File photo of Wuhan. [Photo/wuhan.gov.cn]

Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, is the largest city in central China and among the top 10 megacities nationwide. It has long been an economic, industrial and transportation hub for both the region and country.

By the end of 2013, Wuhan had about 10.22 million permanent residents in an area of 8,494 square kilometers. The Yangtze River, the world's third longest, flows through the city and divides it into three parts: Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang.

Wuhan is also the scientific, cultural and educational center of central China, with its strength in this regard ranking it third among China's cities, behind Beijing and Shanghai. Wuhan boasts abundant intellectual and human resources. There are 52 institutions of higher learning with more than 700,000 students, together with key universities such as Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.