History and culture of Hubei
History
Historically, Hubei was Part of the kingdom of Chu (3rd century BC).It became part of the Qin dynasty after being subjugated by Shihuangdi. Until the reign of Kangxi, Hubei and Hunan formed one province in 1664. The area was the scene of battles after the 1850 Taiping Rebellion. The revolution of 1911/12 began in Hubei. In 1927 Wuhan became the seat of a government established by left-wing elements of the Nationalist Party, led by Wang Jingwei.But this government was later merged into Chiang Kai-shek’s government in Nanjing.Hubei was heavily bombed during the Sino-Japanese War of 1937 – 45.
The construction of the Three Gorges Dam over the Yangtze River (Changjiang River) began in 1993 near Yichang. In the following years, the central government resettled millions of people from western Hubei to make way for the construction of the dam.
Culture
People in Hubei speak Mandarin dialects; most of these dialects are classified as Southwestern Mandarin dialects, a group that also encompasses the Mandarin dialects of most of southwestern China.
Perhaps the most celebrated element of Hubei cuisine is the Wuchang fish, a freshwater bream that is commonly steamed.
Types of traditional Chinese opera popular in Hubei include Hanju and Chuju.
The Shennongjia area is the alleged home of the Yeren, a wild undiscovered hominid that lives in the forested hills.
The people of Hubei are given the uncomplimentary nickname "Nine Headed Birds" by other Chinese, from a mythological creature said to be very aggressive and hard to kill. "In the sky live nine-headed birds. On the earth live cunning Hubei people."
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