "Huanggang Test Paper"~ End a short vacation, go back to the grind, and plan the next trip~