June, 2010: Wuhan, China

I arrived in WuHan late in the afternoon, just after the opening of the soccer World Cup in South Africa. I may have missed part of the ceremony, but at least the matches are beaming free on CCTV; so that better than if I were back home where a match is priced at approximately the price of a cup of coffee.



























WuHan is the amalgation of three cities, WuChang, HanYang and HanKou, and it occupies both banks of the Yangtze river.
Standing on the bank, in the WuHan side is the Yellow Crane tower, made famous by many poets from the Tang dynasty.
The current tower is a modern architecture, a replica of the original. If you can't or don't wish to pick your way up the tower, there is even an elevator.
The top of the tower afford a view of the Yangtze and the bridge that spans it.
Once you have enough of the view, you can made your way down and head to the Museum of XinHai revolution.
A guide at the exit of the Yellow Crane Tower pointed the way to the museum for me. The chap had a card identifying him as a student in tourism and hospitality at a vocational college. He was friendly and eager to help, a refreshing change from the indifference you are likely to run into for your encounter with 'service' personnel at tourist spots.
In the museum you get to see the photoes of Sun's comrades in the revolution.
Young men who fought the Qing dynasty and gave birth to the republic. Some made it out alive, others didn't.
You may notice after running through the display that many of these young men were students in Japan, their revolutionary fervour probably ignited while in Japan, far from the Qing government. It may be dangerous to even suggest this, but it kinda confirm my suspicion that the Xinhai revolution, if not born out of the Meiji restoration, was at least partly inspired by it.



















After the museum, what else but to cross the Yangtze.