One-Day Trip to Changsha Xinhualian Tongguanyao

Xinhualian Tongguanyao Ancient Town is an international cultural tourism destination created by Xinhualian Cultural Tourism Development Company. Built on the foundation of the Changsha Tongguanyao Kiln site, which has a history of over 1,200 years, it takes historical culture as its soul, ceramic culture as its roots, Tang Dynasty elegance as its form, and craftsmanship spirit as its quality, recreating the splendor of the Han and Tang dynasties and passing on thousands of years of Hunan civilization. With an investment of over 10 billion yuan and a total building area of 1.1 million square meters, the project includes 8 major museums, 5 performing arts centers, 3 star-rated hotels, 20 guesthouses, 18 cultural attractions, and 4 parent-child amusement projects. It features six world-class entertainment experiences: 5D Cinema, Flying Cinema, Black Stone Special Effects Show, Tongguanyao Legend Show, Tongguanyao Water Show, and Underground River Rafting. Besides traditional tourism elements like 'eating, drinking, traveling, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment,' it also integrates new tourism elements such as 'culture, commerce, wellness, learning, leisure, romance, and novelty.' Starting from Shaodong, it takes less than three hours to reach Tongguanyao. Near the attraction, there are antique-style buildings with a classical charm. It was overcast when we set out, but as soon as we arrived, the sun came out and the weather turned great. It seems we coincidentally met a wonderful day. At the entrance service desk, you can get a paper map. Scan the QR code on it and follow the official account to view the daily performance schedule, making it easy to plan your itinerary. The entire ancient town is built around a lake. It's not too big—medium-sized—and walking around the lake doesn't take too long. There are electric carts in the scenic area for 10 yuan per person, which can take you around the lake. Because it was a weekend and the weather was good, there were a lot of people. Most were wearing masks, which was somewhat reassuring. I brought my child, so we first went to the nearest Robot Museum, which is more like a science and technology museum. It tells the history of robotics, and we watched robot performances and drone shows. The kids were quite interested. For the first time in my life, I watched a live vocal mimicry performance. I found it very interesting. Hearing the 'Vocal Mimicry' from our Chinese textbook, I couldn't help but admire the intangible cultural heritage inheritor—awesome! Traditional Hunanese opera—I don't understand it much. Just watching the excitement, don't mind me! Many elderly people were listening with great interest. After queuing a few times, we finally caught the last show at 6 p.m. It could accommodate 800 people at a time. We put on glasses, watched a prelude in the preview hall, and then entered the cinema. The film was very realistic, with water spraying and raindrops at one point. I went to check another queue, which said 'about two hours waiting time,' so I decisively gave up. We can't have everything our way. A little regret is bearable. I heard it's very good, so it gives me a reason to come again another time. We waited until 7 p.m. for the last big performance. Overall, it was okay, but it wasn't as good as the fireworks show at Zhuhai Chimelong. It's 30 yuan for adults and 20 yuan for children. The place is very small, but soon after entering, it felt quite cold. There were a few ice sculptures and a slide. Kids loved it. Black Stone Special Effects Show: Due to the pandemic, this performance was temporarily closed. Only by entering the museum can you truly feel the culture of this place. The Ceramics Museum, Embroidery Museum (Embroidery Museum), Coin Museum, Gem Museum, and Wine Museum—five exhibition halls. My favorite was the Coin Museum. Am I too worldly? I'm just down-to-earth. I saw many coins I had never seen in my life—it was an eye-opener. Don't laugh! As for food, I feel the prices in the scenic area are in line with tourist attraction standards and acceptable. The taste was also good, so you can feel free to dine in the park. There are many guesthouses inside. If you have time, you can choose to spend a vacation here. The service in the scenic area is also good, and you can tell the staff are of high quality. Overall, I think this place is worth a visit. That's all I wrote—just a casual account, don't mind it. It's also to complete a task. Please bear with me!