On September 19, Hubei’s top ten Yangtze River cultural landmarks were announced. To everyone’s surprise, Huanggang claimed four of them: Dongshan Wenmei Village in Huangmei County, Jiuzi Ancient Town Cultural Tourism Leisure Block in Luotian County, Dongpo Cultural Tourism Area in Huangzhou District, and Li Shizhen Cultural Tourism Area in Qichun County. This makes Huanggang the city with the most selections in the province.

The Yangtze River is the mother river of the Chinese people and especially of Hubei residents. The Hubei section of the Yangtze stretches about 1,061 kilometers and is known as the “Waist of the Yangtze,” making it the longest stretch of the Yangtze’s main course through any province. The river enters Hubei at Bianyuxi in Badong County and exits at Xiaochikou in Huangmei County, passing through seven prefectures including Enshi and Yichang. Historic events like the Battle of Red Cliffs, the Three Gorges Dam closure, and the 1998 flood control efforts have given Hubei many unique memories tied to the Yangtze.

But one might wonder: how did Huanggang come out on top in this competition of Yangtze cultural heritage?

Geographical Advantage of the Golden Waterway

Huanggang is located in eastern Hubei, at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains and on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It borders Henan to the north, Anhui to the east, and faces Ezhou, Huangshi, and Jiujiang across the river to the south.

The terrain of Huanggang slopes gradually from north to south. The northeast, bordering Henan and Anhui, is part of the Dabie Mountain range, with its main ridge running northwest to southeast. There are 96 peaks here with elevations over 1,000 meters. The highest point is the main peak of Tiantangzhai, at 1,729.13 meters above sea level, on the border of Luotian and Yingshan counties.

Six major water systems—Daoshui, Jushui, Bashui, Xishui, Qishui, and Huayang River—all originate in the Dabie Mountains and flow south into the Yangtze River.

Huanggang has abundant Yangtze River shoreline resources, with six major ports: Tuangfeng, Huangzhou, Xishui, Qichun, Wuxue, and Huangmei. The main Yangtze航道 mileage is about 200 kilometers, with a shoreline of 212.9 kilometers, beach shoreline of 68.3 kilometers, and a total shoreline length of 281.2 kilometers.

The isolation caused by the Yangtze and Jushui Rivers left Huanggang relatively secluded on the northern bank of the Yangtze. In ancient times, when bridge-building technology was limited, this made Huanggang even more isolated. The economic and cultural exchanges of Huanggang’s people had to rely more on the Yangtze as a “golden waterway,” using boats for transportation. Because of this, the relationship between the Yangtze and human culture is even closer in Huanggang.

A River of Culture Nurturing a Gathering of Talents

Huanggang is a cultural fertile ground rich in humanities. Throughout its long historical development, located at the junction of Wu and Chu cultures, Huanggang has seen the blending of maritime and inland cultures, the deep integration of Central Plains and southern cultures, and the mutual promotion of mountain and water cultures. This has led many scholars to exclaim, “Only Chu has talent, and eastern Hubei is the best.”

Red culture is the soul of Huanggang. Huanggang gave birth to the Communist Party of China’s first rural early organization, the “Coexistence Society,” produced two state chairmen, three representatives of the First National Congress of the CPC, and is known as “two hundred generals, one hometown.”

Dongpo culture is the pinnacle of Huanggang’s culture. The Northern Song literary giant Su Shi was exiled to Huangzhou, where he spent more than four critical years of his life. During his time in Huangzhou, he created timeless masterpieces such as “Memories of the Past at Red Cliff” and the “First and Second Odes to the Red Cliff,” leaving a peak imprint of a millennium-old cultural legacy.

Medical culture is Huanggang’s core strength. Huanggang is a treasure trove of human Chinese medicine. Li Shizhen’s monumental pharmacological work “Compendium of Materia Medica” is included in the UNESCO Memory

Dongshan Wenmei Village

Dongshan Wenmei Village is a historic and culturally significant ancient village in China, renowned for its well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture. It has a history spanning over 600 years and is celebrated for its traditional Huizhou-style residences, intricate wood carvings, and ancient alleyways. Today, it serves as a popular cultural tourism destination, offering a glimpse into China’s rich architectural heritage and rural village life.

Jiuzi Ancient Town Cultural Tourism Leisure Block

Jiuzi Ancient Town is a historic cultural tourism district that preserves traditional Chinese architecture and local customs dating back several centuries. The leisure block offers visitors a blend of heritage experiences, including ancient streets, folk performances, and artisan workshops. It serves as both a recreational area and a living showcase of the region’s cultural history.

Dongpo Cultural Tourism Area

The Dongpo Cultural Tourism Area is a cultural heritage site in Meishan, Sichuan, China, dedicated to the celebrated Song Dynasty scholar and poet Su Dongpo. It encompasses his former residence and memorial halls that showcase his life, literary works, and cultural influence. The area serves as a center for promoting classical Chinese literature and the enduring legacy of one of China’s most revered historical figures.

Li Shizhen Cultural Tourism Area

The Li Shizhen Cultural Tourism Area is a scenic complex in Qizhou, Hubei Province, China, dedicated to the Ming Dynasty medical expert Li Shizhen. It commemorates his life and his monumental work, the *Compendium of Materia Medica* (*Bencao Gangmu*), a foundational text in traditional Chinese medicine. The area features a museum, his former residence, and medicinal herb gardens that celebrate his legacy.

Battle of Red Cliffs

The Battle of Red Cliffs was a pivotal naval engagement in the winter of 208/209 CE during the end of the Han Dynasty, where the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei decisively defeated the much larger army of Cao Cao. This victory prevented Cao Cao from unifying China under his rule and cemented the tripartite division of the country into the Three Kingdoms. The battle is one of the most famous in Chinese history and has been romanticized in literature, including the classic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam is a massive hydroelectric gravity dam on the Yangtze River in China, which was completed in 2006 after over a decade of construction. It is the world’s largest power station by installed capacity and was built primarily for flood control and clean power generation. The project’s history is also marked by the controversial relocation of over a million people and the flooding of numerous archaeological and cultural sites.

Tiantangzhai

Tiantangzhai is a scenic area and former revolutionary base located in the Dabie Mountains of Anhui Province, China. Historically, it served as a crucial stronghold for the Red Army during the Chinese Communist Revolution. Today, it is known for its stunning natural beauty, including forests, waterfalls, and its symbolic “Paradise Village” peak.

Compendium of Materia Medica

The “Compendium of Materia Medica” is a monumental encyclopedia of traditional Chinese medicine, not a physical place but a foundational cultural text. It was compiled in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty by the physician and pharmacologist Li Shizhen. This work systematically catalogued thousands of medicinal substances, their properties, and applications, and it remains one of the most important texts in the history of medicine.