Name in Chinese: 湖南 Hú Nán [hu:næ]
Location: South Central China, GMT+8
Population: 69.18 million
Keywords: the Hometown of Chairman Mao, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang Ancient Town
Overview
Hunan is a landlocked province in South Central China, bordering some Chinese provinces, namely, Hubei, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou and Chongqing. It is located in the middle reach of Yangtze River, covering an area of 211,800 square kilometers(81,776 sq.mi). The land is divided into 14 prefectures. Some of the popular holiday destinations are Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Yueyang, Xiangxi, etc. The topography of Hunan is diverse. It spans the east of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the west of China’s Southeastern Hilly Region. Hunan is notable for both the Karst landform in Zhangjiajie and Dongting Lake. The former has been designated as a world geo-park and added to the list of world natural heritage sites by UNESCO. The latter is the second largest freshwater lake in Mainland China. The province is mainly inhibited by nine ethnic groups, such as, the Han, the Tujia, the Miao, the Bai, and the Hui. Hunan is the hometown of Chairman Mao, the late leader of China. He was born in Shaoshan in the year of 1893. The top three attractions of Hunan are Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Fenghuang Ancient Town and Yueyang Tower.
Attractions
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area is located in Zhangjiajie Prefecture. It has topped the list of attractions in Hunan Province. Wulingyuan has been designated as a world geo-park and added to the list of world natural heritage sites by UNESCO. The whole scenic area consists of three parts, namely Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu Natural Reserve and Tianzi Mountain. It features the Karst landform. The view of of the geo-park is stunning.
Fenghuang Ancient Town
Fenghuang Ancient Town is situated in Southwestern Xiangxi Prefecture. It stands in a valley through which the Xiangxi Tuojiang River flows. The town was founded in the year of 1556. It is one of the most picturesque old towns in China. The inhabitants are mainly the Han, the Miao and the Tujia. Fenghuang Ancient Town is easily accessible. The distance between Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang is about 220 kilometers(137 miles). It takes about three and a half hours to get to Fenghuang from Zhangjiajie by car.
Yueyang Tower
Yueyang Tower is one of the top three old buildings in the Yangtze River Basin. It was originally built in the year of 215. The present building can be dated back to 1880. The tower is situated by Dongting Lake. It is a three-storey wooden building, is notable for its stone inscriptions. One of the stone tablets is inscribed with one of Fan Zhongyan’s works, which is a prose entitled the Account of Yueyang Town. Fan Zhongyan(989-1052) was a celebrated man of letters, as well as a noted politician in the Northern Song Dynasty(960-1127). Yueyang Tower has been designated as a state-level historical and cultural relic site under protection and a national five-star scenic area.
Climate
Hunan Province has a humid subtropical climate. The four seasons are distinct from one another. The monsoons start in spring and terminate by the end of summer. The land is prone to draught in autumn and winter. The temperature ranges from 6℃(42.8°F) to 13℃(55.4°F) in spring, 21℃(69.8°F) to 27℃(80.6°F) in summer, 26℃(78.8°F) to 33℃(91.4°F) in autumn and 11℃(51.8°F) to 18℃(64.4°F) in winter. The best time to travel to Hunan Province is between April and October.
Hunan Cuisine
Hunan Cuisine is one of China’s top eight cooking styles. It is best known for its spicy flavour, savoury smell and tender texture. Some of the most popular dishes are Braised Pork, Steamed Fish with Chopped Chilli and Fried Mushroom.
How to Get to Hunan
Changsha is the capital city and aviation hub of Hunan Province. Changsha Huanghua International Airport operates flights to almost all major cities within Mainland China and some overseas metropolises. The network covers Europe, North America, Oceania and Sotheastern Asia, with linked destinations around the world, such as, Frankfurt, London, Los Angels, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. However, most of overseas tourists prefer to fly to Zhangjiajie directly from Chengdu or Xi’an. Some of the tourists also travel to Zhangjiajie by car from the Three-Gorge Dam which is located in Yichang, Hubei Province. The tourists can also take bullet trains to Changsha from Guangzhou or Wuhan.
Author: Tina Luo
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