Things to do in Xiangtan County

No. 2 of Night Attractions in Xiangtan

Wan Pavilion

Wanlou, also known as Wenchang Pavilion, is located in Yuhu District, Xiangtan City. Wanlou was first built in the 43rd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Li Tengfang, then a Beijing official, named it Wanlou, which means "Wan, which is the largest number, and the city is big from this point on." In ancient times, literati and poets in Xiangtan often gathered here to climb the tower to enjoy the view and compose poems.

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.

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.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Xiangtan

Paragon Garden

Paragon Garden fairyland is located at No.195 Furong Avenue, Yuetang District, Xiangtan City. It is known as a "rare plant kingdom, paradise of wildlife and the oasis of harmony between the heaven and human." It features ten themed parks, including Azalea Park, Sakura Park and Lotus Park, in the garden. By virtue of its large scale, abundant quantity and complete variety, it is an ideal place for people to admire the beauty of flowers in mid-south China.

Qi Baishi Memorial Hall

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.

Yaowan Historical and Cultural Street Block

Yaowan Historical and Cultural Tourism Street is located at the western end of the Hexi Old Town in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, with the Xiangjiang River flowing through it. According to historical records, Yaowan Ancient Street was established in the Qin Dynasty, Hushan Port, and was built in the Jin Dynasty in 313 AD. After more than 1,700 years of vicissitudes, it has become a good place for Xiangtan City with early cultural origins, rich human resources, and profound cultural heritage. People say that walking into Yaowan is like walking into the depths of Xiangtan's history.

No. 15 of Family-friendly Attractions in Hunan

Changsha Ecological Zoo

Changsha Ecological Zoo was formerly known asChangsha ZooToday, visitors can ride in sightseeing vehicles to see fierce animals like tigers, lions, and wolves roaming freely in the open areas. Additionally, in the zoo's breeding zones, they can observe reptiles such as giant pandas and crocodiles, along with various primates. The elephant performances are also spectacular. Changsha Ecological Zoo houses and exhibits nearly 200 rare wild animal species, totaling over 2,000 individuals. These include large predators and carnivores, numerous bird species, amphibians and reptiles like turtles, snakes, and frogs, as well as many tropical marine animals for visitors to observe. The vehicle safari area of Changsha Ecological Zoo is located in the northeast part of the park, divided into the carnivore zone and herbivore zone. The carnivore zone includes sections for Bengal tigers, Siberian tigers, white tigers, lions, leopards, wolves, and bears. In the herbivore zone, visitors can observe rare animals such as blue sheep, wild horses, and golden takins. Visitors at Changsha Ecological Zoo can also admire the national treasure giant pandas and numerous reptiles, such as crocodiles, leopard tortoises, golden pythons, and Mangshan pit vipers. In the primate pavilion, they can observe various primates including baboons, white-browed gibbons, white-cheeked gibbons, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. At the elephant performance area in Changsha Ecological Zoo, visitors can enjoy various entertaining activities such as elephant massages, penalty shootouts, hula hoop shaking, and elephant pyramid formations.

No. 2 of Family-friendly Attractions in Hunan

Li Zijian Art Museum

Li Zijian Art Museum is located on the bank of Xiangjiang River in the Yanghu Wetland Park area of Changsha City. It is a large-scale modern public art museum in China and abroad, which was solely invested and founded by Li Zijian and Dan Hui. The construction started in December 2014 and was completed and opened on October 1, 2016. At the same time, Li Zijian Art Museum has the reputation of "the world's largest individual artist art museum". Introduction to artist Li Zijian: Li Zijian is a famous American painter and the director of Li Zijian Art Museum. Born in Shaoyang, Hunan in 1954, he graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1982 and moved to Los Angeles, USA in 1988. Over the past 20 years, he has held 72 large-scale global tour solo exhibitions in 30 countries and regions on six continents. He has independently and at his own expense promoted the universal values of "humanity and love" and spread the spirit of Chinese culture through realistic oil painting art tours, and has gained international reputation and attracted attention in the art world. In March 2018, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Knight of the Order of Literature (Arts) of the United Nations Global Philanthropy Alliance in Paris, France. In 2006, he was awarded the "Special Contribution Medal for International Peace" at the International Peace Forum. In 2005, he was awarded the European Byzantine "Knight of the Order of St. John" in Belgium and was knighted. In October 2016, painter Li Zijian and his wife invested in the construction of the "Artist's Personal Art Museum" - Li Zijian Art Museum in Changsha, Hunan, and he served as the lifelong director.

Xiangtan Museum

Xiangtan Museum established the Xiangtan Regional Cultural Relics Team in August 1979, and the Xiangtan Cultural Relics Management Office in January 1983. In the same year, the prefecture and the city merged, and in July 1984, the Xiangtan Museum and the Xiangtan Cultural Relics Team were established on the basis of the above two units. The original site of the museum was located in the Guansheng Temple, a national key cultural relic protection unit. The current site is No. 7 Huxiang East Road, Yuetang District, Xiangtan City. The new museum opened on December 25, 2015. It is now under the leadership of the Xiangtan Municipal Culture, Sports, Radio, Television, Press and Publication (Copyright) Bureau and is one of the first national research and practice education bases for primary and secondary school students.