Yoo Hoo Wuhan Part 2

A Linguistic Challenge?

Above is the rail map of Wuhan!

We shall refer to it later in this blog when we go for a bus ride.

Buses - An Introduction

But first, a guide to bus travel in the city in English (nearly) but helpfully with French subtitles.

Did you spot the ticket price? More on that topic to follow next week.

There is no commentary on this next video but best watch it first, looking out for the bridge over the Yangtze river.

The bus route runs between two stations that carry the names of two of the three communities that were merged to form the city of Wuhan; that's  Wuchang station on the north of the river ...

... and Hangkou on the south.

fbb guesses that those are the two black station sausage shaped blobs on the rail map above. They are joined by a blue line which represents a main line train service.

The Big Bridge

The bridge carries road and rail traffic as seen here from above the Yellow Crane Tower.

Next we have a picture of the bridge from below ...

... clearly showing the overhead masts for the electric trains. The mini pagodas at both ends of the bridge are a reminder that bustling modern Wuhan has a deep  and sometimes unhappy historic background.

The Wuhan Yangtze Great Bridge (simplified Chinese: 武汉长江大桥; traditional Chinese: 武漢長江大橋; pinyin: Wǔhàn Chángjiāng Dàqiáo), is a double-deck road and rail bridge across the Yangtze River in Wuhan, in Central China. At its completion in 1957, the bridge was the easternmost crossing of the Yangtze, and was often referred to as the "First Bridge of the Yangtze".

Here it is under construction ...

... and, atmospherically, at sunset!

Until the bridge was opened, through railway carriages crossed the Yangtse on a train ferry. Sadly, fbb could only find pictures of a modern Chinese train ferry ...

... but you will get the idea.

Tomorrow, we talk some more about bus fares!

In the meantime, yesterday fbb wrote briefly about the tendency if the Yangtze river to flood.

Best keep your wellies handy!

Wuhan blogs continue on Monday.

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 16th May 

Yoo Hoo Wuhan - Part 1

 

Wuhan in China has the dubious reputation of probably being the source of the Covid outbreak, an appellation hotly denied by the Authorities. Lockdown was very severe and heavily enforced. Here is the bridge over the Yangtze river during and after.

The city was 'created' from three conurbations. The 'Wu' comes from Wuchan, the 'Han' from Hankou and Hanyang.

The prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, China, has a long and rich history that dates back over 3,500 years. Starting out from the Shang dynasty-era archaeological site at Panlongcheng associated with Erligang culture, the region would become part of the E state and Chu state during the Zhou dynasty. 

The region evolved into an important port on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the cities of Hanyang, Hankou and Wuchang were united into the city of Wuhan in 1926. 

Modern-day Wuhan is known as 'China's Thoroughfare' due to its status as a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and expressways passing through the city and connecting to other major cities.

Current population is approx 13 million!

It's big!

 

There is history in the big city, but most of it has been moved, renewed or repurposed. Typical is The Yellow Crane Pagoda ... which has seen many versions over the long years. Here us Pagoda Mark 1 (probably "imagined" ...

A more recent rebuild ...

... and today's bigger  and better version.

It looks as if the build it bigger at each rebuild!

There is a resited Buddhist pagona ...

... and a memorial to one of the many revolutions that has beset city and country in the past.

Talking of revolutions, Mao Zedong wrote a celebratory ode to uphold his aim to prevent flooding buy building upstream barriers of concrete.

He never did!

Flooding has always been a problem. Here is a holy site (not at Wuhan) no longer open to the public, set high up on its fluvial rock.

And here's why!

The palace survives!

But fbb's interest is, as ever, in Wuhan's public transport. There is lots to investigate - but with some trepidation as fbb's  knowledge of Chinese is limited to a Chop Suey (which was invented in the USA!)

Here  is a taster ...

... NO ... not a toaster but a taster. fbb's  mum and dad had one of these that always sent the slices of bread into flames and billowing smoke. fbb did try it when they were out and it did, spectacularly!

Back to the taster. Wuhan has ...

High Speed  Rail

 A large and relatively recent Metro network

Trams

One of these?

Buses

Trolleybuses

 

Tour buses

AND ferries!

When and how these modes will be covered is not clear.

But surely fbb will unearth some delights.

As you might expect with a big city in China, technology is King! So don't expect too many timetable leaflet PDFs.

  Next Wuhan mini blog : Friday 15th May 

(Pre) Destination Part 4

 First, The Answers

But Moscow wasn't there! These, however, were featured yesterday.

Crosville

Birkenhead (or Wallasey?)

Rotherham

Sheffield

Belfast

Colchester

So here is today's selection.

One of the very original PTEs

Should be easy as the blind layout, typeface and the selection of place names are all 'iconic'. The city is not Weatherfield!

The style remained unchanged until the PTE got going.

The foundation of First Bus

The large one track number blind was distinctive.

The livery gained a red stripe ...

... and under First's ownership, gained a small thistle.

A municipal operator still owned bu its Council - and a pioneer of yellow on black ...

.... which did fade very quickly.  A brighter better font followed.

Another novelty was the use of mechanical route numbers, a bit like the original digital clock displays.

Once the biggest bus company (outside London) with the widest operating area. Historically beaten in area by United!

The company also built its own buses.

The operation was split up for privatisation.

Another PTE to be.

The two track destination blinds side by side are very unusual.

The layout remained constant into more recent pre-PTE times.

The 96 works service ran to TVs "Newtown".

Once a trolleybus operator ...

... part of the former Tilling Group, but with non Tilling blind layout ...

... and route letter plus number display. Later the blind display was reduced and separate number and letter blinds appeared,

Another Scottish distinctive blind style.

Post deregulation the city and surrounding area was dominated by First.

A municipality also still local authority owned.

This blind is one of the newest in the fbb revelation!

Buses have gone from red to red and blue and now to yellow with a very strange logo.

is it a wolf?

And a trip overseas, a long way overseas, to what was once Stagecoach territory.

Here is the blind ...

And here us an oldish picture of an actual bus going to New Lynn.

There is a hefty clue in the above blind.

Answers tomorrow!

=========================

The Predestination Debate

Like so many Bible "problems" the way words have been translated in the past causes angst. How many 21st century enquirers have sniggered at the phrase "Holy Ghost"?

Taking things out of context is a recipe for confusion. The passage about 'predestination' begins thus:-

We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.

Then comes the predestination bit.

Things happen when, and only when, we are willing to be part of God's plans and put any personal desires and ambitions second place to His.

So God has a plan for each one of us, a route through life and an eternal destination which we can call heaven (although nobody fully understands what the terminus is like -  but it's exceptionally good!) 

So we have a pre-determined destination, but we still have to get on the God Bus and stay on the God Bus. That's  our free will choice.

====================

Also tomorrow, fbb hopes to take his readers to the city which most authorities recognise as the source of Covid.

  Next new Metro line blog : Thurs 14th May