Changsha Travel Guide: Eat Through These Delicacies! Visit These Scenic Spots! You'll Be Half an Old Changsha Local!
First, the highlight: Eating!
Fire Palace is a calling card for Changsha, with great fame and a century-old history. It's a gathering place for old-school Changsha locals, where you can eat almost all of Changsha's specialty snacks. Very ancient atmosphere! It's extremely popular, packed from the first floor to the fourth. If you want to come, make sure to arrive early.
2. Wenheyou Old Changsha Lobster Restaurant – An Internet-Famous Lobster Restaurant
Crayfish are absolutely a bold stroke in Changsha cuisine. Wenheyou Old Changsha Lobster Restaurant is the hottest lobster place lately. Highly recommend the Hisense Plaza branch, which has a strong Old Changsha style! (If you come, be sure to come early.)
This is one of the most famous shops for Changsha-style spiced crayfish. Many celebrities have visited. It's extremely popular and often requires queuing. The location is excellent, adjacent to the Xiang River, with decor full of Old Changsha atmosphere: eight-immortal tables, old long square stools, enamel cups. The spiced crayfish is the classic here—firm meat and an unparalleled taste. Lard rice: white, soft rice drizzled with lard, irresistible. Crayfish tails and stinky tofu are also very tasty.
3. Tianbao Brothers – Remember to Mix Noodles After Eating
Another shop often mentioned by Changsha locals is Tianbao Brothers Lobster Restaurant. It has also won the favor of Changsha locals. Recommendations: Tianbao spiced crayfish, Tianbao crayfish tails, Tianbao spicy crab, ultimate spicy Luo Xiaobao, etc. Price: around 240 yuan per person.
What you must order at Tianbao is the Tianbao spiced crayfish. It feels the best in color, aroma, and taste, especially the lotus root strips inside which are very flavorful. After finishing the crayfish, add a serving of plain noodles and mix them with the soup at the bottom. The noodles coated with the sauce are equally spicy and fragrant, very tempting! Also, among the grilled items, squid and corn kernels are quite tender and tasty. The leek and king oyster mushroom stir-fry has a good texture, especially the king oyster mushrooms which are crunchy.
Now let's talk about must-visit attractions in Changsha.
Jinggang Ancient Town
[Ticket]: Free.
[Transport Information]
1. Changsha West Bus Station: Take bus 918 to Wangcheng Bus Station, then take bus W104 directly to Jinggang Ancient Town. Take a minibus to Jinggang straight to the town.
2. From Yingwan Town, take bus 903 to Wangcheng Bus Station, then take bus W104 directly to Jinggang Ancient Town.
3. From Changsha North Bus Station, take a minibus to Jinggang straight to the town.
4. Taxi. (Actual experience: taxi fare is 110 yuan, convenient and fast.)
Jinggang Town has enjoyed water transport advantages since ancient times, located on the west bank of the Xiang River. It was once a prosperous commercial port for the distribution of goods from the three Xiang regions, earning the nickname "Little Hankou." In December 2011, it was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration.
The streets are full of local specialties: stinky tofu, dried tofu, glutinous rice cakes, oiled cloth umbrellas, black sesame candy, etc. Full of the old Changsha flavor. If you have ample time, a day of leisurely walking here is feasible. It is said that a recently opened tourist bus line makes transportation more convenient; you can check it again before your trip.
Changsha Bamboo Slips Museum
[Ticket]: Free
[Opening Hours]: Wednesday to Monday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (ticket distribution stops at 4:30 PM)
Located at No. 92 Baisha Road, Tianxin District, Changsha. Established in 2002, it is the first modern museum in China dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, arrangement, and exhibition of bamboo slips. You can queue with your ID card to get a free ticket. There aren't many visitors here, so it's recommended as worth a visit.
Du Fu River Pavilion
[Ticket]: 20 yuan
It is a garden-style imitation ancient building built to commemorate the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu. Du Fu River Pavilion is located at West Lake Bridge in Hedong City District, Changsha, at the intersection of Xiangjiang Road Middle Section and West Lake Road. It is part of the Xiangjiang Scenic Belt, facing Orange Island and Yuelu Mountain across the river, less than a kilometer from Tianxin Pavilion.
Peirong Bookstore
[Ticket]: Free
[Opening Hours]: Wednesday to Sunday, 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM (closed under special circumstances)
[Reading Guidelines]:
1. Capacity: maximum 30 people;
2. Do not bring snacks or sugary drinks;
3. No smoking;
4. No loud noise;
5. Take good care of books; return them to their original place after reading;
6. Keep the bookstore clean; take your garbage with you;
7. All books are available for free reading; do not touch other collections casually;
8. Photos can be taken in front of the "Peirong Bookstore" plaque; turn off shutter sound and flash.
Peirong Bookstore is named after Wang Han's father's name; it is a gift from Wang Han for his father's birth year. Find a comfortable corner, and an afternoon will pass in a flash. The books in the bookstore are mainly about Chinese culture and history, all of which can be read for free. Outside the window is a stretch of the Xiang River, inside the window is a room full of the fragrance of books.
Li Zijian Art Museum
[Ticket]: Free
[Visit Time]: 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM. You can also visit it along the way. Closed on Mondays; advance reservation is required.
[Reservation Method]: On the "Li Zijian Art Museum" — Ticket Center — Purchase/Collect Ticket — Li Zijian Art Museum (tickets are plentiful, no need to worry about not getting one). Each person can reserve up to 5 spots.
Liuyang Dawei Mountain National Forest Park
[Ticket: 90 yuan]
[Visit Time: 24 hours] Tickets can be booked online in advance or purchased at the scenic area ticket office.
Dawei Mountain is a national AAAA-level scenic area with rich animal and plant resources. It has 48 Tianxin Lakes and 121 tourist attractions. The highest peak is Qixing Ridge, with an altitude of 1607.9 meters. Main attractions include Limuqiao Scenic Area, Chuandiwu Scenic Area, Baimianshi Scenic Area, Qixingling Scenic Area, Honglian Temple Scenic Area, and Mawei Cao Scenic Area. Currently, it's the season for azaleas to bloom; patch after patch of azaleas bloom in succession, connecting from one end of the mountain to the other, forming a spectacular and romantic sea of azaleas.
