Xiang River View of Changsha: The Flourishing Orange Isle

Upon arriving in Changsha, one cannot help but think of Mao Zedong's famous poem 'Qinyuanchun·Changsha' and silently recite it in one's heart:

Alone I stand in the autumn cold,

To the north the Xiang River flows,

At the tip of Orange Isle.

See the myriad hills all crimsoned,

Each forest deep in dye;

The river crystal clear,

With a hundred boats racing by.

Eagles streak across the sky,

Fish swim in the shallows,

All creatures vie for freedom in this frosty world.

Lost in the vast expanse,

I ask the great earth,

Who shall decide the fate of this land?

I had many companions here,

In days of old, now vivid and bold.

Young we were, in the prime of life,

Full of scholarly spirit and fire.

We pointed to mountains and rivers,

Words dripping with passion and ire,

Denouncing the mighty as dirt.

Do you still remember,

How we swam against the waves,

And the speeding boats were held in check?

Young Mao Zedong, driven by a sense of duty to the nation, held the old society in contempt and aspired to transform China with unwavering resolve. In late autumn 1925, at the age of thirty, Mao accepted the Party's directive to leave his hometown of Shaoshan and head to Guangzhou to lead the Peasant Movement Training Institute. Passing through Changsha, he revisited the banks of the Xiang River, stood at the tip of Orange Isle, and wrote this renowned poem. The people of Changsha have inscribed 'Qinyuanchun·Changsha' on a massive white marble stele, which, together with an even larger artistic sculpture of the young Mao Zedong, stands at the birthplace of the poem—Orange Isle.

From above, Orange Isle, formed by sediment deposition, resembles a giant ship sailing steadfastly on the Xiang River. The sculpture of the young Mao Zedong is like the captain of this giant vessel, always guiding it on the right course.

As early as April 1918, before becoming Communists, young people like Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen, Xiao Zisheng, He Shuheng, and Xiang Jingyu established the New People's Study Society on the banks of the Xiang River. They united nearly a hundred progressive youth and boldly proclaimed the mission to 'transform China and the world,' researching and discussing ways to save the nation and its people.

These young people at the prime of their youth learned new ideas, strengthened new theories, pondered deeply, engaged in heated debates, wrote passionate articles, pointed out the flaws in the world, challenged the old order, swam against the currents in the revolutionary tide, and finally blazed a new path, creating a bright future.

According to the earliest written records, Orange Isle was formed in the second year of the Yongxing reign of Emperor Hui of Jin (305 AD). As the Xiang River flows through Changsha, the river widens and slows, allowing sediment to accumulate over centuries in the river's center, slowly connecting several separate islets into a long sandbar stretching over ten miles. The fertile soil on the isle is particularly suitable for growing citrus. Every autumn, the island is filled with yellow pomelos and red oranges, perfuming the air for miles around, and the fame of Orange Isle spread far and wide.

Historically, Orange Isle was also an important military stronghold and commercial market for Changsha. In the thirtieth year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1904), Changsha was forced to open as a trading port, and the British consulate and Changsha customs were built on Orange Isle.

In modern times, however, the poor and weak China brought no more glory to Orange Isle. The success of China's modern revolution brought lasting peace and tranquility to Orange Isle, and Mao Zedong's 'Qinyuanchun·Changsha' endowed it with endless charm and prestige. Today, Orange Isle is a beautiful 5A-level scenic area, a popular leisure destination, and a sacred site where people pay homage to heroes.