Hubei province

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In today's introduction to Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, we take a look at Hubei.

The province surrounds the middle reaches of China's longest river, the Yangtze. It also sits north of China's second largest fresh water lake, the Dongting Lake, hence the Chinese name "Hubei," which means "north of the lake."

The provincial capital city is Wuhan, a major hub in central China.

Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, completed in 1957, is the first highway-railway bridge over the Yangtze River.

Hubei's benefits from an abundance of water.

Completed in 2008, the Yangtze Three Gorges Dam, just outside Yichang City, is the world's largest hydroelectric power station.

Hubei has a fertile plain that provides a major source of agricultural and aquacultural produce. Its main industries include iron and steel, machinery, power, and automobiles.

In 2008, Hubei's GDP reached over 1.13 trillion yuan, or about 165 billion US dollars, up over 13 percent on the previous year.

This is the fifth year running that Hubei has seen double-digit economic growth.