Hubei Province partly belonged to the Prefecture of E during the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279), hence, its abbreviation of E. It is located in the central riches of the Yangtze River, to the north of the Dongting Lake. The region was under the administration of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods ( 7 720BC-221BC BC) , the Prefecture of Jing in the Han Dynasty ( 206BC 220), Hubeilu in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Huguang Province in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Hubei Province was set in early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) with Wuhan as the capital city.

It covers 180,000 sq. km with a population of 56.54 million. The physical features of Hubei is higher in the west with the Daba Mountain and Shennongjia more than 3, 100 m above sea level and lower in the east with the Yangtz&Hanjiang Plain. There are countless lakes on the plain.

Besides grain, cotton and oil, Hubei is teeming with fresh-water fish and shrimps, lotus roots, blunt-snout bream, tea, lung oil, edible fungus, raw lacquer and medicinal materials.

Hubei has developed industries such as iron arid steel, machinery, power, chemical industry and light textile. Shiyan is an auto production base, while Wuhan is the hub of the Yangtze River and the BeijingGuangzhou Railway, enjoying convenient transportation.

There are many places of interest in Hubei such as the East Lake, Yellow Crane Tower, ancient Longzhong, Mt. Wudang, Shennongjia, ancient Jiangling City, Chibi in Pup, Xiling Gorge and the Temple of Qu Yuan in Zigui.