Wuhan is the capital of
Hubei province,
People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in
Central China. It lies in the eastern
Jianghan Plain at the intersection of the middle reaches of the
Yangtze and
Han rivers. Arising out of the conglomeration of three cities,
Wuchang,
Hankou, and
Hanyang, Wuhan is known as "Jiusheng Tongqu (the nine provinces' leading thoroughfare)"; it is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and expressways passing through the city and connecting to major cities in Mainland China. Because of its key role in domestic transportation, Wuhan was sometimes referred to as the "Chicago of China."