Powerhouse of high-tech industry and trade has dynamic roots going back to 1911 Revolution
More than 100 years ago, gunfire in Wuchang, now a district of Central China's Wuhan, sounded the start of a true democratic revolution in modern China.
On Oct 10, 1911, Chinese revolutionaries represented by Sun Yat-sen launched the Wuchang Uprising, which ended the millennia-long absolute monarchy in the country and brought about the establishment of Asia's first republic.
Contemporary academics believe that as China's second-largest city at that time, Wuhan had strengths in finance, industry and education, which nurtured democratic ideals and an environment for revolution.
Throughout history, Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, has always been honored as a heroic city, stunning the world with its brave people and indomitable spirit.
Wuhan is located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and one of its major tributaries, the Hanjiang River. The two rivers divide Wuhan into three towns — Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang — and bring prosperity to the city.
Wuhan has historically served as a busy port city of commerce and trading due to its superb location and transport network.
In the late 19th century, Hankou regularly appeared in the international press with the moniker "the Chicago of China". Many European powers flocked to the area for trading and established banks and factories.
While leading the country in foreign trade, Wuhan still lacked modern industries at that time. Major change happened when Zhang Zhidong, a famous political figure in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was appointed as the governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces in 1889. Zhang governed the provinces until 1907.
During this time, he carried out the Western Affairs Movement by setting up Hanyang Steel Plant, Hubei Arsenal, and Hubei Weaving Mill as well as building railway lines.
Meanwhile, Zhang introduced educational reform, founded several modern educational organizations such as Lianghu (Hunan and Hubei) Academy and Self-Strengthening Academy in Wuhan, and selected many students to study abroad.
Wuhan gained momentum toward modernization during Zhang's tenure and became one of China's industrial powerhouses and commercial hubs.
Today, the Zhang Zhidong and Hanyang Iron Plant Museum, situated near the old plant, demonstrates the area's industrial achievements and honors Zhang's contributions to the city.
Wuhan also left its mark on the history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
The Battle of Wuhan, lasting from June to October 1938, was the longest and largest fight in the initial stages of the anti-Japanese aggression war from 1937-45.
The people of Wuhan were united during the war, showing their unbending will and great determination. Residents from all walks of life participated in fund-raising events and held parades to support the defense of the motherland and promote patriotism.
Although the battle ended with the eventual capture of Wuhan by the Japanese, it resulted in heavy losses on both sides and brought the war into a strategic stalemate.
Early after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Wuhan was a national pacesetter in heavy industries. State-owned enterprises such as Wuhan Iron and Steel Group achieved outstanding progress at the time, according to local authorities.
The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, which opened in 1957, was one of the key projects during China's first Five-Year Plan (1953-57).The double-deck road and rail bridge connected the three towns while promoting exchanges between northern and southern China.
Wuhan also played a pioneering role in implementing the reform and opening-up policy of 1978. Hanzheng Street in Hankou gained nationwide fame at the time as it was the first place in China to approve private businesses.
In 1988, the Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone was founded, which then witnessed the production of China's first optical transmission system.
Billed as the Optics Valley of China, the zone is now a sci-tech powerhouse with 42 institutions of higher education, 56 research institutes at provincial and national levels, and about 4,300 high-tech enterprises.
Last year, the zone reported an annual GDP of 240 billion yuan ($34.39 billion), a year-on-year increase of 16.8 percent.
