Optics Valley, formally the Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, is the city's answer to Silicon Valley — a vast district in south-east Wuhan dedicated to optoelectronics, biotech, and software, home to dozens of major companies and tens of thousands of engineers. The name comes from the historical strength of Wuhan's universities in optics research.
For visitors, the most interesting part of Optics Valley is the Walking Street Plaza: a kitsch but lively pedestrian commercial street built to resemble a Spanish town, with squares, fountains, and a 'Roman' clock tower. It is busy in the evenings with students from the nearby universities. The Optics Valley Sci-Tech Conference Centre next door hosts trade fairs and is worth a wander if you are interested in Chinese tech.