Asian Geographic 3 - 2016 SG

My childhood

memories were

heavily associated

with water, simply

because the rivers

and lakes were

everywhere. The rich

water resources had

a very deep impact

on people’s lives

02 The Enshi Grand Canyon

in Hubei is a karst formation

with waterfalls and caves

03 Agriculture is the way of

life in Hubei as it is flanked

by the Yangtze River

04 Vendors sell fruits and

snacks by the banks of the

Three Gorges Valley

in pink and white, and later in the season,

fields of wheat and rapeseed will paint the

land yellow and light green. The land is

very flat so it looks like a huge colourful

blanket from the dyke of the Yangtze

River. It is a wonderful experience to cycle

along the dyke at this time, as it looks like

the back of a dragon and is definitely the

best place to overlook the flower-filled

land inside, while on the other side the

Yangtze River is running alongside you.

There’s also a big islet called Bailizhou

inside the Yangtze River. It’s one of the

largest islets in the river and is home to 40

small villages, and the dyke of Bailizhou

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Flights to Hubei land in its capital, Wuhan,

at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport.

As the busiest air port in central China,

international direct flights are available

from cities like Bangkok, Osaka, Seoul

and Singapore. From Singapore, a flight

with Silkair takes just under five hours.

Other wise, there are also domestic flights

served by airlines like China Southern and

Air China.

HOTELS:

Modena by Fraser Zhuankou, Wuhan

http://www.modenabyfraser.com

New World Wuhan Hotel

http://www.newworldhotels.com

Ramada Plaza Wuhan Optics Valley

http://www.ramadaplaza-ovwh.com

CURRENCY:

Chinese Yuan Renminbi (US$1 = 6.51 CNY)

GETTING TO

HUBEI

CHINA

HUBEI PROVINCE

I grew up in a small village called Luzhou
in Hubei province and my family are still
living there now. Our village is located in
the Jianghan Plain south of Hubei. The
Yangtze River, the longest river in China,
is just in front of our house. Luzhou means
“reed-covered wetland”, while Hubei
means “north of the lake”, referring to
Dongting Lake.
In fact, Hubei province is known by
its nickname “the province of a thousand
lakes”. So, my childhood memories
were heavily associated with water,
simply because the rivers and lakes were
everywhere and the rich water resources
had a very deep impact on people’s lives.
Farming was the main way to make
a living, and the major products were
grain, wheat and cotton. There were also
fruit farms producing pears, peaches,
watermelons and oranges. As a child I
didn’t do much work in the field, but still
got important responsibilities like taking
care of the animals we had: a buffalo,
about 10 chickens or ducks and sometimes
a few goats. But they were never a burden
to me, because they were all very cute. I
remember bringing the buffalo to the river
bank and freeing it, letting it eat the grass
by itself while I gathered together with my
little friends who were doing the same job,
catching crabs or fish and hiding under
the rocks in the riverside.
Spring is probably the most beautiful
season in our village. The peach and pear
trees are in full bloom, covering the land

04