A Five-Day Trip to Changsha: Experiencing the History and Modern Art Vibe of the Star City

The slightly aged Changsha Station.

Changsha's rice noodles are very soft and slippery, I personally don't like them much, and I felt hungry shortly after eating.

Stayed at Hunan Hotel.

The newly renovated Building 2 offers a great accommodation experience.

The hotel is very close to the Provincial Museum, where I saw Xin Zhui (Lady Dai). It is said that her body was lifelike when unearthed. Later, after medical autopsy, the female corpse's appearance remained intact, and internal organs were also complete. The subcutaneous connective tissue still had elasticity, and the color of the femoral artery was almost like that of a freshly deceased person. When preservatives were injected, the soft tissues like skin, muscles, and blood vessels bulged as the solution flowed through and then diffused through capillaries. This peculiar phenomenon was astonishing. The excellent preservation of Lady Dai's body is a miracle in the history of preservation worldwide. It remained undecayed for over 2,000 years mainly due to the low temperature, lack of oxygen, and sterile environment created by sealing and deep burial; additionally, over 80 liters of coffin fluid had enzyme-inhibiting effects.

Came to the legendary Wenheyou (Super Wen & You). The scene settings definitely receive no negative reviews.

It felt like going back to the summer vacation when we watched 'My Fair Princess'.

Post-80s should be familiar with such curtains and TV covers.

The dishes are also affordable.

The tableware is very retro.

Lard rice is very fragrant.

Grilled beef fat is delicious.

At night, Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street is nothing special. It is filled with the smell of stinky tofu and fried skewers.

Addicted to Wenheyou. Another branch is at Hualong Pool, but its scale is slightly smaller than the Hisense branch.

The dishes are very spicy but authentic.

Lard-fried vegetables with local small chili peppers are absolutely delicious.

After over an hour by bus, I arrived at Jinggang Ancient Town. It was somewhat disappointing. Ancient towns should either be pristine or fully developed; otherwise, there is only commercialization mixed with dirt and mess.

Taiping Old Street is the most intact street in Changsha's ancient city, preserving the original street layout.

Changsha's Pozijie Street has a long history of over 1,200 years. It is a truly thousand-year-old street and also a representative of Huxiang culture. After the 'Wenxi Fire', Pozijie was completely destroyed and thus gradually fell into silence. The newly built Pozijie opened on October 1, 2005, stretching 640 meters from Huangxing South Road in the east to Xiangjiang Avenue in the west.

Fire God Temple (Huogongdian) is a representative public venue in Changsha that integrates traditional folk culture, fire temple culture, and food culture. It is also a well-known 'China Time-Honored Brand' enterprise.

No Chayan Yuese, no Changsha. There is a Chayan Yuese shop every 200 to 300 meters on Changsha streets.

Orange Isle Scenic Area.

Orange Isle features attractions such as the Mao Zedong Youth Art Sculpture and Ask Heaven Platform. Walking through the scenic area burns quite a few calories.

The Mao Zedong Art Sculpture is actually a museum.

With rain and walking, I was so tired. On the way back, I took a Thomas the Tank Engine train.

If I remember correctly, the Panda Chuanchuan (skewers) is underground at Wangfujing. Changsha has many such cold pot skewers, and they are delicious. The spicy oil and sesame seeds are sources of wonderful flavor.