Yuelu Academy and Orange Isle

Background

Yuelu Academy stands at the eastern foot of Mount Yuelu in Changsha's Yuelu District, on the west bank of the Xiang River; its lecture hall, Dacheng Hall and Imperial Library are the main sights, and the academy now lies within the Hunan University campus. Orange Isle is a long island in the middle of the Xiang River, with orange groves and a riverside greenway. Yuelu Academy was founded in the ninth year of the Kaibao era of the Northern Song (976 CE) and is one of the four great academies of ancient China; Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi lectured here. In 1903 it became the Hunan Institute of Higher Learning and in 1926 was named Hunan University, the only ancient academy to have evolved into a modern university; in 1988 it was listed as a Major National Historical and Cultural Site. Orange Isle is about 5 kilometres long and 40 to 140 metres wide, and is already mentioned in a poem by Du Fu of the Tang. It opened to the public in 1904, and between 1911 and 1949 several countries built consulates on the island. On 20 December 2009 the statue of the young Mao Zedong was unveiled at the head of the island, which is now a national 5A tourist attraction.

Local customs

• Visit the lecture hall and Confucian temple of Yuelu Academy to learn about its lecturing tradition
• climb Mount Yuelu for a view over Changsha
• take the metro to Juzizhou Station and walk the island's greenway to its head to see the statue of the young Mao Zedong
• watch the sunset and city lights by the Xiang River in the evening
• taste local snacks such as Changsha stinky tofu and tangyou baba (fried sweet rice cakes).

Travel tips

• Tickets and opening hours for the academy and the Orange Isle scenic area are subject to official announcements. The academy is on a university campus, so use the visitor entrance
• walking the island covers a long distance, and you can take the scenic-area electric carts, with schedules and fares subject to official announcements.
• Juzizhou Station on Changsha Metro Line 2 gives direct access to Orange Isle
• for Yuelu Academy, take the metro or a bus to the foot of Mount Yuelu and walk from there, and the Juzizhou Bridge links the two. The area is open all year, and spring and autumn are best for hiking and riverside walks
• in summer guard against the heat and heed Xiang River flood-season notices
• in winter the orange groves are bare, but the river mist and snow scenes have their own charm, so dress warmly.