Editor’s note: Although most people outside of China probably think of Wuhan as the origin of the Covid pandemic, within China, the city’s reputation is more layered. Wuhan is a connection hub and important center for all of central China, with some referring to Wuhan as the “Chicago of China.” Wuhan has many universities and young people, and is an important educational center for central China. The city is divided by the Han and Yangtze rivers, and what is now Wuhan is actually comprised of three towns (Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang) which were joined together into the single city of Wuhan. In this blog post, several house church pastors introduce their city, and share about what makes Wuhan special.
China Partnership: What is unique about Wuhan among other Chinese cities? What is special about the city’s local culture?
Few Minorities
Xu Yao: I have two children who are already working.
Due to persecution, our church has been divided into small groups. Altogether, we have a little more than a hundred people.
I love this city very much, as we all love our hometown. Wuhan is almost exclusively Han Chinese, with very few ethnic minorities. It is a very large city, in terms of both area and population. There are many university students and young people.
I love this city very much.
Home to the First Shots of the Revolution
Ben: Before pastoring, I served nearly a decade in a university student fellowship. Missionaries began evangelizing on university campuses in the early 1990s, and I was among those who came to faith at that time. After that, I pioneered the church where I am now. Now I’ve been there nearly 20 years. Our church is about 100 people, mostly young professionals.
I have two children; one in university, and one in middle school.
Wuhan is located in central China, and is a major transportation hub – a crossroads for nine provinces. It’s very convenient for travel to all parts of the country. In Chinese history, events like the Wuchang Uprising and the Xinhai Revolution – the first shots of the revolution [to overthrow China’s last dynasty] – took place here.
Passionate and Impetuous
Pastor Yan: I’m the full-time pastor at our church, which was planted nearly 20 years ago with the help of a missionary. Our church is primarily family-oriented, and we have a pretty even distribution of people of all ages, from children to the elderly.
After the pandemic, pressure forced our church to disperse. Now, we have several meeting points across the three towns of Wuhan. These are not small groups, but are concentrated gatherings, divided into several different locations. We usually have about 200 people at all our services together, but we keep each individual location to no more than 50 people.
Never miss a story
I have one child, who is a university student. My wife, child, and I are all believers.
Wuhan is very large. It isn’t called “Greater Wuhan” just because of its population, which is currently around 14 million. It’s called that because of its vast administrative area, which is probably the largest in China, besides Chongqing. Geographically, Wuhan connects north and south China.
Wuhan people are accepting and inclusive, both personally and culturally. They give the impression of being very warm and welcoming.
As a Wuhan native, I understand local culture. People here are passionate and a bit impetuous. Wuhan’s most significant characteristic is its inclusiveness. In Wuhan, only about a third of the people are actually native – the other two-thirds come from other provinces or other parts of Hubei. Wuhan people are accepting and inclusive, both personally and culturally. They give the impression of being very warm and welcoming.
Culturally Diverse Mega-City
Pastor Fan: Our church is in the center of Wuhan, and most of our congregation are young or middle-aged adults. Our church has several full-time staff, and also has branches in other places across Hubei Province.
My family, including my adult child, all live in Wuhan. My wife also works for the church full-time.
Wuhan is indeed a mega-city. Wuhan probably has more than eight million permanent residents. Including the surrounding urban areas, there are even more than 10 million. The city is culturally diverse, and very inclusive. Wuhan is a hub of talent and culture, with two rivers and three towns.
Wuhan has a rich cultural heritage. The city’s infrastructure is already excellent; I think the transportation network is even better than Beijing’s.
Education is very developed here. There are more than a hundred colleges and universities, and the student population is consistently more than one million. This is a place where education thrives.
“Dare to be First”
Pastor Wong: I am married, with two children – one already married, and the other still in school.
Our church was established more than 20 years ago. We have about 100 members, and usually have 150 people at our services. We also have several full-time staff members. Our church is family-oriented, with people of all ages.
Wuhan is big but also scattered, and the people of Wuhan are prone to heroism.
Hubei Province is known as the “province of a thousand lakes,” and Wuhan is built along the water. The Yangtze and Han Rivers divide the city into three towns: Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang. Because of the rivers, Wuhan’s culture is a “wharf culture.” The Yangtze and Han rivers and the wharf bring people from all over to Wuhan to trade. Because of this, people are inclusive, and relatively tolerant of one other.
Wuhan’s slogan is “Dare to be First” – [Wuhan’s role as the first to fire shots in] the Wuchang Uprising is probably one of the reasons the city adopted this slogan. Many heroes emerged during that time.
My impression of Wuhan is that it is big but also scattered, and the people of Wuhan are prone to heroism.
Xu Yao, Ben, Pastor, Yan, Pastor Fan, and Pastor Wong are pseudonyms for Chinese house church pastors in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Pray for Wuhan to be a city from which the gospel spreads and blesses central China.
