4-Day Changsha-Yueyang Tour
Hunan Museum.
The Hunan Museum houses over 180,000 cultural relics, particularly notable for items unearthed from the Mawangdui Han tombs, Shang and Zhou bronzes, Chu artifacts, ceramics and paintings from various dynasties, and modern relics.
Shang Dynasty Pig-shaped Zun
Dayu Renmianwen Square Ding (Square Vessel with Human Face Design)
Huogong Hall is a representative public venue in Changsha, Hunan, integrating traditional folk culture, temple culture, and food culture. Its snacks are especially renowned throughout Hunan. As a famous scenic spot in Changsha, it is located on Pozi Street.
Yuelu Mountain and Yuelu Academy are well worth visiting.
Yuelu Mountain is home to 977 plant species, many ancient trees such as the Jin Dynasty Podocarpus, Tang Dynasty ginkgo, Song and Yuan Dynasty camphor, and Ming and Qing Dynasty maple and chestnut. There are 15 provincial-level or higher protected cultural sites, including tombs of martyrs and celebrities. At the foot of Yuelu Mountain lies Yuelu Academy, ranked first among China's four great ancient academies; halfway up is the ancient Lushan Temple, known as "the first scenic spot of Han and Wei, and the first Taoist temple of Hunan"; at the summit is Yunlu Daoist Temple, making Yuelu Mountain a place where Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism blend.
Yueyang Tower stands on the city wall of the ancient west gate of Yueyang City, Hunan Province, overlooking Dongting Lake and facing Junshan Island. It has long been praised as "Dongting Lake is the finest water under heaven, Yueyang Tower is the finest tower under heaven." Together with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei, and the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi, it is known as one of the "Three Great Towers of Jiangnan."
As the only one among the three great towers to retain its original appearance, Yueyang Tower's unique helmet-shaped roof structure demonstrates the wisdom and exquisite design skills of ancient laborers. Fan Zhongyan's famous essay "Record of Yueyang Tower" from the Northern Song Dynasty further enhanced its fame.
Junshan Island, anciently called Dongting Mountain, Xiangshan, and Youyuan Mountain, is located in Yueyang City. It is a small island in the vast Dongting Lake, facing the historic Yueyang Tower from afar, covering an area of 0.96 square kilometers. Composed of 72 peaks, it is listed as the 11th blessed land in Taoist scriptures. Now it is a national key scenic spot and a 5A-level tourist attraction.
We happened to be there during the May Day holiday when fireworks were displayed on Orange Isle. The streets were packed with people, so crowded we could barely move.
Orange Isle, located in the center of the Xiang River in Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, originally covered about 17 hectares, with a developed land area of 91.64 hectares. It is the largest alluvial sandbar in the lower reaches of the Xiang River and the largest inland isle in the world, known as "China's First Isle." Stretching from south to north across the river, it faces Yuelu Mountain to the west and Changsha city to the east, surrounded by water, extending over ten li (about 5 km), with a narrow width of about 40 meters and a wide width of about 140 meters, shaped like a long island.
Attractions on Orange Isle include the Young Mao Zedong Sculpture and Wentian Terrace. According to historical records, Orange Isle was formed in the second year of Yongxing of Emperor Hui of Jin (305 AD) by swirling currents depositing sand and gravel. The isle hosts thousands of species of flowers, grasses, and vines, including 143 rare plants, as well as many rare animals such as gulls, foxes, and badgers.
