1 Walk along the new -Riverside Promenade, which at 9.8km is eight times longer than Shanghai?s Bund. Have a drink at one of the kiosks, take in an occasional performance, let the kids romp in the playground, or just sit on the grass or on a bench and enjoy the river view and boats chugging up and down the Yangtze. In the early morning, watch Chinese practice tai chi, martial arts, and ballroom dancing. 2 Go fly a kite along the beach below the promenade. Vendors on the beach sell a wide variety of colorful kites. 3 See Wuhan?s colorful local opera, or Hanju, which has a history dating back more than 400 years to the Ming dynasty. Hanju is said to have been the forerunner of Peking opera, which did not appear until 200 years later. Performances are staged every Friday and Saturday at the People?s Theater in Hankou at 1:30 p.m. Chu opera can be seen on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 at the Peace Theater. 4 Jump in the lake or sun bathe along the beach at East Lake, or go fishing along the shores of the lake. 5 Watch Chinese at play beneath the Changjiang Bridge, northwest of the Yellow Crane Tower. See elderly opera buffs performing Hubei?s popular Chu opera on a makeshift park stage to the accompaniment of a Chinese band each afternoon beginning at 2 pm. Or watch neighborhood grannies doing a traditional drum dance. Walk past hawkers peddling traditional medicines on the street, fortune tellers shaking their bamboo joss sticks on to the ground, people playing mahjong and cards, curbside masseuses pounding on backs, and dentists bent over open-mouthed patients sitting in folding chairs. Or enjoy professional and amateur singers belting out pop songs on the sidewalk backed up by a full Chinese band ? a member of the band passes a basket after each performance. 6 Stroll along the 1,210m-long Jianghan Road pedestrian street, lined with small shops, department stores, crafts shops, Chinese and Western restaurants and coffee shops, and cinemas. View the beautiful turn of the century European architecture along this broad street. 7 Take an early morning stroll down Hubu Lane, where a bustling breakfast market is the scene for Wuhan?s most important meal of the day. Check out the area?s signature dish: hot dry noodles. 8 Take in Wuhan?s night views with a cruise of the harbor. The Wuhan Ferry Tour takes 90 minutes and beverages and Chinese snacks are free on the boat. Boats leave from the Yuehan Port on Yanjiang Dadao, opposite Chezhan Lu, every evening at 8 p.m. Tickets cost 50 yuan. Tel: (027) 8278 2992 9 Stroll through Tanhualin, an old street in Wuchang where one can still see traces of the history of old Wuhan. View Christian churches built in the 1800s by missionaries from Sweden, England and the United States, the former house of Xiong Shili, an anti-Qing revolutionary, and the foundation of the old Wuchang city wall. 10 Finish off your day with a visit to Jiqing Street, where tables and chairs sheltering under awnings spill out onto the street and a carnival mood prevails. As hearty as the meals are, there is no way they can compete with the constant parade of musicians and performers, each vying for the attention of the diners. Expect everything from Theresa Teng syrupy ballads to fast-talking comics, with a little Wuhan opera and contemporary pop thrown in for good measure. Not the place for a quiet evening or a romantic dinner, Jiqing Street is nevertheless an evening out that shouldn?t be missed when you are in Wuhan.