Wǔhàn (武汉) has matured from the sprawling convergence of three smaller cities to an industrial and commercial centre with more than a smattering of fine cultural sites, including the Yellow Crane Tower and a terrific museum. At times it feels ready to leap from its second-tier status, its warring history a thing of a 2000-year-old past.

Amid the traffic and smog, the Yangzi River opens up the densely packed streets, rolling around parks, lakes and a concession-era entertainment district in Hànkǒu, the pick of the three cities, growing in swagger by the financial year. This is not the place of penny postcards, but it's urban China and it's worth getting to know.

Húběi Provincial Museum
Some minor renovations have lifted one of China's finest public museums to even further heights. The history of China is on display here in all its glorious complexity. The centrepiece is the exhibition of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, which includes one of the world’s largest musical instruments, a remarkable five-tonne set of 65 double-tone bronze bells. The museum is located by the Húběi Museum of Art and the enormous East Lake (东湖; Dōng Hú).

湖北省博物馆是风景秀丽的东湖之滨的一颗灿烂的明珠，也是武汉市一座光彩夺目的标志性建筑和对外开放的一大精品名牌景观。丰富并且有着地方特色的珍贵藏品和不断取得的科研成果，以及在中外文化交流中的显著成就，使本馆在海内外享有一定声誉。世界上最庞大的青铜乐器曾侯乙编钟、中国冷兵器时代的翘楚之作越王勾践剑、地质年代早于北京人的郧县人头骨化石等，都在中国古代文化发展史上具有极其重要的地位，有着极高的历史、文化和科学价值，并具有世界意义。

Yellow Crane Tower

Wǔhàn’s magical dancing crane, immortalised in the 8th-century poetry of Cui Hao, has long flown, but the city’s pride and joy remains perched atop Snake Hill. The tower has had its history rebuilt out of it since the original was constructed in AD 223, and today’s beautiful five-storey, yellow-tiled version is a 1980s remake of the Qing tower that combusted in 1884. Buses 401, 402 and 411, and trolley buses 1 and 10, all go here.

黄鹤楼位于武汉市蛇山的黄鹤矶头，面对鹦鹉洲，与湖南岳阳楼、江西滕王阁、山东蓬莱阁合称中国四大名楼。号称“天下江山第一楼”。相传始建于三国时期，历代屡毁屡建。现楼为1981年重建，以清代“同治楼”为原型设计。楼址仍在蛇山头。主楼高49米，共五层，攒尖顶，层层飞檐，四望如一。底层外檐柱对径为30米，中部大厅正面墙上设大片浮雕，表现出了历代有关黄鹤楼的神话传说；三层设夹层回廊，陈列有关诗词书画；二、三、四层外有四面回廊，可供游人远眺；五层为瞭望厅，可在此观赏大江景色；附属建筑有仙枣亭、石照亭、黄鹤归来小景等.。黄鹤楼是闻名中外的名胜古迹，它雄踞长江之滨，蛇山之首，背倚万户林立的武昌城，面临汹涌浩荡的扬子江，相对古雅清俊晴川阁，刚好位于长江和京广线的交叉处，即东西水路与南北陆路的交汇点上。登上黄鹤楼武汉三镇的旖旎风光历历在目，辽阔神州的锦绣山河也遥遥在望。由于这独特的地理位置，以及前人流传至今的诗词、文赋、楹联、匾额、摩岩石刻和民间故事，使黄鹤楼成为山川与人文景观相互倚重的文化名楼，素来享有“天下绝景”和“天下江山第一楼”的美誉。

Guīyuán Temple
An afternoon at this revered 350-year-old Buddhist temple can fluctuate between serenity and chaos, depending on the tour buses. Pass a large rectangular pond where turtles cling like shipwrecked sailors to two metal lotus flowers and examine the magnificently burnished cabinet housing Milefo in the first hall. Also seek out the more than 500 statues of enlightened disciples in the Hall of Arhats (罗汉堂; Luóhàn Táng). Completed in 1890, after nine years in the making, they remain in pristine condition.

归元禅寺创建于清顺治十五年(1658)，归元寺之名取佛经“归元性不二，方便有多门”之语意。占地4.67公顷，有殿舍200余间。1922年建的新阁是归元寺的一大宝藏，初藏经外，还有佛像、法物、石雕、木刻、书画碑贴及外国友人赠品。又两件令人惊叹的珍品：一是在长宽不过6寸的纸面写着由5424个字组成的“佛”字。写着全部《金刚经》和《心经》原文；二是血书《华严经》和《法华经》。建筑布局分为中院、南院、北院三组。中院有放生池。池两侧为钟鼓楼，正中为韦驮殿，再进是大雄宝殿。其南北两厢为客堂和斋堂，其后为禅堂。南院罗汉堂供奉有500尊以脱塑工艺制作的罗汉塑像，形态各异，栩栩如生，是中国传统塑像艺术中的上品。北院有藏经阁、大士阁、翠微井等建筑。藏经阁一层为陈列室，陈列有北魏石刻、唐代观音及历代雕塑的其他佛像，以及各种珍贵法器、字画等；二层收藏佛教经典7000多卷，其中有印度、缅甸、泰国、斯里兰卡等国刻印的经卷和贝叶经。是国务院首批公布的开展宗教活动的重点寺庙。现任住持是隆印法师。

Information is quoted from https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/wuhan.htm