Hubei Province in China
If the main purpose of your visit to China is that of business, you may well find that the Hubei Province is not a bad place to start. Located in the central part of the country, the name Hubei means ‘north of the lake’. This is a reference to the province's position just north of Dongting Lake and is a very appropriate name. Another, unofficial, name is ‘Chu’, which refers the Chu state which existed here between 770 and 476 BC. The provincial capital of Hubei is Wuhan, but other notable cities include Jingmen, Shashi and Shiyan.
Most of Hubei in China is situated on the Jianghan Plain, with the rest falling on the edges of the Wudang, Jingshan, Wushan and Daba Mountains. The Yangtze River enters Hubei via the Three Gorges and meets with the waters of Hanshui at Wuhan. The climate is mainly subtropical and has distinct seasons. Temperatures may fall to 1°C in winter and rise to 30 °C in summer. Temperatures of 40 °C or above are not unheard of in Wuhan during the summer months.
When it comes to discussing the local economy, the Hubei province is often referred to as the ‘Land of Fish and Rice’. Rice is a very important agricultural product in the region, as are cotton, wheat and tea. Mineral resources are incredibly varied and include some unusual resources such as hongshiite, wollastonite, marlstone, garnet, vanadium and rutile. Iron, copper, gold amalgam and coal are also mined in the region. The local economy is very involved in the production of automobiles, textiles, foodstuffs, machinery and a variety of high-tech commodities. Hubei also generates large amounts of power and the Three Gorges Dam, which is a hydroelectric power plant currently under construction, will produce approximately 84 700 Gwh of power a year, once it is complete. There are another nine hydroelectric plants currently in use in the region. If you wish to conduct trade in Hubei, you will be pleased to know that the local economy is brilliant and is ranked 10th in the country in terms of nominal GDP. The nominal GDP for 2004 was US$ 78.28 billion.
Those combining business with pleasure will find that there are a number of interesting attractions in the Hubei Province. The ancient state of Chu was the seat of a unique culture that has been passed down over generations to enrich the culture of today. Thus, there is plenty to see and observe. Some popular attractions include Jingzhou City, Mount Jiugong, Mount Wudang, the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, The Three Gorges and an ancient building complex situated at the foot of the Wudang Mountains.