Cinema 2 - Workshop Cinema

Hankow Concession District

Historical Heritage District “Oriental Chicago”

Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow, was one of the three towns (and Wuchang, Hanyang) merged to modern Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han flows into the Yangtze. Hankow Concession, located between Zhongshan Avenue and Yanjiang Avenue in Jiang’an District, Wuhan City, is the collective name of English, Russian, French, German, Japanese Concession, Belgian Concession. At the beginning of the 20th century, Hankou had become an international metropolis of considerable scale, known as “Oriental Chicago”.

Development of Concession Timeline of Concession Expansion

English Concession | 1856

The first to force a concession in Hankou was the United Kingdom. Beginning in the sixth year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty (1856 AD), Britain and France launched the second Opium War, forcing Qing court open up ten trading ports including Hankou. Russian & French Concession | 1897 In the 22nd year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1897), Russia and France asked the Qing government to jointly choose a region in Hankou and establish their concessions.

Belgian Concession | 1897

There was a Belgian privately purchasing land. In 1897, Qing government signed a contract, with excuse he bought private lands.

German Concession | 1903

The year after Russia and France, German set up a concession in Hankou. It is required to be below but not adjacent to the British concession.

Japanese Concession | 1906

The Japanese Consulate is located in Riverside Hotel.