Hunan Tour: Zhangjiajie, Shaoshan and Changsha
Thursday, 30 July – Monday, 3 August
Itinerary:
Day 1 (Thursday, 30 July):
Take the CZ3926 flight from Nanjing to Zhangjiajie (17:00-18:40.)
Check in hotel in Zhangjiajie.
Helpful websites about Zhangjiajie:
http://www.zhangjiajie.com.cn/english/
http://www.chinahighlights.com/zhangjiajie/attraction/
Day 2 (Friday, 31 July)
Visit Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve
Tianzi Mountain lies in the
northwest of Wulingyuan and stands at a position of tripartite confrontation
with Zhangjiajie National Park, and Suoxi Valley. The mount is dotted with
nearly 100 natural platforms for sightseeing, more than 2000 stone peaks and
dozens of waterfalls and springs. The sea of clouds, the wavelike stone ranges,
the snowcaps in the winter and the sunrise are the most spectacular.
Day 3 (Saturday, 1 August)
Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, including Huangshi Village and Jinbi Stream (Golden Whip Stream).
Day 4 (Sunday, 2 August)
Depart from Zhangjiajie for Shaosan, Chairman Mao's hometown.
The village of Shaoshan is 130km (80 miles) southwest of the provincial capital Changsha. The small size of the village belies its importance - as the birthplace of Mao Zedong, Shaoshan holds great significance to many Chinese.
During the Cultural Revolution and at the height of the Mao personality cult, more than 3 million "pilgrims" visited the childhood town of the "Great Helmsman". The railway and road links as well as the Museum of Comrade Mao, were all built in this era to support the influx of visitors.
Today, although less in number, tourists continue to visit Shaoshan. The memory of Mao continues to live on, with stores selling everything from Mao badges to Mao karaoke videos, and restaurants serving Mao's favorite dishes.
Despite all the tourists, Shaoshan has not lost its quaint pastoral charm - traditional adobe houses are nestled between green hills and lush paddy fields. Visitors can also visit the childhood home of another high-ranking, though admittedly less famous CCP leader, Liu Shaoqi.
Depart from Shaoshan for Changsha in the afternoon.
Helpful websites about Changsha:
http://www.changsha.gov.cn/EN/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Changsha/
http://www.chinahighlights.com/changsha/
Day 5 (Monday, 3 August)
Visit Hunan Provincial Museum and possibly Yuelu Academy in Changsha if time permits.
Introduction of Hunan Provincial Museum:
http://www.hnmuseum.com/hnmuseum/eng/main_index.jsp
Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/arts/design/10tomb.html for a New York Times review of an exhibition from Hunan Museum currently held in New York City.
Introduction of Yuelu Academy
http://dm.hnu.cn/english/02architecture/jx.html
Depart for Beijing, Shanghai or Nanjing in the late afternoon or at night.
Profiles of places on the tour
Hunan
Located in the south central part of the Chinese mainland, Hunan has long been known for its natural beauty. Hunan is surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south, and by the Yangtze River on the north. Hunan's mixture of mountains and water makes it among the most beautiful provinces in China. For thousands of years, Hunan has been a major center of Chinese agriculture, growing rice, tea, and oranges.
With abundant natural resources, Hunan covers 210,000 square kilometers (81,000 square miles). It is adjacent to Jiangxi Province in the east, Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province in the west, Guangdong Province and Guangxi Autonomous Region in the south, and Hubei Province in the north. Hunan has a total population of 64,400,700. It is multiethnic, with Miao, Dong, and Yao being the most numerous minorities. Their unique cultures and ethnic customs attract numerous tourists.
Changsha, Capital of Hunan
Situated in the river valley along the lower part of Xiang River, Changsha is the capital city of Hunan Province. The recorded history of Changsha can be traced back 3000 years. Tomb relics from the primitive periods witnessing the earliest human of activities have been discovered in this region. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C. - 476 B.C.), the area developed into an important town within the State of Chu, (one of the seven warring states that existed before China's unification by Emperor Qin). After Emperor Qin (the first feudal emperor in China's history) unified the country, the town was set up as a county and later became the capital city of a state in the early Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220). The tomb excavation site of Mawangdui found in the eastern suburb of the city is a family graveyard from that period. The most fantastic historical relic should be the well-preserved mummified remains of a Western Han Dynasty woman excavated from the tombs. Some of thousands of relics unearthed include silk products, paintings, lacquer works, potteries, bamboo slips used for writing, weapons and herbs, all of which are exhibited in Hunan Provincial Museum.
In the dynasties that followed, the city experienced several expansions and during China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it has developed into the political, economic and cultural center of Hunan Province.
Although not as ancient a capital city as Beijing, Nanjing or Xian, Changsha also has rich historical heritages including old wall remains, tomb sites, religious temples and buildings. What earns the city its reputation among tourists are two things. One is a great man in China's recent history, Chairman Mao Zedong and the other is Yuelu Academy, a time-honored academic school perched on the scenic Yuelu Mountain. Originally built in 976 during the Song Dynasty, the academy school survived through the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and is considered to be the cradle of Huxiang Culture. (simply means the culture school in Hunan Province)
The village of Shaoshan, about 130 kilometers south-west of Changsha is the hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong. Today, the village has become a memorial place for Chinese people to remember this extraordinary man. People erected a statue of the Chairman and have preserved the houses he lived as a tourist site. A museum and other memorial spots in the scenic area create a kind of solemn atmosphere. Many Chinese come to pay respect and visit here during the memorial days.
In addition, the city was home to other revolutionary leaders including Liu Shaoqi, Huyaobang and former Chinese prime minister, Zhu Rongji. Therefore, it acts as a good place to learn more about China's recent history.
Changsha people boast to be the best gourmand of China and here people spend a lot of time eating. Xiang Cuisine is one of the Eight Cuisines in China and has a fine and delicate appearance and a hot & sour taste and the heavy and hot taste is an equal competitor to the spicy food of Sichuan. Street dining and restaurants in the city make every visitor's mouth hot. No matter the featured snacks - 'Stinky Tofu' and 'Sisters'Rice Balls' in Huogongdian (Fire Palace) or the famous spicy shrimps at Nanmenkou, the many types of delicious local food will not disappoint any guests.
Changsha people are also renowned for their acting and have created various traditional folk art performances of their own including the local operas, storytelling, drum opera, acrobatics and other dramatic styles. Everyone can feel their hospitalities and enthusiasm by their vigorous dances. Today, most of the entertainment houses in the city present dynamic and entertaining performances featuring a blend of the traditional essence and the modern flare. The neon lights of KTV squares, disco parlors, clubs and dancing squares illuminate the city at night. Dotted with all sorts of bars and pubs, Jiefang Xilu, although not as prosperous as Sanlitun Pub Street in Beijing, has its own styles. Romantic and quiet bars, dynamic show bars, teahouses, western style restaurants...People of all ages can find their ideal place to spend their leisure time.
Zhangjiajie, A Natural Beauty
Zhangjiajie City is located on the northwestern border of Hunan Province. Covering an area of 9,516 square kilometers (about 3,674 square miles), there are four areas under its governance: Yongding District and Wuling District, Cili County and Sangzhi County. Zhangjiajie is subtropical moist mountain climate, thus for tourists it is an ideal place to spend one's holiday.
Zhangjiajie City features a variety of different terrains including: mountainous regions, upland areas, plains, and Karst rock areas. Among these, the mountains cover 76 percent of the total area. The world-famous natural heritage site 'Wulingyuan Scenic Area' is located on the base of these great mountains. Areas worth visiting include Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (known as China's first national forest park), Suoxiyu Natural Resource Reserve, and Tianzi Mountain Natural Resource Reserve. The scenic area hosts many natural features including: mountains, forests, caves, lakes and waterfalls and perhaps there are more than three thousand rock ridges and eight hundred ghylls. They enjoy the reputation of 'Original Picture on Mountain and River of China'. This wonderland is covered with dense forests and is considered Mother Nature's Oxygen Bar.
Transportation in Zhangjiajie is very convenient. The highways extend in all directions, and it is worthwhile to mention that a superhighway connects Changsha and Zhangjiajie. New roads connect the city center to a number of scenic areas, making travel by car very convenient. Train routes extend to Guangzhou, Beijing, Zhanjiang, Changsha and Wuxi. The newly expanded Zhangjiajie Lotus Airport has accommodated 20 different airlines with routes to such destinations as Beijing, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Changsha, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand.
The history of Zhangjiajie can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. There are three main ethnic minority groups Tujia, Bai, Miao and other 29 minority groups living harmoniously with the Han Nationality. Many different folk cultures converge here and the visitor can experience the various folk-customs, clothing, decorations, dance and music. In 2006, Folk Songs of Sangzhi County, Hands-waving Dance of Tujia Ethnic Group, Maogusi Dance, and The Crafts of Tujia Brocade were all listed in the Protection Catalog of Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage. The people of Zhangjiajie are all very hospitable and visitors immediately feel at home. And local snacks may become travelers' favorite.
One of the most interesting things to do in Zhangjiajie is the experience of drifting on the Maoyan River. The Maoyan River is the upper reach of the Li River in Yongding District of Zhangjiajie City. The length for drifting is 25 kilometers (about 16 miles) and the zigzags in the river offer an exhilarating ride. There are four wonders on the Maoyan River: Bangtou Spring, Jianxie (intermittent) Spring, Yan (salt) Spring and Pen Wu (spout mist) Cave. These scenic spots cover the river with a mysterious color. The most renowned scenic spot is the Shui Dongzi (water hollow) Waterfall. On the bank opposite the waterfall there are several huge rocks which provide a perfect natural observation platform. This is an ideal place for visitors to take photos.