Henan braised noodles
Wide noodles stretched by hand and cooked in a rich mutton broth with kelp, tofu skin and coriander.
Life in Mainland China
Central China
Henan, Hubei and Hunan, along the Yellow River and the middle Yangtze: old capitals, lakes, and chillies.
Play: Central China quizTap a place.
The land
Central China is the middle of the country: Henan on the Yellow River plain, and Hubei and Hunan on the middle Yangtze, among the lakes that give them their names. Henan's plain is the Central Plains of Chinese history, where Luoyang and Kaifeng served as capitals for many dynasties.
Living there
Wuhan, the region's largest city, sits where the Han River meets the Yangtze. Its summers are famous: it is one of the 'furnace' cities, with long, humid heat. Hunan is a land of rice terraces and red soil, and Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars draw visitors from around the world.
How it sounds
Henan's dialect is a northern Mandarin close to the standard; Hubei speaks southwestern Mandarin; Hunan has its own Xiang dialects, and Changsha's is quick and lively.
What it eats
Henan eats like the north, with wheat and noodles; Hubei eats freshwater fish, lotus root and noodles; Hunan eats some of the hottest food in China, sharp with fresh and pickled chillies and smoked pork.
Henan
On the Yellow River plain, where several of China's oldest capitals stood.
- The Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, birthplace of Shaolin kung fu
- The Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang
- Hulatang, a peppery soup eaten for breakfast
Hubei
The province of lakes, where the Yangtze runs through the Three Gorges.
- The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze
- The Wudang Mountains and their Taoist temples
- Lotus root soup with pork ribs
Hot dry noodles
Springy noodles, boiled, oiled and cooled, then tossed in sesame paste with pickled radish, scallion and chilli oil. Wuhan eats them for breakfast, often walking.
Hunan
A province of rice and rivers whose cooking is famously hot.
- Fish head steamed under a blanket of chopped red chillies
- Black stinky tofu from Changsha
- Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars, rising out of the forest
Fish head with chopped chillies
A big fish head split in two and steamed under a thick layer of salted, chopped red chillies. When the fish is eaten, noodles go into the sauce.
Play
Central China quiz
Dishes, famous sights and capitals. Every answer comes with the story behind it.
Which place is famous for this? "Braised noodles: wide, hand-stretched noodles in a rich mutton broth."
Answer
Henan. Henan. On the Yellow River plain, where several of China's oldest capitals stood.
What is the capital of Henan?
Answer
Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou. Henan is also known for: the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, birthplace of Shaolin kung fu.
Which place is famous for this? "Hot dry noodles: tossed in sesame paste, the breakfast of Wuhan."
Answer
Hubei. Hubei. The province of lakes, where the Yangtze runs through the Three Gorges.
What is the capital of Hubei?
Answer
Wuhan. Wuhan. Hubei is also known for: the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze.
Which place is famous for this? "Xiang cuisine: hot and fresh, with fresh and pickled chillies."
Answer
Hunan. Hunan. A province of rice and rivers whose cooking is famously hot.
What is the capital of Hunan?
Answer
Changsha. Changsha. Hunan is also known for: fish head steamed under a blanket of chopped red chillies.