Wuhan

Formed from the merger of three ancient cities — Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang — Wuhan has long been called the "thoroughfare of nine provinces" for its central position on China's transport network. The city's most iconic landmark, the Yellow Crane Tower, first built in 223 AD and celebrated in Tang poetry, commands views across the Yangtze. Wuhan's East Lake, the largest urban lake in China, provides scenic respite from the intense urban energy. The city's revolutionary history — the 1911 Wuchang Uprising that overthrew the Qing dynasty began here — is preserved at the Red Building Museum.