Get to know Caidian District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Wuhan
- Chinese name
- 蔡甸区
- Local areas
- District guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 1,108.10 km²
- Population · 2020
- 930,818
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The Han River runs along the district's northern side, the Yangtze along its east and the Tongshun River (通顺河) along its south, while the Dongjing River (东荆河) cuts across it from west to east, so water surrounds it on three sides. The centre is a belt of low hills that falls away to plain in the north and to lakes and lowland in the south. Jiuzhen Mountain (九真山), at 263.4 metres, is the highest of these hills. The district counts 16 rivers and 28 lakes, among them Chenhu (沉湖), a wetland of international importance, and the Zhangwan (张湾) meander of the Han River is recorded as a geological heritage site.
History
In 606, under the Sui, Hanjin County (汉津县) was renamed Hanyang because it lay north of the Han River and south of Tortoise Hill (龟山). The Hanyang county government moved from the old Hanyang town to Caidian in August 1950, and on 12 September 1992 the State Council abolished Hanyang County and created Caidian District in its place.
What to see
The district government lists ten scenic areas, among them the Chenhu International Wetland Park, the Houguan Lake (后官湖) wetland park, the Jiuzhen Mountain scenic area, Songyang Temple (嵩阳寺), Wuhan Flower Expo Park (武汉花博汇) and the rapeseed fields of Xiaosi (消泗). Jiuzhen Mountain and Songyang Mountain (嵩阳山) are national forest parks.
The tomb of Zhong Ziqi, the main relic of the Zhiyin legend, stands at Fenghuangzui (凤凰嘴) on the south side of Ma'an Hill (马鞍山) in Caidian subdistrict and became a provincial cultural relics protection unit in 2008. The area around it has been laid out as Boya Ziqi Park (伯牙子期公园), with a rebuilt Zhiyin Pavilion (知音亭) and a gateway named 'High Mountains and Flowing Water' (高山流水).
Food and local products
The district government calls Caidian the largest county-level lotus-root production base in China, and it is styled China's 'home of lotus root' (莲藕之乡).
Highlights
- Chenhu Wetland 沉湖湿地: Wetland of international importance, listed among the district's ten scenic areas.
- Jiuzhen Mountain 九真山: National forest park and, at 263.4 metres, the highest hill in the district.
- Tomb of Zhong Ziqi 钟子期墓: Tomb linked to the Zhiyin legend; provincial cultural relics protection unit since 2008.
- Caidian lotus root 蔡甸莲藕: The district is styled China's 'home of lotus root'.
Sources for this guide
自然状况-武汉市蔡甸区人民政府 · Caidian District People's Government, Wuhan
历史人文-武汉市蔡甸区人民政府 · Caidian District People's Government, Wuhan
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-24.
Explore Caidian District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Caidian District
Jiuzhen Mountain · Plan your visit
Getting there
Caidian District is about 25 km in a straight line from central Wuhan. Search for 蔡甸区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Jiuzhen Mountain. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Wuhan →More in Wuhan
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Jiuzhen Mountain · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.