Beauty is easy to create; it just lacks the eyes to discover it
Day 1 History and Local Life
🎈In the morning, head straight to Yaowan Historical and Cultural Street. This thousand-year-old ancient street hides provincial-level cultural heritage sites like Tanbao Bus Station and Wangheng Pavilion, as if traveling back to ancient times. Tangxing Bridge and Taogong Mountain are also worth a visit. Walk and take photos along the way; the collision of vintage architecture and modern cultural creativity makes every shot full of feeling!
🌆In the afternoon, go to Wanlou Youth Wharf. Climb Wanlou to overlook the Xiang River, and next to it, the "Xiangtan Eye" Ferris wheel is super romantic. Especially at dusk, when the lights come on and the river breeze blows, the atmosphere is perfect!
🍜In the evening, dive into Liancheng Night Market, where the aroma of stinky tofu, sugar oil baba, and spicy hot pot fills the air. Bite after bite, fully experience the bustling life of Xiangtan. Remember to avoid peak hours to escape the crowds!
Day 2 Red Memories and Natural Scenery
🚩Spend the whole day on a red tourism trip to Shaoshan. In the morning, visit Comrade Mao Zedong’s Former Residence and Mao Zedong Square, offer flowers to the great leader’s bronze statue, and deeply understand his growth story. In the afternoon, tour Dripping Water Cave Scenic Area and Shaofeng, explore the "mysterious villa" where Mao once lived, and stand atop Shaofeng to overlook the panoramic view of Shaoshan—majestic and stunning. Shaoshan is about an hour’s drive from the city center; it’s recommended to charter a car or join a local day tour for convenience and peace of mind.
If you have enough time returning to the city, you can also visit the Xiangtan City Museum or the Party History Museum to unlock the city’s development secrets.
Helpful Tips🌼
🚗Transportation: Taxis or buses are fine for city attractions; self-driving or chartering a car is more convenient for Shaoshan; Zhaoshan Scenic Area can be reached by bus or taxi.
🍱Food: Besides the night market, don’t miss Mao-style braised pork and roasted fish in Shaoshan, and the Xiangjiang Fish Feast near Wanlou!
🏠Accommodation: It’s recommended to stay near Yaowan or Wanlou on the first day for easy night outings; on the second day, you can choose a Shaoshan homestay or return to a city hotel.
📌Note: Remember to bring your ID card (real-name ticket purchase required for scenic spots), apply sunscreen, and wear comfortable shoes. Some venues are closed on Mondays, so check in advance before departure!
Yueyang🌸
Attractions to Check In
📍Yueyang Tower: "Dongting Lake is the best water, Yueyang is the best tower." As one of the three famous towers in Jiangnan, Yueyang Tower’s historical charm and magnificent scenery are intoxicating. Climb the tower to take in the beautiful view of Dongting Lake. If you can recite "The Yueyang Tower Essay," you can even get free admission😉 The scenic area has many cultural and creative shops, and Yueyang ice cream is both visually appealing and delicious, perfect for photo check-ins.
📍Junshan Island: Known as the "Love Island," the island boasts beautiful scenery with spotted bamboo and the tomb of the two concubines. Strolling here feels like traveling back to ancient times, experiencing romantic legends and stories. It’s very convenient to reach by bus directly from Yueyang Tower.
📍Sheng’an Ancient Temple: One of the oldest temples in Yueyang, built in the early Tang Dynasty. Climb to the top of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda for a panoramic view of Yueyang city, which is refreshing and uplifting. The temple is bustling with incense and peaceful, allowing visitors to forget worries and feel spiritual tranquility.
📍Baling Square: The sculpture of Houyi shooting the serpent on the square is spectacular. Walking here at night, feeling the Dongting Lake breeze and enjoying the beautiful night view is very pleasant. Nearby Bianhe Street is lively with many snacks and specialty shops.
📍Nanhu Lake: A large park with stunning lake and mountain scenery. You can choose to take a boat to enjoy the lake view or cycle along the lakeside, enjoying a leisurely time and experiencing Yueyang’s slow life.
🍜Food Recommendations:
1. Yueyang Barbecue: Featured on "A Life of Skewers," truly well-deserved fame! Highly recommend the beef tallow and beef skewers; the tallow bursts with juice in your mouth, and the beef is chewy and super fragrant! Also try the potato slices, crispy outside and tender inside, sprinkled with chili powder—absolutely amazing.
2. Yueyang Rice Noodles: You must slurp a bowl of noodles when in Yueyang! Recommended are beef noodles and pig-killing noodles, with rich broth and fresh toppings. One slurp of the noodles makes you feel completely refreshed🍲
3. Changle Sweet Wine: Sweet but not greasy, mild alcohol flavor, rich taste, served ice-cold and very delicious, perfect as a dessert drink🥤
4. Pingjiang Sauce Dried Tofu: Firm and chewy texture, the more you chew, the more fragrant it gets. Available in original and spicy flavors, great as a snack!
Changde🌸
📍Changde Old West Gate✅ (reachable by bus, free admission)
A cultural tourism street based on Changde’s history, offering architectural features and cultural experiences, great for photos. There is also the Red Brick House Original Pot Dish Museum (now commercialized, can be viewed from outside). Without dining, you can walk through the entire street in about 30 minutes.
📍Changde Liuyue Lake✅ (reachable by bus h5/h16/y35/y26, free admission)
Known as Hunan’s "Little Erhai Lake"🏝, it truly lives up to its name. Liuyue Lake under the warm autumn sun is stunning! It’s very large, with over 30 km around the lake, and not crowded—perfect for cycling and camping! You can visit Simalou, Huxian Island, and Changde Eye; enjoy Kale Planet and Beach Park sunsets🌅...! Pedal boats and electric sightseeing cars are available for rent.
📍Daxiaohe Street✅ (2.5 km from Liuyue Lake Service Center, accessible by taxi or bike)
An ancient-style street by the river, not very long and quite commercialized. On the west side of Daxiaohe Street is a section of the city wall overlooking the street🌃, also offering views of the German-style street across the road. There are pigeons under the lower part of the wall, a popular spot to check in with Changde’s city wall.
📍German Style Street❎ (opposite Daxiaohe Street, 3 minutes on foot): Modeled after Hanover, Germany, this European-style town is not recommended even on my second visit to Changde. The street remains sparsely populated as five years ago, with incomplete business operations—only buildings without vitality.
🔅Tips: If you need accommodation, Wuling District is the first choice, convenient for visiting these attractions!
Zhuzhou🌸
🌟Attractions:
✅Shennong Lake: Stunning scenery, few people, very peaceful. For those tired of the crowds in Changsha parks, this place will definitely refresh you with its beauty🫧 Stroll by the lake and feel the breeze, very relaxing~
✅Zhuzhou City Museum: Near Shennong Lake, within walking distance. The museum is well built, with natural, historical, and cultural exhibitions, allowing you to deeply understand Zhuzhou. Visiting all three floors is very rewarding📖
✅Locomotive Park: Great for photos📸 Featuring locomotives, high-speed trains, and railway models. Nearby is a seaside-like area where many camp, lively and photogenic, perfect for shooting great pictures!
✅Clothing Wholesale Market: Near the train station, a good place for those looking for clothes. However, the quality varies, so patience is needed to find good value items.
🍱Food:
✅Pig’s Trotter Rice behind Xingtong Shoe City: Small shop but authentic Cantonese flavor. The pig’s trotters are tender and flavorful, very satisfying with every bite!
✅Wang Shiwan Wenji Claypot Chicken: Highly recommended! When served, the oil in the claypot is still bubbling, full of "pot aroma." The chicken skin is crispy and sticky, irresistibly delicious😍
Hengyang🌼
✨Must-Visit Highlights
✅78% forest coverage, every breath is a luxury of negative oxygen ions! Walk the greenway listening to birdsong, instantly refreshing your fatigue.
✅Millennium Emperor Ku Shrine + Yanyu Temple + Chisong Temple, three ancient sites in a row! The bronze Thousand-Hand Guanyin and ancient seal script stone carvings are stunning.
✅Yumu Lake reflects the mountains in its clear waves; encounter a breathtaking sunset in the evening🌄, perfect for your social media spotlight.
✅Seasonal romance: spring azalea sea / summer night lotus pond moonlight / deep autumn golden fruit on the hills / winter red plum blossoms against snow.
🚗Lazy Route
Scenic entrance → Yanyu Temple for blessings → Emperor Ku Shrine exploration → Feilai Rock check-in → Yumu Lake lakeside stroll → Farmhouse for authentic Hengdong local cuisine.
📸Photo Tips:
▫️Fuwenhua Square’s red walls for ancient-style photoshoots
▫️Yumu Lake wooden boardwalk for atmospheric silhouette shots
▫️Ten-mile Lotus Pond in Hanfu for stunning photos!