Things to do in Chaling

No. 3 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Zhuzhou

Huahu Valley Scenic Area

China Huahu Valley National AAAA-level Attraction is located on the border of Hunan and Jiangxi, on the west foot of Luoxiao Mountains, and is closely adjacent to Jinggang Mountain, the cradle of revolution. It is a key project for Chaling to implement the "whole-region tourism" and rural revitalization strategy. It was invested and constructed by Hunan Wanzhang Group Co., Ltd. with a total investment of 4.5 billion yuan. The total area of ​​the Attraction is 200 square kilometers, consisting of four major sections: "Big Flower Sea", "Big Lake", "Big Canyon" and "Red Cultural Park of China Wanli Red Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base". It is a demonstration area for the deep integration of the first, second and third industries, integrating precious flowers, precious tree species industries, high-quality oil tea, tea, fruit industries and tourism industries. It has formed a three-day travel destination based on red tourism, agricultural tourism, tea tourism, cultural tourism, and health tourism, integrating leisure and vacation, tourism, forest health care, homestay experience, and red research.

Yunyang Mountains Scenic Area

Yunyang Mountain is located in the west of Chaling County in Zhuzhou, Hunan province. It is a peak in Chaling County, and also the main scenic spot there. As a famous mountain in eastern Hunan, Yunyang Mountain boasts attractive scenery, second only to Nanyue Hengshan Mountain, and every July visitors to Nanyue Mountain have the habit of making a pilgrimage to Yunyang Mountain first, and Yunyang Mountain is thus known as "Mini Nanyue Mountain".

Chaling Ancient City Wall

The ancient city wall of Chaling, commonly known as "the ancient city of the Southern Song Dynasty", is located in Qianjin Village, Chengguan Town, Chaling County. The ancient city wall of Chaling was built in the fourth year of Shaoding in the Southern Song Dynasty (1231) and was completed the following year. It was repaired dozens of times from Ming to Qing dynasties, including major repairs in the 22nd year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1389) and the 29th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1764). There are 4 sections of the existing city wall with a total of 1536 meters. There are 2 city gates (including Yuecheng) (Yingxiang Gate and Yingxun Gate), 1 horse road, more than 700 meters of moat along the river, and 1 iron rhinoceros on the town embankment in the Song Dynasty. These ground remains The main building is basically intact, and the rest of the city foundation remains. In 2001, the People's Government of Chaling County restored the 484-meter section of the ancient city wall from Yingxiang Gate to Chaling Tiexi, including one Yingxiang Gate tower and one corner tower. The ancient city of Chaling is a masterpiece of the perfect combination of ancient Chinese military defense and dikes. The south, east and north sides of the ancient city wall are surrounded by water circulation, and the western suburbs are towering and straight Yunyang Mountain, forming a military defense system with the mountain as a screen, relying on the river as a danger, using Hao as a moat, and defending the city; , Due to the combination of the city and the embankment, a dike system was formed that protected the city with the embankment, used the city to prevent floods, released floods with the Hao, and warned with the rhinoceros.

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.

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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.

Chaling Gongnongbing Government Former Site

The Chaling County Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Government was the first county-level workers, peasants and soldiers regime established in the Chinese Revolution and the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base. It was the seat of the government from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. The establishment of the Chaling County Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Government created a brilliant example for the future armed government. The entire building area is 4975 square meters, with the main gate, ceremonial gate, memorial archway, lobby, second hall, third hall, official residence, inner house, back garden, etc. arranged in sequence. The blue bricks and gray tiles, round columns and square purlins, painted eaves, and towering horse-head walls are in the Hui style of architecture. After the restoration of the former site of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Government, the exhibition content of the exhibition hall was enriched, a visitor service center was built, and the construction of green facilities in the former site was completed to high standards, forming a simple, elegant and leisurely garden style.

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.

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.