Things to do in You County

No. 4 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Zhuzhou

Jiuxian Lake

Jiuxian Lake Attraction is located in You County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province. It is the core Attraction of ​​Jiubujiang Tourist Area. It is a national AAAA-level tourist Attraction, a national geological park, a national wetland park, a national water conservancy scenic area, a provincial scenic spot and a provincial tourist resort. The Attraction area has a superior location and convenient transportation. It is only a 2-hour drive from the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration. Jiuxian Lake has a lake area of ​​11.2 square kilometers, a total water storage capacity of 300 million cubic meters, an average water depth of 37 meters, and a deep-water channel of 24 kilometers. The mountains on both sides of Jiuxian Lake are towering, with lush forests and green all year round. When you are in it, you will feel far away from the hustle and bustle, relaxed and happy, and feel like Su Zi forgot all the honors and disgraces in the world and lived freely. Jiuxian Lake Scenic Attraction connects six major areas, including the Vitality Water Bay Sports, the Green Water and Green Mountain Camping, the Younu Fairyland Folk Custom Experience, the Fisherman and Woodcutter Farming and Reading Wetland Recreation, the Youzhou Memory Lakeside Leisure, and the Green Mountain Valley Forest Health Care, through an 18-kilometer ecological tour around the lake. It strives to create a well-known tourism and leisure resort destination in the province featuring outdoor sports and natural vacations, covering sports and leisure, vacation health care, team building and expansion, parent-child research and study, and is creating a national tourist resort. In recent years. In recent years, relying on high-quality water resources and rich ecological resources, Jiuxian Lake Attraction has vigorously explored a new model of integrated development of sports industry and cultural tourism by holding brand sports events, and promoted the in-depth integration and development of Jiuxian Lake sports tourism. The tour around the lake, which took four years to build, is about 18 kilometers long and 6 meters wide. It is the first standard lake circuit in Hunan Province. The beautiful environment of the lake and the mountains and the varied terrain conditions make it a good choice for cycling, healthy running, walking and other sports. It is also a beautiful tour around the lake in Hunan Province. Jiuxian Lake Attraction has hosted the 4th Hunan Sports Tourism Festival and many sports events in cities and counties. It is a leisure sports tourism destination focused on by Zhuzhou and Youxian. The magical and beautiful Jiuxian Lake Attraction shines like a bright pearl in the eastern part of Hunan, and is opening its broad arms to welcome guests from all corners of the world.

Jiubujiang Tourist Area

Jiubujiang Tourism Area is located in the region where Xianggan and the eastern part of Hunan's You County intersect. It is divided into six scenic areas with five genres. Main attractions are Jiubujiang National Geopark and Museum, Jiuxian Lake Scenic Area, Baoning Temple, Bailong Cave, Xianren Bridge, and Xianjing Amusement Park, etc. The ancient temple of Baoning is located by the bank of Jiuxian Lake. It was built in the 10th year of the Tianbao period during the Tang Dynasty, and is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Hunan.

Xiaoxitian Scenic Area

Xiaoxitian Scenic Areais a tourist destination where natural scenery and cultural heritage complement each other. The scenic area is renowned for its natural landscape, featuring unique peaks and rock formations, clear springs and waterfalls, and secluded valleys and dense forests. The peaks here take on various shapes, resembling natural sculptures, and appear even more mysterious and spectacular when shrouded in mist. With dense vegetation, high forest coverage, and fresh air, it is perfect for hiking and leisure vacations. The area also features numerous karst caves and unique rock formations, which spark the imagination and add to the fun of exploration. Beyond its natural beauty, the area is rich in cultural significance. The scenic area contains many historical sites and cultural attractions, such as ancient temples and cliff carvings, showcasing the long history and brilliant culture of You County. These cultural relics not only add a profound sense of history to the scenic area but also provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about the local culture.

Penglai Island Scenic Area

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.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Hunan Museum

Hunan Museum is a relatively large history and culture museum in Hunan Province, and among its collections, the artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tombs are particularly representative. "The Changsha Mawangdui Han Tombs Exhibition" is the museum's permanent exhibition, presenting in a concentrated way the precious artifacts unearthed from three Western Han tombs. One of the most striking exhibits in the exhibition is the plain silk unlined robe with straight-cut front, as thin as cicada wings and weighing less than 50 grams, whose weaving technique is astonishing. In addition, visitors can see well-preserved printed silk padded robes, fine and elegant embroidery, brightly glossy painted lacquerware, and an exquisite T-shaped painted silk painting. More than 100,000 characters of silk manuscripts were unearthed from Tomb No. 3, among which are many lost texts long since gone from circulation, covering fields such as philosophy, history, astronomy, and medicine. The "Topographic Map of the Southern Part of the Changsha Kingdom," also from Tomb No. 3, was drawn using techniques broadly similar to those of modern maps and holds important value in the study of ancient maps. The well-preserved body of Lady Xin Zhui unearthed from Tomb No. 1 has survived intact for more than two thousand years and is another major highlight of the exhibition. The museum also features permanent exhibitions such as "Hunan People: A Historical and Cultural Exhibition of the Three Xiang Regions," displaying collections including Shang and Zhou bronzes, ceramics from famous Hunan kilns, and Ming and Qing calligraphy and paintings, presenting the historical and cultural threads of Hunan from different dimensions. The Mawangdui Han Tomb Exhibition and the Three Xiang Historical and Cultural Exhibition together form the museum's two core exhibitions, and are well worth setting aside ample time to view in detail.

No. 8 of Night Attractions in Hunan

Mount Hengshan

Mount Hengshan is located in Nanyue district, Hengyang. Its highest peak is Zhurong peak, at an elevation of approx. 1300 m. Among the "Five Great Mountains", Mount Heng is located furthest south. Its relatively favorable climate means the mountain is verdant all year round, with lush trees, earning it the reputation of being the "most beautiful of the Five Great Mountains". Mount Hengshan is mainly composed of the central attraction and a few other small attractions. When most visitors refer to "Hengshan," they mean the central attraction. The "Nanyue Grand Temple" in Nanyue Town at the foot of Mount Hengshan is an important attraction besides the central attraction, and it is a massive ancient palace-style architectural complex in southern China. Mount Heng is a sacred site of Chinese Buddhism, where the "Nanyue school" of the Southern Chan tradition was founded, and its dharma lineage gave rise to the Weiyang and Linji schools, which spread throughout China and overseas. In addition, this is also a sacred site of the War of Resistance in southern China. At the foot of Xianglu Peak, the "Nanyue Martyrs' Shrine" commemorates and buries Chinese soldiers who died on the frontal battlefields of the War of Resistance. When visiting the central attraction, you can choose to walk the entire way, or combine walking with the eco-friendly bus (including the cableway). For most ordinary visitors, the latter is recommended, as it will leave you with more energy to appreciate the beautiful scenery in the mountains and experience the cultural connotations of Nanyue. Route recommendations If you choose to travel on foot and by eco-friendly bus (including the cableway), then visiting Mount Heng in one day is not a particularly strenuous task. You can first visit the "Nanyue Grand Temple" in Nanyue Town, and then enter the central attraction. The basic route is:Martyr's Shrine-Hengyang Mount Hengshan Tourist Area-Banshan Pavilion-Magu Wonderland-Mojing Terrace-Hengyang Mount Hengshan-Hengyang Mount Hengshan Tourist Area-Nantianmen-Zhurong Peak. If you have more time, then spending two days touring Mount Hengshan will yield more rewards. The general route is similar to the "1-day tour" above; since you have ample time, after visiting the Fuyan Temple in Mount Hengshan in Hengyang, you can then go to the Sutra Library Hall in the Mount Hengshan tourist area in Hengyang and stay for a while—it is extremely tranquil there. In the early morning of the second day, you can also head to the "Sun-Watching Terrace" to watch the sunrise.

Bailong Cave

Bailong Cave is a nationalAAAClass Scenic Spot,National Geopark,Bailong Cave is known for its mysterious and varied landscapes.Zhu XuewenAfter visiting Bailong Cave, the professor praised it as "more beautiful than Huanglong Cave and better than Reed Flute Cave". Bailong Cave is famous for a river in the cave that seems to have fallen from the sky.“White Dragon Horse”Bailong Cave is a carbonate cave with three layers. The upper and middle layers are dry caves, and the lower layer is a water cave. It is large in scale. The cave is wide and deep, with stalactites in various shapes and scenes, which are breathtaking. The "One Pillar in the World" in the cave is a wonder of the cave, famous both at home and abroad. The four wonders in the cave, "White Dragon Horse", "Ancient Riverbed", "Stone Bell Music" and "Paleontological Fossils", have extremely high ornamental and scientific research value.thisThe stalactites in the cave can emit beautiful and melodious notes of different pitches when tapped gently.“Stones can sing”The magic attracts thousands of tourists. Visitors can not only enjoy the scenery in the Attraction, but also experience the "Flying Dragon Slide" in the bamboo sea after exiting the cave, as well as thrilling water challenges using deep mountain spring water. The Bailong Cave is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the negative oxygen ion content in the original ecological forest outside the cave is as high as15Ten thousand per cubic centimeter, very suitable for leisure vacation.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Hunan

Mount Yuelu

Mount Yuelu stands on the west bank of the Xiang River and is a landmark mountain in Changsha. At its foot lies the Yuelu Academy, founded during the Northern Song Dynasty, a millennium-old institution sharing the mountain's name. Ascending from here leads to Qingfeng Gorge, where the Aiwan Pavilion, named after Du Mu's poetic line "I stop my carriage to admire the maple woods at dusk," is surrounded by maple trees. Midway up the mountain, the ancient Lushan Temple, established in the Western Jin Dynasty over 1,700 years ago, features a lush six-dynasty-era podocarpus tree in front of its sutra repository. At the summit stands the Yunlu Palace, a Taoist temple built during the Ming Dynasty, offering panoramic views of the Xiang River and Changsha's urban area. The mountain's historical sites extend further, with the Yu King Stele, Python Cave, and Changsha Battle Memorial Stele scattered along its trails. Modern figures such as Huang Xing, Cai E, and Chen Tianhua are also buried here, making the mountain a condensed repository of profound modern history. Most cultural attractions are concentrated near the south gate, where you can visit major historic sites in sequence from Yuelu Academy to Aiwan Pavilion. For those preferring not to hike, a cableway station near the east gate allows easy ascent, eliminating most uphill climbing. With an elevation of about 300 m and well-developed trails, reaching the summit on foot is manageable. Ancient trees like Jin dynasty podocarps, Tang dynasty ginkgos, Song-Yuan era camphor trees, and Ming-Qing maple-chestnuts line the paths, making the entire mountain resemble a natural botanical museum. In late fall when maple leaves turn red across the slopes, it becomes an ideal time for hiking. Allocate half a day to leisurely photograph Aiwan Pavilion and the mountaintop viewpoints.

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Du Fu Pavilion

Du Fu Pavilion is a Tang-style garden architecture built to commemorate the great Tang dynasty poet Du Fu. It stands on the Xiang River scenic belt in Changsha, gazing across the river at Orange Isle and Yuelu Mountain. In his later years, Du Fu lived in Changsha twice, renting a simple building by the Xiang River; because the house faced the river, he named it "River Pavilion," where he spent the final years of his life and wrote a large number of poems. The present pavilion was completed and opened to the public in 2005. Its main structure has four stories and stands approx. 18 m tall, with vermilion columns paired with antique lattice windows and a roof covered in dark blue-green glazed tiles, making it a highly recognizable landmark on the east bank of the Xiang River. The pavilion houses a Du Fu memorial hall, with a statue of Du Fu standing in the center. The poet's life is depicted on the walls in the form of paintings, and works by renowned calligraphers and painters such as Zhang Daqian and Lin Sanzhi are also displayed in the hall. The exhibitions on each floor follow Du Fu's travels and poetic works in Hunan as the main thread, presenting the wandering trajectory of the Poet Sage in his later years and the poems he composed during his time in Hunan through steles, calligraphy and paintings, and multimedia means. The pavilion also features a tea room where visitors can sip tea while gazing at the scenery on both banks of the Xiang River in the distance. After nightfall, the pavilion lights up, and the warm yellow glow reflects on the surface of the Xiang River, making it a popular night-view photo spot along the river. The pavilion also offers an immersive night tour experience, based on Du Fu's life experiences wandering in Xiaoxiang in his later years. With the help of digital light-and-shadow technology, the artistic conception of Du Fu's poems is transformed into real-life scenes. As visitors stroll through the corridors, they may unexpectedly encounter "people in the poems" dressed in ancient-style costumes, experiencing a thousand years of poetic charm among the corridors and pillars of the pavilion.