An Unofficial Blog of Wuhan

when the earthquake happened the day before yesterday, i was chatting with my friend on-line at that time. he told me that he felt the building was shaking and it last for seconds. he was in Hanyang that time, and he posted a message in QQ group, but no one replied him. i think the people in wuhan did not feel much about the earthquake at that time. i trust his feeling although there was no official report come out to confirm the location and magnitude of the earthquake. immediately i made a phonecall to my sister in wuhan, and she did not feel it at all. she told me she was sleeping at that time.

    i had experienced earthquake once when i was in my university. it was in the winter time of 2005, i was senior already. i remembered clearly it was in the morning, i was about to get out of my dorm to have my breakfast, it was just past eight o’clock. my roommate was sleeping at that time. suddenly i felt the door was shaking, and i heard of sound of metals just out of the dorm building. it last about six seconds. i found my roommate was even not waken up. i thought it must be an earthquake and i got out of the dorm building to protect myself. later my roommate told me that he felt that someone was shaking his bed when he was sleeping. he never thought that no one is so strong to shake his bed. one hour later we got the news: the earthquake happened in Jiujiang, a city on the border of hubei province and jiangsi province, east of wuhan.

    that is only one experience of mine related to earthquake. i think that is also the only one for most of the people who live in wuhan, because there is no major earthquake happened for more than 70 years.

    here is a list of the big earthquaked happened in wuhan,

jan. 1470 , wuchang and haiyang, 5 degrees.

1605 march or april, wuchang, 4.75 degrees

1605,june, wuchang, haiyang, 5 degrees 

1897 january, wuchang, hanyang, 5 degrees
1930 march, 4 degrees  

1932, influenced by the 6 degrees earthquake happened in Macheng , some people were injured and the houses were collapsed.

since then, there has been no major earthquake happened in wuhan.

i think the reason is because wuhan is in a relatively safe place, not located in the seismic belt.

we can see a map which identifies the main seismic belts in china.

at last i want to express my condolense to those people who were killed by the earthquake. and i hope the government can do their best to save more people from the ruined areas.

Mainland China authorities are reportedly paving the way for the reintroduction of horse racing with legal betting, with the city of Wuhan to host a test run after the Beijing Olympics.
 
Xinhua news agency reported Thursday that the central government had approved the establishment of regular horse racing at the Orient Lucky City racecourse in the capital of Hubei province this past September, and was considering the introduction of gambling on the races next year.

Thursday’s Changjiang Times quoted Wuhan party secretary Miao Wei as saying State Sports General Administration (SSGA) had permitted the issuing of a “horse racing lottery” in Wuhan in September. However, a senior manager with the Orient Lucky Horse Group Corporation told Xinhua betting on the races would probably not be introduced on a trial basis until next year.

“Initially, about 250 horses from different jockey clubs around the country will participate in the races,” the manager said. However, a China Sports Lottery Administration Centre spokeswoman was less clear, telling Xinhua: “The proposal of betting on horse racing is being reviewed and discussed, but there is no concrete information on when or whether it will begin.”

The newspaper quoted Qin Zunwen, head of the Chinese Horse Racing Intelligence Competition Research Group - an SSG Authorized taskforce based in Wuhan - saying “it is going to be different from that in Hong Kong.”

The group’s mission is to produce a betting format fit for the mainland betting consumer, which must currently do all betting through illegal bookmakers. Sports Lotteries, in which the player must try to guess the winners of a large number of events for one big prize, are currently the only legal form of gambling in China.

Betting in Hong Kong on horse racing and soccer, and in Macau for casino gambling horse and greyhound racing, is allowed as these are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) that have grown up independently under separate rule before returning to China late last century.

The word “lottery” and the phrase “intelligence competition” were used to neatly sidestep the Communist Party’s long-standing prohibition of gambling on moral grounds.

The reintroduction of race betting would “boost state revenue, create new jobs, entertain the public, and crack down on illegal gambling,” said Qin, who spoke to the newspaper about the benefits of lifting the ban. It has been estimated that about 600 billion yuan (US$82.5 million) leaves the mainland each year for gambling in offshore casinos and racecourses.

Qin’s research group estimated annual revenue of 100 billion yuan ($US13.8 billion) from the horse lottery, 40 per cent of which would go to state coffers. One staggering estimate published was the projected creation of 3 million jobs if betting were allowed nationwide.

Horse racing thrived in China until the communists took power in 1949 and was especially popular in wealthy cities such as Shanghai. Wuhan, a city of more than 8 million people built around the Yangtze River, had three large racing tracks in those days, boasting a reputation as “the Capital of Horse Racing.” The present track on the edge of the city is located in a 1 million square meter lakeside complex, which also houses equestrian clubs, the Chinese Academy of Horse Racing, and an exhibition centre. There are plans for a five-star hotel and a number of residential towers around the course.

The city has sponsored an annual international horse racing festival since 2003 and has been the frontrunner to reintroduce horse-race betting since it was last banned in 1999 following seven years of trials.

There was a promising racing industry growing in Beijing, funded by businessman Chung Yun Pun and managed by Irishman Kevin Connolly, which was unceremoniously shut down by authorities two years ago. Cheng, whose Domeland stable has raced many horses in Australia, including 1998 Cox Plate runner-up Northern Drake, had ploughed an estimated US$200million into the venture, which included a stud farm adjacent to a huge turf course outside Beijing.

Wuhan started to study the feasibility of introducing betting on horse racing in 2005 and had submitted several reports to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Xinhua reported. A survey conducted by the Hubei Academy of Social Sciences revealed that 83.3 per cent of Wuhan residents believed the introduction of betting would have a positive social impact, and 51 per cent said they were “interested” or “very interested” in gambling on the races.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club was cautiously optimistic over the move last night, with chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges describing it as “a positive development, if the report proves to be correct.”

He did say, however, that HKJC had given the Wuhan Jockey Club the rights to duplicate the HKJC’s book of rules to give the new racing industry a proper legal and policy framework. Engelbrecht-Bresges also said the Jockey Club would consider helping the WJC and the central government set up racing, if it were asked, provided the club was convinced there was a commitment to creating something of real quality and value.

Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Hong Kong Jockey Club had an internationally recognized brand name that had to be protected, and that any potential association with racing on the mainland would have to be on the basis that the project would be of “the highest standard.”

one of the most enjoyable thing for me during my time in wuhan university is reading books in the library and finding books in the bookstores around the city. luckily i have found several bookstores which can provide me the books that meet my reading interest.

since i am a law student in the university and an art students in the high school, the books i like to read is all about literature and humanity science and related to my major, law and political sciences.

the first bookstore i want to talk about is the SANLIAN bookstore (三联书店）， it is just outside the campus of my university, and it takes about ten minutes for me to get there from my dormitory. so you can imagine that i am a frequent patronizer of the bookstore, but actually i am a poor student who do not have much money to spend on other things besides eating, so every time i try to stay in the bookstore longer, and read the interesting books, and leave with a smile to the vendor.

i also go to the Hubei book city (湖北图书城）often, since i can skim at a larger scope of books, not only in the humanity and social science, but also books on art, and foreign language, and some video productions. the same problem still make me embrassed, and every time i have to persuade myself that some books is really worthy or neccessary when i am going to buy it.  it sounds laughable, but i am just like that.

Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei province, plans to spend total 300 billion yuan (40 billion US dollars) on its metro system, according to the city’s Rail Transit Plan.The plan says the metro length will extend to 530 km from the present 220 km, and from seven to 12 lines with 309 stations by 2015.

Li Xiaohua, a city government official, said 66 percent of the city’s 8.7 million people could find a metro station within 600 meters. “By metro, a person at any part of Wuhan can reach the city center within 30 minutes,” said Li.

 Wuhan, known as “a thoroughfare to nine provinces”, has been faced with escalating threats of traffic jams and noise, which the city government is seeking to resolve with the metro expansion.

The new plan gives the cost per kilometer of metro line at about 500 million yuan (66.7 million US dollars). Three metro lines are already under construction.

it is also reported that the hongkong metro corporation will invest in this project, trying to get profit by leveraging its experience in operating the hong kong metro, which is the only one profitable metro company in the world.

for a long time i have been thinking on writing about the foreign concessions of Wuhan. in the nationalists’ eyes, these concessions along with the old buildings and the passed history are considered to be a shame for the city and the country. it is true, but in the perspective of cultural exchange and economical development, the foreign concessions did certain contribution to the development of wuhan’s economy during their existence. at that time, the city of wuhan is called “oriental Chicago”. i can imagine the prosperity of commerce at that time.

here i found some information telling the story of foreign concessions in Wuhan,and i post it here to share with my reader.

In 1895 Germany established a concession at Hankow, one of the three cities making up modern day Wuhan. The concession was enlarged in 1898. The total area was something less than 100 acres.

Like most foreign residential areas there was an advisory municipal council with limited powers. Actual administration of the concession was under the control of the resident German Consul-General.

The German Concession prospered until August 1917. In August 1917, China declared war on Germany and terminated the concession. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles Germany renounced all of its overseas possessions including the concession at Hankow. The former German Concession was administered by the Chinese government as the First Special Area.

the street scene during that time

Other Foreign Residential Areas:

The British established a concession in 1861. The French and Russians formed their concessions in 1886. Japan arrived in 1898. All five consessions prospered as Hankow became one of the industrial centers of modernizing China.

Termination of the Concessions:

In 1920 The Russian Concession was returned to Chinese administration. It became the Second Special Area. Both the special areas were administered by the local foreign affairs officials apart from the larger Chinese municipal government.

On January 3, 1927 the British Concession was assaulted by Chinese mobs. The concession police were overwhelmed and requested assistance from the foreign naval forces. British and American naval landing parties were put ashore and repulsed the mobs. That evening the London government ordered the naval forces back on their ships and for the concession police to refrain from interferring with Chinese entering the concession. The following day Chinese quietly entered the concession with little trouble. The Chen-O’Malley Agreementt that followed agreed on the British surrender of both the Hankow and Kuiking concessions followng a two year transition. On January 1, 1929, the British Concession was returned to Chinese administration and became the Third Special Area.

During 1943 the Vichy French government relinquished its concession to the puppet Chinese National government. This act was not recognized by the Free French government-in-exile. France relinquished its concession in 1946. In 1943 the separate administration of the former foreign residential areas was also ended.

The Japanese Concession was surrendered along with the defeat of Japan in 1945.

the map showing the space of foreign concessions

 GENERAL DATA ON HANKOW CONCESSIONS

It is interesting to note that the total area (c. 367 acres) of the foreign concessions was less than one square mile (1 sq. mile = 640 acres).

one of the important chinese traditional festival during the spring time is the latern festival ,which is in the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, the celebration of lantern festival also signify the end of the lunar new year celebration, which usually lasts one month in chinese rural area.

this tradition is more or less the same across the whole country. usually at the night people will go out to see some performance or beautiful lanterns on the street, and some intellectuals will write some literal puzzles on the lantern, for the people to solve. and in chinese literature, it is also the day for young man to date. dating under the full moon and the colourful lanterns is really romantic.

that is something which were common in the ancient time, but as the days goes by, the chinese people are losing the tradition. but something still passed down from generation to generation. the most well known activity is eating the Tang yuan”, a round shape refection made from sticky rice and enwraps some sweety stuffing inside, such as sugar, sweeten bean. you can see the picture here.

besides eating the delicious foods, the people usually have other interesting actvities to do. and so far as i know in wuhan, the people can enjoy the yuanxiao performance, which include the dragon lantern performance, and the lion dance.

usually in my hometown, at the night of lantern festival ,  there will be this kinds of performance in every household. the performers will go to every family to perform, which will bring bless and luck to the family under chinese people’s thinking. i have watched this kinds of performance for more than twenty years, when i was a kid, i feel excited when the lantern festival is coming, and i really want to join the performance, but actually it has high physical requirement on the performer, and i can not hold on for a long time. and after i grow up, it is not fresh to me at all, i always think about to bring some change to this activities, which may attract more visitors to my hometown.

as the wuhan city assembly is in the session of a annual meeting, the head of the city, Mr Miao Wei mentioned in the disscussion with the representatives that Wuhan has to restore its good tradition in cultivating a wonderful environment for trade and commerce and entrepeneurship.

the city’s official newspaper reported this in its headline, which signify the importance of establishing a good environment to promote the entrepreneurship and encourage more people to do business and make commercial activities in wuhan. i think the government has noticed that we have lost the old tradition of wuhan which ever was the commerce and financial centre of central china region. but now the city’s position in the central china is not as prominent as before.

this policy sounds very encouraging to the people who has intention to do their own business in wuhan, but it is hard to draw out and implement a detailed regulation. actually we need a total change, which beyond the capacity of the government. what the government can do is to change the mindset of the governmental officials, who think themselves as the bosses of the people, but not the servant, and simplify the administrative procedure.

actually i am not from the urban area of wuhan city, i (to see my home ,click the link) am from a rural district which is administered under the wuhan city government, the district is called ” Huang pi” , in chinese it write as ‘黄陂”. i do not think much foreigner heard of this name, so i think it is more neccessary to make a brief introduction of my hometown.

Huangpi is located in the northwestern part of wuhan territory, and in the northern part of huang pi, there are mountains and hills which constitute a beautiful scene for the visitors , but it also impede the local people to develop the economy there.

there is one river which cross the leaf -like territory of huangpi, the river is called she shui he (灄水河）， the word is only used for this river.

my hometown is famous for being the hometown to the female general “Mulan “in shui dynasty( 隋朝）， who replaced her father to join the army and defeat the turkic army in the border. we have her statute in the center of our district.

i think for foreigners especially the kids may heard of the name of Mulan, since her story has been adapted into a disney movie, which was quite popular among the western audience.

i think it is also a positive promotion for Mulan, which is good for the development of the tourism industry of huangpi, since huangpi has named many of its scenary site after her name, such as Mulan mountain, Mulan Lake, Mulan old gate.

you can see the beauty and grandeur of the mountain from this picture, and Mulan Mountain is the highest mountain in Wuhan city.

here i found some information about the Daoist temple on the Mulan Mountain,

and here i found a picture of Mulan Lake, it is very beautiful. it is a pity that i have not been there although i live in huangpi for more than 20 years.

since if you come to wuhan to take a visit of the beautiful scenary of the city,  you must not miss the bloom of cherry flower in the campus of Wuhan University.  Wuhan University is famous for its beautiful campus and it is acknowledged as the most beautiful universities in china.

i studied in the law school of Wuhan university for four years, and i really enjoy the beautiful campus. she shows her various charm in four seasons. in the spring, we can enjoy the scents of flowers and especially the cherry flower, which attract thousands of visitors every year. and in the summer, although it is hot, we can still see the campus in different colour and green trees which provide shadow for us. and in the fall, the maple leaves turns to red , and the trees on the small mountain show various beautiful colours. and in the winter, the school will become white under the snow.

the reader can see the beautiful pictures i collected from internet in my personal blog, and more information about Wuhan University you can get from the official website: http://www.whu.edu.cn.

Chinese government has approved the proposal jointly launched by the nine cities in the Hubei province, to run an experimental project called when city circle.