# Wuxue

**Wuxue** (武穴) is a county-level city on the north shore of the Yangtze River in eastern Hubei province, China, administered by the prefecture-level city of Huanggang. It was formerly known as Guangji County (广济县), and the name Wuxue was taken from the county seat town when Guangji was converted to a city in 1987.<sup>[1](https://mapcarta.com/15927466)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://news.hubeidaily.net/pc/c_5170177.html)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Administrative status | County-level city under Huanggang, Hubei; formerly Guangji County<sup>[1](https://mapcarta.com/15927466)</sup> |
| Renaming | Guangji County was abolished and renamed Wuxue City in 1987, taking the name of the county seat town<sup>[2](https://news.hubeidaily.net/pc/c_5170177.html)</sup> |
| Area | 1,246 square kilometers, with 12 towns and subdistricts and 342 villages and communities<sup>[3](https://10086.cn/uploadBaseDir/content/pdf/20240820/20240820194552678M7J.pdf)</sup> |
| Population | 657,900 permanent residents at end of 2024; urbanization rate 59.49%<sup>[4](https://www.hbwuxue.com/p/70924.html)</sup> |
| Economy | 2024 GDP of 47.749 billion yuan, up 6.6% in comparable prices; 2025 GDP of 47.911 billion yuan, up 5.1%<sup>[5](https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/61947.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/69648.html)</sup> |
| Transport | Wuxue port is one of the ten major deepwater ports on the Yangtze; the Beijing–Kowloon railway and the Shanghai–Chongqing expressway pass through<sup>[7](https://www.newton.com.tw/wiki/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/9329097)</sup> |

## Geography and location

Wuxue lies on the north bank of the Yangtze in eastern Hubei, within the territory of Huanggang prefecture.<sup>[1](https://mapcarta.com/15927466)</sup> The city's territory covers 1,246 square kilometers and is organized into 12 towns and subdistricts containing 342 villages and communities.<sup>[3](https://10086.cn/uploadBaseDir/content/pdf/20240820/20240820194552678M7J.pdf)</sup>

## History

The area's administrative history reaches back over a millennium. Under the [Tang dynasty](https://www.edgepedia.org/tang-dynasty), Yongning County (永宁县) was established in 621 (the fourth year of the Wude era) and was renamed Guangji County in 742 (the first year of the Tianbao era); the Qing-dynasty gazetteers record that the county belonged to Huangzhou Prefecture through the Ming and Qing.<sup>[8](https://www.fx361.com/page/2020/1117/11078568.shtml)</sup> The riverside town of Wuxue itself was a noted commercial port; Qing sources describe it in the early Qing as a busy trading stop nicknamed "Little Hankou," and the 1876 Sino-British Chefoo Convention listed Wuxue port as a stop for foreign vessels, making it a gateway of eastern Hubei.<sup>[9](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink)</sup>

In 1987, with [State Council](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-council) approval, Guangji County was abolished and re-established as Wuxue City, taking the name of the former county seat town.<sup>[2](https://news.hubeidaily.net/pc/c_5170177.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink)</sup>

## Economy

Wuxue is an industrial city of eastern Hubei with a substantial pharmaceutical and chemical sector; its local gazetteer records chemical and pharmaceutical enterprises including the Guangji Pharmaceutical Group and Xiangyun Chemical Group.<sup>[10](https://shizhiku.com/p/detail/wpa235fccd6c/)</sup> Preliminary accounting put the city's 2024 gross regional product at 47.749 billion yuan, an increase of 6.6% in comparable prices, with secondary industry contributing 18.199 billion yuan and tertiary industry 20.782 billion yuan.<sup>[5](https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/61947.html)</sup> In 2025 GDP reached 47.911 billion yuan, up 5.1%, with the tertiary sector's share rising to 46.3% of the economy.<sup>[6](https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/69648.html)</sup>

Agriculture remains significant. In 2024 the city produced 334,200 tons of grain, 8,000 tons of oil crops, and 249,100 tons of vegetables, and slaughtered 1.0932 million hogs.<sup>[4](https://www.hbwuxue.com/p/70924.html)</sup> The city is officially designated a "China rapeseed hometown" (中国油菜之乡).<sup>[7](https://www.newton.com.tw/wiki/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/9329097)</sup>

## Transport and port

Wuxue port is one of the ten major deepwater ports on the Yangtze, and the city sits where the Beijing–Kowloon railway (China's longest railway) and the [Shanghai](https://www.edgepedia.org/shanghai)–[Chongqing](https://www.edgepedia.org/chongqing) expressway (China's longest expressway) converge.<sup>[7](https://www.newton.com.tw/wiki/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/9329097)</sup> The city has two railway stations, two expressway interchanges, and 69 cargo wharves, and the Wuxue Yangtze River Bridge crosses the river there.<sup>[3](https://10086.cn/uploadBaseDir/content/pdf/20240820/20240820194552678M7J.pdf)</sup> Recent provincial planning has emphasized upgrading the port's role as an outlet to the sea for the Dabie Mountain region.<sup>[11](https://news.hubeidaily.net/mobile/c_2649857.html)</sup>

## Population and society

At the end of 2024 the city had 802,300 registered residents and 657,900 permanent residents, of whom 391,400 lived in urban areas, an urbanization rate of 59.49%.<sup>[4](https://www.hbwuxue.com/p/70924.html)</sup> Urban disposable income averaged 44,033 yuan and rural disposable income 24,498 yuan in 2024.<sup>[4](https://www.hbwuxue.com/p/70924.html)</sup>

The city holds several provincial and national designations, including China Garden City designation-level honors, "China rapeseed hometown," "China martial arts hometown," and "hometown of Chinese poetry."<sup>[7](https://www.newton.com.tw/wiki/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/9329097)</sup>

## References

1. [Wuxue Map – City – Huanggang Shi, Hubei, China, Mapcarta](https://mapcarta.com/15927466)
2. [永宁广济双阁记, 湖北日报新闻客户端](https://news.hubeidaily.net/pc/c_5170177.html)
3. [全市版图面积1246平方公里，辖12个镇处、342个村（社区）](https://10086.cn/uploadBaseDir/content/pdf/20240820/20240820194552678M7J.pdf)
4. [武穴市2024年国民经济和社会发展统计公报, 云上武穴](https://www.hbwuxue.com/p/70924.html)
5. [(黄冈市)武穴市2024年国民经济和社会发展统计公报, 红黑统计公报库](https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/61947.html)
6. [(黄冈市)武穴市2025年国民经济和社会发展统计公报, 红黑统计公报库](https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/69648.html)
7. [武穴市, 中文百科全书](https://www.newton.com.tw/wiki/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/9329097)
8. [清代《广济县志》编修沿革考论, 参考网](https://www.fx361.com/page/2020/1117/11078568.shtml)
9. [武穴市, 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%AD%A6%E7%A9%B4%E5%B8%82/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
10. [武穴市志(1988-2007), 史志库](https://shizhiku.com/p/detail/wpa235fccd6c/)
11. [今日好稿丨从"打码头"到"做港口"，武穴打造大别山区出海口, 湖北日报新闻客户端](https://news.hubeidaily.net/mobile/c_2649857.html)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Settlements and neighborhoods › Cities and towns › Cities, towns, and villages of East Asia › Cities and towns of China › Cities of the Middle Yangtze*

*Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license