Things to do in Xinshao

Xinshao Baishuidong Scenic Area is like a secret place in central Hunan, and its 4A-level scenery is well-deserved. The stalactites in Bailongdong are in various shapes, the Feihong Waterfall is magnificent, and the scenery of Luoshan Lake is as beautiful as a painting. Here, you can not only experience the magic of karst landforms, but also taste the special food of Shaoyang, which makes people linger.

Baoqing Ancient City Wall was built in the Han Dynasty. It is an earthen wall with five gates, seven floors and twelve forts. There is an underground secret passage leading to the outside of the city inside the gate for emergency communication. The city wall, North Tower, Shuangqing Ancient Buildings, Shuifu Temple, etc. are all located on the banks of Zishui River and can be visited together.

It is a very meaningful place worth visiting. It is in a small village not far from the city. You can get there by following the navigation. The whole tower is exquisite. There are words "Bricks donated by believers in the first year of Wanli" on the tower bricks, and some patterns like "Q1". I don't know what they express, but it feels very interesting. It was closed, so I didn't get to go up to the tower to see it. It was a little regretful. Shaoyang North Tower is a national treasure and a national key cultural relic protection unit. However, I didn't see any protection measures for this treasure. Instead, I saw that many tower bricks were engraved by unscrupulous tourists, which damaged the bricks in the first year of Wanli. What a pity! By the way, the separate small building next to it is Liao Yaoxiang Mansion, which is not open today, Saturday.

Shuifu Temple is located at No. 1, Shaoshui East Road, Shuangqing District, Shaoyang City, very close to the ancient city wall of Baoqing Prefecture. Shuifu Temple is famous for a unique pavilion-style stage built in the temple, which is indeed quite exquisite.

Shaoyang is an ancient city with a history of more than 2,000 years, but it has never had its own museum. In March 2013, the Shaoyang Museum started construction as part of the city's cultural and art center. The museum has a total investment of more than 87 million yuan, a construction area of ​​16,000 square meters, and is divided into basic exhibition areas, special exhibition areas, and intangible cultural heritage exhibition areas. The basic exhibition area is divided into three parts: ancient, modern, and contemporary. The special exhibition area has three topics: "Resources and Scenery", "Celebrity Style", and "Shao Merchant Style". The intangible cultural heritage exhibition area is divided into five parts: the prologue hall, Shao customs, Shao people, Shao art, Shao music, Shao rhyme, and the tail hall, with a total of more than 1,100 cultural relics on display.

Our enjoyment was not so great but it was due to weather. It had some heavy fogs when we arrived, later on the fog was a little less, but even so we couldn't have a nice view. But from what we saw, it is a beautiful scenery. It must be awesome with a clean sky. Also, plan which cable car you want to go and take a look which entrance it is. We wanted to go to Tianzishan, so we took east entrance. If we went to south entrance we would have to walk for about 2hrs. The tickets you buy is for 4 days, and the cable cars and elevator you buy them inside the park, right before going up. My father went on the next day and got a better view, this time he went to the Bailong Elevator, which also has a stunning view.

This park is incredibly beautiful. There is no such scenery anywhere else I've visited in the past. My only complaint is that some parts of the park can be incredibly crowded, which can lead to some frustrations. For anyone visiting the park with little to no preparation, I also suggest hiring a guide, since navigation in the park can be confusing.

It takes only about half an hour to drive from the county town to there! I went there during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2017. Hongqiao was quiet and elegant at that time. Slowly approaching from the small alley beside the bridge, you can imagine its prosperity at that time by appreciating the wooden door shop and bluestone slabs. Standing on the bridge, you can see some white ducks floating or playing with shrimps in the clear river. The wind blows softly and finely, and the willow branches by the river dance, and the green rice fields also rise and fall with the intoxicating wind. The wind is strong on the bridge, and there are temples on it and beside the bridge. There are several abandoned ferries near the bridge, and it is also good to watch the scenery there. The whole family is very satisfied with the visit. The time is short and it is about the same to stay there for two hours. In fact, its charm is comparable to that of Xitang and Wuzhen in Jiangnan, but it has not been developed. The photos are on my dad's phone and I didn't upload them!

Orange Island is a bit of a mixed experience, and I'm honestly not entirely sure whether I'd consider it a must-visit in Changsha.It's a large, green, and pleasant park, with beautiful riverside views and plenty of space for walking. If you enjoy places with historical significance or simply want to experience a different side of the city, it's definitely worth considering.Most visitors seem to take the sightseeing train to the southern end of the island, where the famous Mao Zedong statue is located. That's also where you'll find plenty of people taking photos, so don't expect a particularly quiet experience.The main downside is that visiting the island takes quite a bit of time, especially if you want to explore it properly. And while it's certainly a nice place, I'm not sure the experience justifies spending several hours here if you have a limited amount of time in Changsha and other places you'd like to see.On the other hand, if you're simply looking for a relaxing walk through a green park, with opportunities to stop by the river and enjoy the scenery, it's a lovely option.Overall, I'd say it's worth visiting if you have some extra time or are particularly interested in Chinese history. Otherwise, I wouldn't necessarily put it at the very top of your Changsha itinerary.