Huanggang

Introduction

Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in the easternmost part of Hubei Province, China, sitting north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It takes its name from Mount Huanggang, and the Dabie Mountains bound it to the north. The city also borders three other provinces: Henan to the north, Anhui to the east, and Jiangxi to the south.

Before you go

Getting there

Getting around

Base yourself in Huangzhou District, the main urban area, and expect to get around by bus, taxi or shared bike rather than by any urban rail system. Local buses are the workhorse of the city and also the way you connect from the railway stations into the centre: Huanggang Railway Station has a stop outside served by buses 9, 19, 23 and 105 (9, 19 and 105 go to the centre); Huanggang East Railway Station is linked by bus 105; Huanggang West Railway Station is served by buses 1, 6, 7 and 22, all of which run to the centre; and Huangzhou Railway Station, which handles regular-speed trains only, is linked by bus 101. Two main bus stations serve the city: Donghua Bus Station on Mingzhu Avenue, served by routes 6, 18, 23, 25 and 108, and Huangzhou Bus Station on Baota Avenue, the city's main bus station, served by routes 24, 101, 102, 103 and 107. As an example of how the network works, bus 21 runs between Dabieshan Medical Center (Passenger Station) and Longwangshan roughly every 20 minutes. Fares and ticketing are not covered in the source material, so pay on board and keep small change handy.

Taxis are metered and straightforward, with a higher starting price at night than during the day and rates that rise in stages the further you travel; the source material does not cover ride-hailing apps, so treat taxis as the confirmed option and check locally about app-based services. Shared bicycles are available across the city: you unlock one by scanning a QR code and are charged according to the distance and time you ride, which makes them a cheap and popular choice for short hops. Walking works well for local errands and neighbourhood exploration within the compact urban core, while buses, bikes and taxis cover longer cross-city journeys. If you are arriving from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, note that direct buses reach only some outer areas such as Hong'an County, Luotian County, Macheng City, Qichuan County and Yingshan County; for the main urban area there is no direct airport bus, so route via Fujiapo Bus Station in Wuhan's Wuchang District and change to a Huanggang-bound bus, or connect by train.

Where to stay

Most of Huanggang's accommodation is concentrated in Huangzhou District, the seat of the municipal government and the city's political, economic and cultural centre. If you're arriving by rail, the practical question is how far you're willing to be from Huanggang Station: the budget options sit roughly ten minutes away by car, while the mid-range and splurge properties cluster a little further out along Pearl Avenue and Huangzhou Avenue, up to around eighteen minutes' drive.

• Budget: Hanting Hotel, near the intersection of Mingzhu Avenue and Xingang 2nd Road, and Juduo Hotel on Bayi Road.
• Mid-range: Yaduo Hotel by Yihai Lake Park and Vienna International Hotel in Ruitian Plaza, both on Pearl Avenue.
• Splurge: Huanggang Peninsula International Hotel on Xingang 2nd Road and Huanggang New Kembin Walden Hotel on Huangzhou Avenue.

Outside Huangzhou District, the counties and county-level cities — Tuanfeng, Xishui, Luotian, Yingshan, Qichun, Huangmei, Hong'an, Macheng and Wuxue — are described in the source by their location and character rather than by places to stay, so plan your lodging around Huangzhou unless you have a specific reason to base yourself elsewhere.

Food & drink

For a sit-down meal, head to Green Pavilion Western Restaurant on the second floor of the Wushang Store on Dongmen Road in Huangzhou District. It is a chain restaurant, but the menu is updated quickly, the portions are large, and the drinks and desserts hold their own alongside the food. If you would rather eat something rooted in the region, try Authentic Victory Hanging Pot Bridgehead Shop, which has been featured on CCTV7; the hanging pot is the thing to order, and the cooking is tasty without straining your budget.

For drinks, BaWangChaJi is a chain beverage shop with a rich tea-and-milk flavor that draws a young crowd. Grandpa Doesn’t Make Tea is a local shop with a strong following and plenty of good reviews, and it is well worth a try while you are in the city.

What to see and do

Huangzhou District holds most of the sights you can reach easily from the city centre. The Huanggang Museum on Mingzhu Avenue is free to enter and makes a good starting point, with bus routes from the Dongfang Square stop nearby. A short trip away is Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs on Gongyuan Road, a cluster of halls and pavilions built over the centuries to commemorate the Battle of Red Cliffs and the poetry of Su Dongpo. Note that the site's claim to be the battlefield is disputed, with other places such as Chibi argued to be more likely locations. Yiai Lake Park on Chibi Avenue is the largest park in the urban area and is free; it contains a memorial museum devoted to Su Dongpo, the Song Dynasty writer and artist. For a sense of the old city, head to Huangzhou Ancient City on Gucheng Road, a well-preserved Song Dynasty site with Ming and Qing walls, streets and buildings, where you can wander traditional neighbourhoods and join folk activities.

• Huanggang Museum – free, closed Mondays, in Huangzhou District.
• Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs – halls and pavilions tied to the battle and to Su Dongpo's poetry.
• Yiai Lake Park – the urban area's largest park, with the Su Dongpo memorial museum inside.
• Huangzhou Ancient City – Song-era walls and Ming and Qing streets, closed Mondays.

Further afield, the county-level scenic areas reward a longer trip. Triangle Mountain in Xishui County is a national tourist attraction and patriotic education base, with a main peak over a thousand metres high and a continental monsoon climate. Taohuachong Scenic Area in the northeast corner of Yingshan County is a forest park set among high ground, with Datongjian, the second peak of the Dabie Mountains, inside it. Tiantangzhai Scenic Area in Luotian County sits on the Dabie Mountains watershed, so water on the north side drains to the Huaihe River and water on the south side to the Yangtze; from the summit you look out over the Central Plains to the north and Jingchu to the south, and near the top is a pond known as "Yaochi" that never overflows or dries up. Guifeng Mountain Scenic Area in Macheng City is named for its turtle-like shape and suits a trip with friends or family.

Three days in Huanggang

Day one: Arrive in Huanggang, a city in Hubei Province on the Yangtze River, and settle into Huangzhou District, the central urban area. From Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, reach Wuhan and connect onward to Huanggang by rail, arriving at Huanggang Railway Station, Huanggang East Railway Station or Huanggang West Railway Station. Use the local buses around Donghua Bus Station and Fujiapo Bus Station in Wuchang District to orient yourself, then walk Xinhua Road and Lukou Avenue to get a feel for the city's everyday rhythm.

Day two: Head out into the countryside of Huanggang's counties. Travel to Hong County, Luotian County, Macheng City, Qichuan County or Yingshan County, each with its own rural character. If you want mountain scenery, make for Mount Huanggang in the Dabie Mountains, the range that separates this part of Hubei from Henan, Anhui and Jiangxi. Check connections before you set out, since services between the city and the counties vary.

Day three: Return to the urban core and use Huangzhou Railway Station and the stops along Jinggang Road and Provincial Highway to move around before departure. One option is a slower morning around Huangzhou District, followed by a bus or train back toward Wuhan for onward travel. Before leaving, confirm your route to the airport or the next city, as timings from the county stations can be less frequent.