Life in Wuhan with Julie

Welcome to the Life in China series! Today, we explore the vibrant city of Wuhan through the eyes of Julie, a 28-year-old PhD student at Wuhan University.

Meet Julie from Wuhan

Hi, I’m Julie! I’m a third-year PhD student studying economics at Wuhan University. Outside of academia, I enjoy outdoor activities like traveling and swimming. If I had more time and money, I’d love to learn to paint and play an instrument. Oh, and I love animals!

Wow, I didn’t know you loved animals.

Yes! I wanted to be a veterinarian. My best subject in high school was biology, but I studied economics because I thought it would make me money. Now I realise what I do has nothing to do with making money! 

About Wuhan China

Where is Wuhan located in China?

Wuhan (武汉 Wǔhàn) is in the middle of China and is the provincial capital of Hubei province. To give you an idea of its size, Hubei’s GDP in 2021 was similar to Switzerland’s, and Wuhan’s population is comparable to Italy’s.

How would you describe Wuhan?

Wuhan is known as a "River City" because it’s divided by two major rivers: the Yangtze and the Han. These rivers separate the city into 3 districts: Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang.

I live in Wuchang, which is more of a university town with many institutions, including 2 top universities. Hankou is the original area of Wuhan, offering a local experience. Hanyang is known for its industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Tourist Attractions in Wuhan

What are the must-see attractions in Wuhan?

If you’re travelling to Wuhan, I recommend visiting Beach Park. At night, the buildings along the Yangtze River light up with beautiful animations and films. You can also enjoy a Yangtze River Cruise, which offers stunning views as it flows from one building to another.  

There's also a famous landmark in Wuhan is the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼 huáng hé lóu). While you can pay to climb it, locals often don’t because they see it as part of their daily life.

Famous Street Food in Wuhan

What street-food is famous in Wuhan?

Wuhan’s famous street-food is Hot Noodles with Sesame Paste (热干面 rè gān miàn). For a late-night snack, try Barbecued Crayfish (小龙虾 xiǎo lóng xiā).

Nowadays, cities in China are intertwined, which means you can try foods from everywhere. In Wuhan, people like spicy foods and barbecues, but if you cannot eat spicy foods, you can easily try Shanghainese food which is sweeter and more soup-based.

People in Wuhan China

How do Wuhan people differ from others in China?

We like to joke that Chinese people get shorter as you go from north to south, so I guess Wuhan people are shorter!

In Chinese culture, we say 妻管严 (qì guǎn yán), meaning wives are stronger than husbands. In southern China, women tend to hold more power in households, while northern regions, like Dongbei, are more male-dominated.

People from the south are often seen as more "street-smart," while those from the north are viewed as modest and simple-minded. Wuhan sits somewhere in between.

Languages & Dialects in Wuhan

What languages do they speak in Wuhan?

Languages vary by family in China, with each province having its own dialect and unique variations even within Hubei. My parents, born in same province but different cities, speak only Mandarin to each other.

My mum’s Mandarin has her own "dialect-style." In China, most people don’t speak standard Mandarin; instead, everyone has accents influenced by their local dialects. Because it’s still Mandarin, everyone can still understand each other.

Can people in Wuhan speak English?

Most students learn English from primary school through high school, around 9 to 10 years. However, without an English-speaking environment, it can be challenging to speak fluently.

People born in the 1960s, like my mum, will know some English words. However, my dad can speak English because he went on an exchange to America during his postgraduate studies. Most people in my parents’ generation can’t communicate in English because they weren’t taught it in schools.

PhD Journey at Wuhan University

What does an average day in Wuhan look like for you?

As we’re in August, I’m preparing to start my fourth year of PhD studies next month. If you visited me, you’d find me reading articles on China’s province-managing-county policy.

What is China’s ‘province-managing-county policy’?

Western countries usually have 3 levels of governance: federal, state and local. But in China, instead of 3, we have 5: central, province, city, county and rural.

The PMC policy, implemented in the 2000s, allows provincial governments to manage counties, bypassing city governments. The aim is to enhance economic growth and development at the county and rural levels.

What is your PhD research about?

My research focuses on the appropriate levels of governance, like whether the economy benefits from 3, 4 or 5 levels. Using the latest data and modelling, I analyse the impacts of the PMC policy on the economy.

Do you think there’s room for improvement in the current government structure?

Definitely. Rural farmers still face poverty, and their living conditions are far from those in urban areas. I think 5 levels of governance complicate the system. Each level takes a portion of central government funds, leaving insufficient resources for rural areas. But ultimately, their conditions need to improve so the whole economy can improve.

Future Aspirations

What are your plans after graduating from Wuhan University?

PhD is hard. Hopefully, I can graduate next year! I hope to become a university professor, like my dad, but the competition is very intense.

I'd like to move to a more prosperous city than Wuhan and work at one of the universities there. But it depends on my ability. It depends on how many papers I have in my hand when I graduate. At the same time, Wuhan is an easy choice for me. My family and friends are all here. This place gives me a sense of familiarity.

Many graduates from Wuhan University seek opportunities in the "Big Four" cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen. These cities offer more job opportunities, reputable companies, and higher salaries. But after a few years, some will decide to return home because of rising house prices and living costs in those cities.

But when you’re young, you can try these things. You can live and work in different cities and see how life goes!