Hunan

The "Land of Hibiscus" nourished by the Xiang River and Lake Dongting: Changsha's street life, the thousand-year cultural heritage of Yuelu Academy, the quartz-sandstone peak forest of Zhangjiajie and the Miao villages of western Hunan and Fenghuang Ancient Town coexist.

History: Wulingyuan Scenic Area was inscribed in 1992 as World Natural Heritage; Yuelu Academy was founded in the ninth year of the Kaibao era of the Northern Song dynasty (976) and is one of China's famous ancient academies; the present Yueyang Tower retains a Qing-dynasty timber structure and, with the Yellow Crane Tower and Tengwang Pavilion, is counted among the three famous towers south of the Yangtze. Hunan cuisine is known for spiciness, cured and smoked flavours, represented by chopped-chilli fish head and steamed cured meats; the stilt houses, silver ornaments, batik and hand-waving dance of the Tujia and Miao peoples of western Hunan are living culture. Fenghuang Ancient Town is a border town in Ming and Qing layout; Shen Congwen's "Border Town" uses western Hunan as its setting, but the novel's plot is not a record of Fenghuang alone. Legend: Tales such as "Lü Dongbin getting drunk three times at Yueyang Tower" and the "tear-stained mottled bamboo" of Junshan (concerning Shun's consorts Ehuang and Nüying) are Legend; the popular claim that Zhangjiajie's "Hallelujah Mountain" was one inspiration for the floating mountains in the film "Avatar" is a popular saying — its geological origin is quartz-sandstone peak forest, unrelated to the film's plot, and the two should not be conflated.

• Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Zhāngjiājiè): Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain, Golden Whip Stream and Huangshi Village; the core area of Wulingyuan.
• Tianmen Mountain (Tiānmén Shān): Tianmen Cave, glass walkway and cable car.
• Fenghuang Ancient Town (Fènghuáng Gǔchéng): Tuo River, Rainbow Bridge, stilt houses and Shen Congwen's former residence.
• Yuelu Academy (Yuèlù Shūyuàn) and Orange Isle (Júzi Zhōu): Changsha's cultural heritage and the Xiang River island.
• Yueyang Tower (Yuèyáng Lóu) and Lake Dongting: climb the tower, Junshan Island and a fish-head feast by the lake.

Intercity: Changsha South is a hub; high-speed rail to Yueyang is on the order of half an hour, and to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town (Fenghuang Ancient Town station) about 1–3 hours, per 12306; since the Zhangjiajie–Jishou–Huaihua high-speed line opened, rail time from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang Ancient Town has been greatly shortened. In town: Changsha metro covers major sights; from Fenghuang Ancient Town station to the ancient town there are shuttle buses (on the order of a few yuan) and taxis, about 20 minutes. Scenic areas: Zhangjiajie Forest Park tickets are valid for multiple days, with park eco-buses, the Bailong Elevator and cable cars charged separately; Tianmen Mountain cable cars require a booked time slot. Tickets and payment: high-speed rail on 12306, metro and buses accept transit codes; ticket and cable-car prices are subject to official announcement, and advance booking is essential in peak season.

• Red Line: Do not climb over railings and cordons on Zhangjiajie and Tianmen Mountain glass walkways, and do not use open flames in peak-forest scenic areas; do not enter unopened sacrificial or forbidden spaces in Miao villages.
• Taboo: ① When visiting Miao or Tujia villages in western Hunan, do not casually touch silver ornaments, lusheng pipes or other ritual objects, and do not barge into the host's bedroom or the forbidden area around the fire pit. ② Hunan cuisine is very spicy — state your spice tolerance when ordering, do not mock others for "not being able to eat spicy food", and do not force companions to eat extra-spicy dishes.
• Good Manners: Fenghuang Ancient Town's bar street is noisy at night, so check soundproofing before booking a riverside room; Zhangjiajie mountain paths are slippery in the rainy season, so wear non-slip shoes and bring a raincoat rather than an umbrella (wind is strong on walkways).

Changsha's late-night food culture is well developed; those with sensitive stomachs should limit raw, cold and very spicy food. Zhangjiajie scenic area is large — allow more than two days and stay near the Wulingyuan landmark gate for convenience. Fenghuang Ancient Town feels different by day and by night — stay one night for the Tuo River night view. Around Lake Dongting, guard against mosquitoes and sun.