Changsha National Day Travel Guide: Top Attractions and Food Recommendations from a Local Guide
Important Note: The 10.1 Golden Week is coming! When entering Hunan Province, no matter where you are, be sure to get an on-arrival COVID test in Hunan. Public transportation requires a nucleic acid test result within 48 hours, hotel check-in requires a result within 72 hours, and especially when entering scenic spots, you need to have two nucleic acid tests in three days.
Temperatures will continue to rise in the coming week with mostly sunny days. Cold air will arrive slowly in the later part of the National Day holiday. Starting before the National Day, temperatures will keep rising, reaching a maximum of about 37°C from September 29 to October 4. However, from the later part of the holiday, affected by cold air, temperatures will drop. It will be cooler in the morning and evening, so adjust your clothing appropriately to avoid catching a cold.
I heard that half of the country’s people are in Changsha—are you planning to come to Changsha during the National Day holiday to help boost the economy?
Make sure to quickly save this super complete Changsha 3-day, 2-night travel guide!
💗 Quick Introduction to Changsha
📎 Changsha is quite new 🌟 It was largely destroyed by fire during the First World War, damaging many historical buildings. Changsha has a lot of delicious food, so it’s basically a food adventure ✈️.
📎 Don’t trust any sunny day in Changsha—always carry an umbrella. One moment it’s blazing sun, the next it’s a rainstorm ⛈️
📎 Following the above, from September to October the temperature difference is large, so remember to bring a light jacket
📎 The urban area of Changsha is not large, so taking taxis is very convenient
✨ Includes details:
✅ Scenic spot booking and nucleic acid test requirements
So thoughtful, you need to bookmark this!
Report in advance via the mini-program “My Changsha” (我的长沙) and choose “Arrival in Changsha Registration”!
Follow the public account “Hunan Residents Health Card” (湖南省居民健康卡) to get your health card and bind your information. Then click on “Arrival in Hunan Registration” (入湘报备) at the bottom!
Get a nucleic acid test at your departure point one day in advance. ❗️It’s best to have a negative test result within 48 hours upon arrival.
On the day of arrival, get a free nucleic acid test at Changsha South Railway Station.
It is recommended to have two tests in three days to avoid a yellow health code. Stay green and enjoy the holiday safely!
Download “Changsha Metro” (长沙地铁) and complete your information—it works for both buses and subway.
Classic 2-Day Tour
Day [1]: #Hunan University — #Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area — #Aiwan Pavilion — #Orange Isle — #Taiping Old Street — #Pozijie Street
Day [2]: #Hunan Provincial Museum — #Hunan First Normal University — #Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street
Classic 3-Day Tour
Day [1]: Hunan University — Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area — #Xie Zilong Photography Art Center — Taiping Old Street
Day [2]: Hunan Provincial Museum — #Tianxin Pavilion — Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street — #Jiefang West Road Bar Street
Day [3]: Orange Isle — First Normal University Old Campus — #IFS International Financial Center
Classic 4-Day Tour
Day [1]: Hunan University — Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area — Orange Isle — Taiping Old Street
Day [2]: Hunan Provincial Museum — #Mawangdui — Tianxin Pavilion — Jiefang West Bar Street
Day [3]: #Xie Zilong Photography Art Center — #Li Zijian Art Museum — #Changsha Yanghu Wetland Park
Day [4]: First Normal University Old Campus — #Du Fu River Pavilion — IFS International Financial Center & #IFS Street — Pozijie Street
Book your accommodation in advance! I
“While others fall in love in the wind, I eat late-night snacks and order delivery in Changsha” ~ Changsha’s food is really amazing. If you’re interested, I’ll put together the delicious things I’ve eaten; the guide can be scrolled down below.
Food Street Overview:
🍗 About Snack Streets:
They say Changsha has only 2 streets: one is the late-night snack street, and the other is the foot massage city. So to have fun, you must visit both.
⚠️ The Big Five Snack Streets ⚠️
Dongguashan | Nanmenkou | Pozijie | Taiping Old Street | Wuyi Square
The above streets are not far from each other. For night markets, I don’t recommend Sifangping or Yangfan unless you want to try snacks from all over the country.
Some local favorites that are not to be missed:
✅ Jinlimen (金粒门): 🌰 Famous for its chestnuts! Snacks and spicy dried meat are also good, great as souvenirs.
✅ Tanzong Chopped Pepper Fish Head (坛宗剁椒鱼头): Hunan’s signature dish. Out-of-town friends must try it! Fish head has lots of tender meat.
✅ Wushiqidu Xiang-style Barbecue (五十七度湘派烤肉): Hunan-style BBQ is the best! The copper plate barbecue is incredibly fragrant.
✅ Huanxi Shaomai (欢喜烧卖): Anyone who comes to Changsha and hasn’t tried their Meicai Kou Rou Shaomai will make me sad 💔.
✅ Chuiyan Stir-Fried Yellow Beef (炊烟小炒黄牛肉): Every time we have a work dinner, we come here! They also have fresh draft beer 🍻, great beer paired with great meat.
✅ Xie Zhu Long En (蟹主隆恩): Authentic Changsha flavor, their flavored shrimp and secret braised crab are super delicious! Must visit.
✅ Qiao Sun Er Niang Xiangxi BBQ (俏孙二娘湘西烧烤): If you travel to Hunan and don’t try Xiangxi BBQ, it’s like coming for nothing!
✅ Dong Shun Tao Stinky Tofu (董顺桃臭豆腐): Their stinky tofu is small, delicious, and won’t ruin your makeup! Beautiful girls, go eat it!
✅ Thai·Aidon (泰•爱顿): Couples visiting Changsha must not miss it! Romantic and delicious.
✅ Suge Fresh Fruit Tea (苏阁鲜果茶): Super refreshing and cuts the grease, the perfect pairing for Hunan cuisine and BBQ!
✅ Shougan Maifu (手感麦夫): Bread lovers, go for it! Their European-style bread and ice bread are both very good worth a try.
‼️ One more thing about Chayanyuese (茶颜悦色): There are many stores in Changsha, so don’t fixate on one. You can order takeout or place an order on the mini-program before going out ✅.
#ChangshaTravel #ChangshaAttractions #Changsha #ChangshaNightMarket #ChangshaNationalDayTravelGuide #ChangshaOctober1NationalDay
