A Spontaneous Trip: Three Days of Changsha’s Top Attractions and Food!

Scrolling through Weibo, I saw recommended Changsha food, shouted how much I wanted to go, and the next day I bought tickets with my best friend and set off. So before going, I didn’t plan much; we just wandered and ate for three days.

On the first morning, a little after 7 a.m., I booked a homestay on Qunar on the spot. Since it was just the two of us, we got a double bed room, plus cleaning fee, around 300 yuan. The homestay was near Wuyi Square. The host added me on WeChat in advance and told me how to get there and some tips.

After exiting the high-speed rail station, we took the Metro directly to Wuyi Square (4 yuan). Taxi rides were about 40 yuan. There were many rentable electric scooters on the street, very convenient.

I. Eating and Sightseeing Check-ins

Day 1: Wenheyou – Taiping Old Street

Wenheyou was really great for photos!!! A hidden world inside a mall. As soon as you step in, it’s like you’re transported to the last century, and any random shot looks good. Since we arrived around dinner time, we ate at Wenheyou—flavor shrimp, stinky tofu, grilled wings, lotus seed soup. The food was just okay; I’d suggest going only for photos, not to eat.

Taiping Old Street was lively at night. The queue for Black Classic Stinky Tofu was the longest, and it was indeed tastier than Wenheyou’s. There were many branches of SexyTea on this street, almost one every ten meters. There were many small alleys nearby with lots of food and plenty of pretty girls!

Day 2: Yuelu Mountain – Hunan University – Orange Isle – Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street

Yuelu Mountain attractions are free. We took the cable car up from the East Gate, 30 yuan per person, free for children under 1.2m. Since I hadn’t planned ahead, I made a mistake: I thought all the sights were on the mountain top, so I took the cable car round trip for ease, and wore slippers. After snacking and taking photos at the top, we decided to walk down because we still wanted to see Aiwan Pavilion, Yuelu Academy, and Yuelu Mountain Temple halfway. Although it was tiring, we took plenty of photos. I suggest that girls who don’t want to climb can enter through the South Gate, visit Aiwan Pavilion, take a sightseeing bus up, then take the cable car down from the top.

Tips: 1. Mosquitoes in summer—remember insect repellent. 2. Near the end of the cable car, staff will take your photo. Remember to fix your clothes and makeup. If satisfied, you can print it (20 yuan each).

After exiting the South Gate, there is a food pedestrian street with many vendors. Walking along, we reached Hunan University, surrounded by youthful, energetic college students. To go to Orange Isle, we suggest taking the Metro directly. Initially we tried to take a taxi, but the driver advised us to take the Metro.

Orange Isle: Exit 2 of Metro Line 2, scan WeChat to buy sightseeing bus ticket, 20 yuan round trip per person. There are three stops. Everyone heads straight to the third stop to see the giant young Mao statue for photos. There were many people taking pictures, but since the statue is huge, each person can get their own angle.

Huangxing Square: The main street is full of food. On the left side of the entrance, there’s an area with billboards—a perfect spot for photos! Since we were tired and it was raining, we temporarily went for a foot bath and massage in the Hutaoli Music Bar building next to IFS. There were many shops inside, the environment was average, and the elevator was very slow. But the treatment did make us feel much better.

Day 3: IFS Check-in – Huoshen Temple

Went straight to the 7th floor to take photos with the KAWS statue. We arrived around noon; the queue was long. If you want photos, try to go earlier; waiting in line at noon is hot. Staff will help take photos, and they’re good at it—rest assured!

Afternoon: continued eating and exploring. We checked in at Huogongdian (Fire Palace), but it seemed not very popular.

Chef Fei's Stir-fried Pork with Chili Peppers: A must-order. The spiciness was moderate for me, generous portion, very fragrant and goes well with rice.

Steamed Ribs with Taro: My favorite. The taro is super soft and melts in your mouth; the ribs are fewer, but since taro is the star, it’s still very worthwhile.

Clay Pot Tofu: Another dish I really liked. The tofu is in big pieces, cooked in a clay pot for deep flavor, but it's actually quite spicy, not as mild as it looks, haha.

Century Egg, Green Pepper, and Mashed Eggplant: Served with whole century egg, green pepper, and eggplant pieces. You can ask the waiter to mash them together, or do it yourself. This is a characteristic Hunan dish.

【Authentic Guilin Rice Noodles】

We ordered takeout. When ordering, check the address to choose Qingshijing No.1 branch. The noodles were delicious, but unfortunately they forgot to add pickled beans and diced radish. The other side dishes were tasty too.

【SexyTea】

My favorite was Youlan Latte. I won't go into the taste since many online guides already cover it.

Tip 1: Register as a member and you get a free drink on your birthday.

Tip 2: Collect points to exchange for items.

【Black Classic Stinky Tofu】

Must-eat, super delicious.

【Bianjing Fried Chicken】

Oh, I’m still devastated about this. On the last day, before leaving, I deliberately went to the main store at Caijia Garden to buy some to take away. But I was so excited riding the little yellow electric scooter for the first time that I left it in the front basket. When I went back five minutes later, it was gone along with my umbrella. From the two small chicken wings I tasted right after buying, I can say the flavor was excellent. I heard the chicken wingettes are the best.

【Huanan Snack Shop】【Liu Ji Reliable Rice Noodle Shop】

Both are 30-year-old breakfast shops near the hotel. The food was really good—you can order almost anything and it won’t disappoint, and it’s very cheap! Cold noodles at 2 yuan per bowl—I ate two bowls.

This is my first travel note; I’ve said a lot. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the food on this Changsha trip. There are so many delicious things. Next time, I’ll come back to check out more.