■ Prize winning route: East Lake – Luojia Hill (Wuhan University) – Hubei Provincial Museum – Yellow Crane Tower – Museum of the 1911 Revolution - Wuhan Shouyi Garden - Wuhan Civic Entertainment Center – Jiangtan Park – historical buildings in Wuhan – nightscape of the Yangtze River – Guiyuan Temple – Ancient Guqin Terrace – Qingchuan Pavilion - Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge

■ Prize winning reason: This route covers the top historical, cultural, urban, shopping and relaxation attractions of Wuhan’s three towns: Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. It is an ideal route for getting a full picture of the history, cultural and local life of Wuhan.

■ Highlights of the route: Shuttling between the three towns of Wuhan, traveling between the Yangtze and Hanjiang Rivers and strolling along the streets, visitors get a deep feel of Wuhan. The highlight of the route is that visitors can feel the charm of Jinghan culture, visit the main attractions of the three towns of Wuhan, taste delicious snacks and enjoy the modern complexes, and also join in amongst the generous and carefree Wuhan community to experience its culture.

Hubei, a large province by the Yangtze River, has assumed an important position in Chinese history. Since ancient times, it has been home to important economic, military, trade and business towns, including: Jiangling, Xiangyang and Wuhan. Hankou, Yichang and Shashi have now been developed into internationally famous commercial ports.

Today, most of the cities have become modern metropolises and are being shaped into large metropolitan regions, including Wuhan Metropolitan Region in eastern Hubei, Yichang Metropolitan Region in western Hubei and Xiangyang Metropolitan Region in northern Hubei.

Wuhan Metropolitan Region includes Wuhan, the most civic city in China and home to the “No. 1 Tower in the World”, Yellow Crane Tower, and China’s largest urban lake, East Lake. Many ideal resting points and attractions surround the area: National Mining Park in Huangshi, Liangzi Lake in Ezhou, Dongpo Chibi in Huanggang, Dongyong Park in Xiaogan, the hot springs in Weining, Xuanmiao Taoist Temple in Xiantao, Longevity Mountain in Tianmen and the landscape gardens in Qianjiang.

Yichang Metropolitan Region offers prehistoric natural landscapes, with Yichang as its centre and encompasses Jingzhou, Enshi and Shennongjia. The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in Yichang are intoxicating. The Grand Canyon and Tujia folk custom in Enshi are unforgettable. The primitive scenery and the mystery of the “wild man” in Shennongjia will mystify visitors.

Xiangyang Metropolitan Region, with Xiangyang as its centre, includes Shiyan, Jingmen and Suizhou cities famous for their unique history and culture. Shiyan is home to Wudang Mountain, a popular tourist destination. Jingmen offers the National Dahongshan Scenic Area and Hot Spring Resort for recuperation and is an ideal choice of leisure tourists. In Suizhou, history enthusiasts may visit Shennong’s Hometown and the historical site of Marquis Yi’s Tomb.

The metropolitan regions of Hubei will awe visitors with their vitality, interesting historical backgrounds and natural landscapes