Wuchang is the oldest of the three towns that merged to form modern Wuhan and the historic capital of Hubei province. It sits on the south bank of the Yangtze, anchored by Snake Hill and the Yellow Crane Tower above it, with the campuses of Wuhan University spreading east toward East Lake. This is the cultural and academic side of the city.
The 1911 Wuchang Uprising, which overthrew the Qing dynasty, started here in October 1911 — a memorial museum on Pengliuyang Road marks the site. Wuchang is also the side of the city with the major historical sights: the Yellow Crane Tower, the Hubei Provincial Museum, East Lake, and the leafy Wuda university quarter. The Wuchang riverfront has a long promenade looking out across the Yangtze.