Hubei got her name from her location in the middle reach of the Yangtze River and to the north of Dongting Lake and "E" is her short form. It is one of the birth places of the Chinese nation and the ancient Chinese culture, with a long history and profound cultural details. Hubei was a part of Chu and the splendid Chu culture in history gave Hubei world fame.

Human landscapes in Hubei are splendid and shine brightly. The Wudang Mountain and the Xianling Tomb in Zhongxiang have been listed in the world cultural heritage by UNESCO. The Three Gorges and the Yellow Crane Tower are both the state "5A" tourist zones.

Being the capital city of Hubei Province, Wuhan is an important city in central China. It is the political, economic, scientific, technological, cultural and financial center of inland China. The third longest river of the world, the Yangtze River, and its longest branch, the Han River, cross here and divide the city into three parts－Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang. It covers an area of 8,467 square Kms and has a population of 8.31 million.

Wuhan has been known as the 'Thoroughfare to Nine Provinces'. As one of the biggest commercial centers in inland China, Wuhan has strong commercial distribution ability and a vast potential market.

Wuhan boasts many excellent resources in such fields as economy, culture, education, science and technology, and has been developing rapidly during the past ten years. In recent years the people of Wuhan are trying their best to improve cultural career, for realizing more and more the importance of culture to the social development. As the saying goes, "God helps those who help themselves". Their hard endeavors receive a lot of support from the central government. The 8th China Art Festival is one of the achievements of both sides' efforts in the field of culture.