Things to do in Yunmeng

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Xiangyun Bay Cultural Tourism Area

Xiangyun Bay Cultural Tourism Area consists of six major sections: the core attraction of Ancient Architecture Jiupai Garden, Yunmeng Old Street, Rui Garden, Yunchong Garden, Liqin Garden, and Xiang Garden. The park features a variety of architectural styles, including pavilions, towers, palaces, temples, ancestral halls, traditional residences, official halls, and flower halls. This project integrates ancient architecture with traditional horticulture, aiming to meticulously restore historical structures while incorporating modern design concepts. It strives to create a grand "living museum" of ancient architecture that honors and preserves history with authenticity and traceability. Two exciting areas: Yunmeng Old Street: Immerse yourself in the rich historical atmosphere and folk customs, where traditional architecture creates a timeless charm. Every step feels like a journey through history, making it the perfect place for visitors to experience traditional culture. Xiangyun Bay Cultural Tourism Area's Happy Planet Playground: A joyful and surprising amusement destination blending modern entertainment with ancient cultural themes, offering visitors a uniquely fun experience.

Yunmeng Xiangshan Museum

Yunmeng Xiangshan Museum is currently one of the largest and most advanced county-level museums in Hubei Province. Yunmeng is a county in Hubei Province rich in cultural relics. The Qin Dynasty bamboo slips that shocked the world, early wooden family letters, Liubo chess, exquisite Warring States polished painted pottery, Qin and Han lacquerware, and the Golden Seal of the Marquis of Guannei all originated from Yunmeng. These unearthed artifacts are famous both at home and abroad, and some precious items are exhibited and collected by the National Museum of China, The Palace Museum, and the Hubei Provincial Museum. Construction of the Yunmeng Xiangshan Museum began in 2009, and it covers a total area of 18,000 square meters. Its design is simple and solemn, with a magnificent and imposing presence, showcasing the highlights and unique features of Yunmeng's exquisite artifacts and historical culture.

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Yellow Crane Tower

Yellow Crane Tower is a landmark building of Wuhan. It is located on the bank of the Yangtze River and above Snake Hill in Wuchang. Many celebrities have written famous poems about the tower. Yellow Crane Tower was built during the Three Kingdoms period, but it was destroyed many times. What we see now is the reconstructed version built in 1985. When you climb the Yellow Crane Tower, you can see the spectacular view of the Yangtze River and Wuhan's three districts.

Chu King City Ruins Park

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Hubei

Qingchuan Pavilion

Qingchuan Pavilion stands on Yugong Rock at the eastern foot of Tortoise Hill in Hanyang, facing the Han River to the north and the Yangtze River to the east, gazing across the river at Yellow Crane Tower in Wuchang on the opposite bank. The pavilion's name is taken from the line "the clear river reflects the trees of Hanyang" by the Tang dynasty poet Cui Hao, and it was initiated for construction by Fan Zhizhen, the Ming dynasty prefect of Hanyang. First built during the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, it has a history of more than four hundred years. Throughout history, Qingchuan Pavilion was destroyed and rebuilt as many as six or seven times, the last destruction caused by a windstorm; the existing structure was rebuilt in the 1980s following the style of the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty. Long known as one of the "finest sights of the Three Chu regions" and a "grand vista through the ages," Qingchuan Pavilion echoes Yellow Crane Tower across the river and stands out distinctly along the banks of the Yangtze. The attraction is composed of three main structures—Qingchuan Pavilion, Yuji Xinggong (Yu and Ji Ancestral Hall), and Tiemen Pass—along with auxiliary structures such as the ancient archway, Chubo Pavilion, Chaozong Pavilion, Yu Stele Pavilion, Jingchu Heroic Spirit Stele, and the poetry stele corridor, forming a complex of ancient and pseudo-classical buildings standing by the river. Among them, Yuji Xinggong was first built during the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song dynasty under the original name Yu Wang Temple; during the Tianqi era of the Ming dynasty, it was renamed "Yuji Xinggong" after its worship was changed to Houji and other former sages, and it has been an important site in Wuhan for successive generations to pay homage to Yu the Great. Tiemen Pass was first built during the Three Kingdoms period and has been a strategic location contested by military strategists since ancient times; it was restored in the 1990s. Ascending Qingchuan Pavilion offers a panoramic view of the expansive river scenery where the Yangtze River and the Han River converge. Inside the pavilion, permanent exhibitions such as "Traces of Yu Across the Nine Provinces" and "Historical Paintings of Qingchuan" present Yu the Great culture and the historical heritage of Qingchuan Pavilion from multiple perspectives, ranging from water-control culture to poetry and couplets. The attraction nestles between the hills and the river, with pavilions and terraces scattered in graceful arrangement. The poetry stele corridor preserves inscribed stones bearing verses by literati and poets of successive dynasties, and strolling through it allows visitors to feel the rich historical and cultural atmosphere.

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Hubei Provincial Museum

The Hubei Provincial Museum has ten treasures of the museum, including those unearthed from "Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng" the Hubei Provincial Museum's Zenghouyi chime bells; the Yue Wang Goujian sword, a masterpiece of the cold weapon era; the fossilized skull of the Yunxian Man dating back 1 million years; and a treasure of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain: the plum vase with the Four Loves design. The museum's regular exhibitions also feature distinctive characteristics of ancient Chu culture and ancient Yangtze River civilization. The Hubei Provincial Museum consists of the comprehensive exhibition hall,Chu culture hall,Chime bell hallIt is composed of multiple pseudo-classical buildings, and the layout reflects the high-platform architectural layout format of ancient Chu architecture, namely "one terrace, one hall" and "multiple terraces forming a group." Unearthed in 1978 at "Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng" in the Hubei Provincial Museum - the Zenghouyi chime bells have a wide range and their excavation rewrote the history of world music; the sword of Goujian, King of Yue, a masterpiece of the cold weapon era, is still incomparably sharp to this day, and displayed beside it is the "spear of Fuchai, King of Wu"; the geological age of the Yunxian human skull fossil is approx. 1 million years ago, earlier than the Peking Man skull fossil; the Yuan blue-and-white plum vase with four loves design is an extremely rare masterpiece among Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain. Hubei is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and belonged to the territory of the Chu state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The permanent exhibitions at the Hubei Provincial Museum showcase ancient civilizations of southern China that differ from the Yellow River civilization of the north. The museum's current permanent exhibitions include "Yunxian Man: Prehistoric Humans in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River," "Qujialing: Prehistoric Culture in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River," and "Panlongcheng: Bronze Civilization in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River." In addition to viewing cultural relics at the Hubei Provincial Museum, you can also enjoy chime bell performances. In the museum's performance hall, chime bell performances are held from Tuesday to Sunday, and it is closed on Mondays.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Hubei

The Three Gorges Dam Tourism Area

The Three Gorges Dam Tourism Area is located in the Xiling Gorge section of the Yangtze River in Yichang, Hubei. It is a scenic attraction built around the Three Gorges hydro project, covering over ten square kilometers. Currently, it offers travelers three viewing spots: Tanzi Ridge, the 185 viewing platform, and the river closure memorial park. The dam crest itself is not open to travelers, so visits primarily revolve around these three attractions. Tanzi Ridge is the highest accessible point in the dam area, named for its jar-shaped summit viewing platform resembling an overturned jar. It also served as the survey site for the dam's initial location selection. From the ridge top, visitors can overlook the Three Gorges Project in its entirety—the dam, power station, and twin five-level ship locks are all visible. The five lock chambers cascade down the mountainside, earning the nickname "Fourth Gorge of the Yangtze." The park displays engineering artifacts like ancient riverbed stones, river closure rocks, and foundation stones from the dam site, complemented by model exhibits that help visitors intuitively understand the origins and development of this mega-project. The 185 observation platform is located on the left bank of the dam. It gets its name from sharing the same elevation of 185 m as the dam crest. Standing on the platform feels like being atop the dam: on one side, the dam and vertical ship lift are within close reach, offering a chance to witness ships "riding the elevator" over the dam; on the other side lies the vast, tranquil reservoir upstream. The stark contrast between the stillness above and the dynamism below the dam is striking. The closure memorial park is situated on the right bank downstream of the dam, preserving artifacts like tetrahedral closure stones and large loading machinery used during the construction. It's an ideal spot to view the dam's full frontal grandeur. During flood seasons when the dam releases water, torrents rush out from the deep outlets, creating towering mist and thunderous echoes that reverberate through the valley—a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. The three attractions are far apart, and the scenic area provides shuttle buses for transportation. It is recommended to reserve half a day to visit them in order.

Dong Yong Park

In Dongyong Park, there are attractions such as Filial Piety Temple, Fairy Pond, Huaiyin Tree, Mandarin Duck Building, Lisi Bridge, Polyester Pavilion, White Step Ladder and Shengxiantai. It is based on legends such as Dong Yong selling his body to bury his father, fairies descending to earth, and gods and immortals. The pavilions and pavilions in the park have beautiful scenery.

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Lushan National Park

Mount Lu is known as one of China's “four great summer retreats,” together with Jigongshan, Beidaihe, and Mount Mogan. Mountain peaks, waterfalls, unique views of “cloud oceans,” and garden architecture all lend Mount Lu its rich charm. The mountain climate allows visitors to feel the cool and comfortable feel of spring even in the summertime, and has secured Mount Lu's position as a famous scenic area and historic vacation spot and retreat.

No. 1 of Family-friendly Attractions in Hunan

Yue Yang Tower

"Be the first to worry about the world's worries and the last to enjoy its pleasures"—this line from Fan Zhongyan's Northern Song dynasty essay "Yueyang Tower chronicle" made Yue Yang Tower by Dongting Lake a household name. The main tower, Yueyang Tower, is said to have evolved from a naval review tower built by Lu Su of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Alongside Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei and Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi, it is hailed as one of the three great towers of southern China. Poets like Li Bai, Du Fu, Meng Haoran, and Bai Juyi once climbed it to compose verses. From the top floor, leaning on the railings, you can take in the vast expanse of Dongting Lake stretching hundreds of miles, with Junshan Island visible across the waters—where timeless verses and the lake's beauty converge in this moment. The tower itself is an architectural treasure: its three-story, triple-eave structure is built entirely of wood with mortise-and-tenon joints—no iron nails used—and four golden nanmu pillars run straight from the ground to the rooftop. The helmet-shaped roof, called "helmet crown," is supported by layered ruyi bracket sets, a rare design among surviving ancient towers in China. Inside, carved Qing-dynasty panels of "Yueyang Tower chronicle" are preserved—pause to admire them when ascending. The small attractions within the attraction each have their own highlights: near the gate, the "Five-dynasty towers" use bronze miniature models to recreate Yueyang Tower's different architectural styles from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, showcasing a millennium of changes at a glance. On the lakeshore in front of the main tower, ancient iron artifacts resembling shackles and weighing several tons are displayed—their casting era and purpose remain debated, forming a long-standing historical mystery. Additionally, there are the Shuanggong Shrine commemorating Fan Zhongyan and Teng Zijing, the stele corridor engraved with poems about the tower from various dynasties, and the Xiaoqiao Tomb—said to belong to the wife of Three Kingdoms general Zhou Yu—waiting to be explored. If you wish to extend your itinerary, you may also take a boat tour of Dongting Lake and visit Junshan Island on the opposite shore. The nearby Bianhe Street, a cobblestone-paved antique-style street, is lined with local snack stalls and souvenir shops, making it convenient to explore along with the nearby Baling Square.