Things to do in Xiangxiang

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Xiangtan

Shaoshan Tourist Area

Shaoshanis a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Xiangtan City, but now when people refer to "Shaoshan", it more specifically refers to 'Shaoshan Chong', located in"Shaoshan Cityabout 5 km west of the district. In addition,Dripping Water Cave AttractionIt is also a great place to visit. Shaoshan features scenic spots such as the verdant Shaofeng Peak, Fairy Maiden's Thatched Cottage, Stone House with Refreshing Breeze, Meteorite Gate, Ancient Rouge Well, Milky Way Aqueduct, and many precious ancient trees. The main attractions in Shaoshan Village are all within walking distance, allowing visitors to explore them on foot after arrival.

Mao Zedong's Former Residence

Mao Zedong's Former Residence is located in Shaoshan, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, serving as a historical and revolutionary memorial attraction. As the birthplace of China's great leader, it preserves the authentic environment of his early life and growth, making it a significant site for understanding Chinese revolutionary history and his life story. The residence is built against a mountain, surrounded by lush greenery and clear waters, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere. Visitors can explore various rooms of the former residence to learn about details of his childhood and teenage years. The exhibition hall displays a rich collection of historical artifacts, photographs, and documents, vividly recreating his journey from an ordinary farm boy to a great leader. The memorial park surrounding the residence also features statues and monuments for visitors to commemorate and pay tribute. In addition, the guided tour service and multimedia displays at the attraction offer visitors an opportunity to gain deeper historical insights. Whether you're a history enthusiast, student group, or casual visitor, the former residence provides a profound historical education and cultural experience, allowing you to reflect on history while feeling the power of revolutionary spirit.

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Museum

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Museum is a public institution at the division level directly under the Shaoshan Administration of Hunan Province. It is the only memorial museum in China that systematically displays the life, thoughts, and personal character of Chairman Mao Zedong. The museum's name was inscribed by Deng Xiaoping on April 20, 1983. It includes the Life Exhibition Area, the Special Exhibition Area, and a group of historical sites. It has a total construction area of 32,955 square meters, covers an area of 148 mu, has a staff of 110, and is fully funded by the state treasury. It currently houses 63,000 cultural relics, documents, and materials, including over 6,400 personal items from Mao Zedong's later years. The exhibition area covers 16,453 square meters. It is a national outstanding patriotic education demonstration base and a national first-grade museum. The Life Exhibition Area was first built in 1964 and completed its renovation in 2013, the 120th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's birth, when it officially opened to the public. It currently features the permanent exhibition "China Produced a Mao Zedong" and regularly launches special exhibitions. Since the museum's establishment, party and state leaders including Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping have visited the museum. The Special Exhibition Area is a core construction project of the "No. 1 Project" for the national patriotic education demonstration base in Shaoshan. It was completed and opened on December 25, 2008. Current exhibitions include "Enduring Legacy: Exhibition of Mao Zedong's Personal Items," "Great Pen of the Universe: Chairman Mao's Poetry and Calligraphy," and "Heroic Souls: Six Martyrs of Chairman Mao's Family," among others, displaying a total of 1,008 Mao Zedong cultural relics. The group of historical sites includes national key cultural relic protection units: Mao Zedong's Former Residence, the Nan'an site where Mao Zedong attended private school, the Mao Family Ancestral Hall where Mao Zedong carried out the peasant movement, the Mao Jiangong Ancestral Hall, the Mao Zhenggong Ancestral Hall, the tomb of Mao Zedong's parents, as well as surrounding forests, paddy fields, and ponds.

Former Residence of Peng Dehuai

The Former Residence of Peng Dehuai is located in Pengjiaweizi, Wushi Village, Wushi Town, Xiangtan County, Hunan Province. It was built in 1925. The existing building was constructed when Mr. Peng served as a regiment commander in the Xiang Army. It was his early residence and also a place where he lived and worked for a long time in his hometown after joining the revolution. The residence faces south and features a brick-and-wood structure with white walls and grey tiles, making it a typical ordinary farmhouse with Jiangnan style. The total area is 2,490 m², and the main building area is 350 m².

Dishui cave

Dishui cave is seated in Shaoshan, Xiangtan, Mao Zedong's hometown. The water continuously drips all year round, hence the name "Dishui", which means to drip. The dripping water almost sounds like the sound of a piano. The mountain peaks are capped with green. The trees are lush. The bamboo is slender, and the natural landscape is elegant. Below Dishui cave lies Mao Zedong's ancestral home, Dongmaodishui Cave. There is a gate built on this mountain, the top of which is lined with gray stone stalactites inscribed with four characters, “Di Shui Dong Tian”, translated as “the dripping water cave”. The first building encountered at Dishui Cave is known as The Chairman's Villa. It is a simple brick and tiled house where Mao Zedong lived in years gone by. It has now been restored into a showroom filled with items used by the Chairman when he lived there.

Shaofeng Peak

Shaofeng is the 71st peak of Hengshan Mountain Range and the highest peak of Shaoshan. It is also known as the Fairy Peak. Because of the legend of "Shao Music", it is also called the "Music Peak". Shaofeng has beautiful scenery. There are eight ancient scenic spots: Shaofeng Towering Green, Yanzhi Ancient Well, Dunshichengmen, Stone House Green Wind, Taling Clear Clouds, Fairy Thatched Hut, Fengyi Pavilion Site, Stone Wall Flowing Water. The ancients praised Shaofeng as: "The fairyland has always been called Shaofeng, and the pen cuts three mountains into the sky. Among the 360 ​​famous mountains in the world, this is the first mountain in the south of the Yangtze River." Shaofeng is surrounded by mountains and lush bamboo forests. The whole mountain is beautiful and has pine and cypress trees. The Qingtan County Chronicles records that the three daughters of the Huan family came from Changsha and chose this place to build a nunnery, practice meditation, and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. This story makes Shaofeng mysterious, and also makes this mountain full of masculine energy have a feminine and soft beauty. The towering green of Shao Mountain is the first of the eight sceneries. Climbing to the top and looking into the distance, you can take in the entire beauty of Shao Mountain, which is refreshing and pleasant.

Peng Dehuai's Former Residence and Memorial Hall

Peng Dehuai's Former Residence and Memorial Hall is adjacent to Peng Dehuai's Former Residence (a few minutes' walk away), built against the mountain, and echoes the bronze statue of Peng Dehuai from a distance. With its distinctively local horse-head wall porches, grey tile roofs, and grey and white walls inlaid with Song-style window lattices, it possesses both the ancient charm of Chu-Xiang and a strong sense of modernity. It adopts a traditional Chinese courtyard layout, with 4 main exhibition halls and 8 exhibition rooms arranged around the introductory hall in a well-spaced manner. The introductory hall is a spacious octagon. The main wall consists of three sets of red high reliefs, depicting the Bloody Battle of Luoxiao, the Hundred Regiments Offensive, and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, respectively. In the center stands a bust sculpture of Peng Dehuai during the War of Liberation. On the sides are two murals themed "Dedicated to the revolutionization and regularization of the army" and "Heart-to-heart with the people". The entire introductory hall uses highly evocative artworks to condense and recreate Peng Dehuai's epic heroic achievements and great personal charisma. The exhibition here is divided into 4 parts and 20 chapters, featuring over 300 photos and a large number of precious art exhibits. It employs various presentation methods such as sound, light, and electricity to vividly and artistically recreate Peng Dehuai's great, glorious, and combative life.

Former Residence of Chen Geng

Xiangxiang Dongshan Academy

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Hunan Jiangxi Fujian Region

Orange Isle Scenic Area

Orange Isle Scenic Area is a narrow sandbar lying across the heart of the Xiang River in Changsha, stretching approx. five km. It faces Yuelu Mountain to the west and borders Changsha's old city to the east, surrounded by water on all sides. Named after the abundant orange trees planted on the isle, it was historically called Shuiluzhou. Formed by river alluvium, this sandbar has existed for over a millennium, where the "River and sky in evening snow" scenery was once among the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang. In 1925, the poem "Spring in a pleasure garden - Changsha" was composed here, with its iconic line "Alone I stand in the biting fall, watching the Xiang River flow north past Orange Isle's head," which made this riverine landmark widely renowned. The highlights of the visit are concentrated at the islet's head: A granite art sculpture over 30 m tall, modeled after the 1925 youth image, stands facing the river as Changsha's highly recognizable landmark. Nearby, the Questioning Heaven Platform extends toward the river center, where leaning on the railing reveals the mighty Xiang River flowing northward, with Yuelu Mountain and the city skylines on both banks facing each other across the water. The Songju Pavilion, white marble poetry stele, and the 200-year-old ancient phoenix tree at the islet head are all in this area. Heading north from the islet head, a hundred-acre orange orchard bears golden fruits in fall, while bamboo groves, peach orchards, plum gardens, and osmanthus groves take turns showcasing seasonal flora. The historic Zhuzhang Ferry (where Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi once crossed the Xiang River for lectures) and the Huxiang Culture Exhibition Hall are scattered along the way. At the islet's tail, the reconstructed Jiangshen Temple and Gongji Tower area was precisely where ancients admired the "River and sky in evening snow" scenery. The island is long and narrow, making round-trip walks quite tiring. A sightseeing train is available for transportation, with multiple stops along the way for hopping on and off. Travelers with limited time are advised to head straight to the island's tip to see the sculpture and river views, then stroll leisurely along the riverside path. At dusk, watching the sunset over the Xiang River and seeing the lights gradually illuminate both shores from the island's tip is especially worth setting aside time for.