Shaoshan, a must-see place in Xiangtan City, can easily be covered in a day--in fact, the Visitor's Center reccomends 2.5 hours-so it would be a good idea to incorporate it within a greater tour of Hunan. The provincial capital, Changsha, is nearby, which holds the Hunan Provincial Museum, which is a must for those interested at all in Chinese History. Also in Hunan is the
Zhangjiajie-Wulingyuan area, which boasts some of the best scenic spots in all China.
Must-see places in Xiangtan
Chairman Mao's birthplace and childhood home- Complete with English information and period furniture, and manageable crowds if you come at the right time. 60RMB
Chairman Mao Museum, a meticulous documentation of the Mao's early years and the early years of the Chinese People's Revolution, and a vague documentation of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Free.
Mao Memorial Park--interesting if you read Chinese, a nice park if you don't.
Water Dripping Cave- A purpose-built conference center used by Mao for a week in 1966, now an amusing museum exhibiting memorabilia such as the ping-pong table he used during his stay there
25 foot Bronze Statue of Mao Zedong in Mao Zedong Square
Eating Tips
There are several restaurants in the area boasting some of Chairman Mao's favourite foods- spicy pork and smelly tofu. However, it is important to note that these, as with the tourist area as a whole, is catered largely for domestic tourists, so you will be lucky to find a restaurant with a picture menu, let alone one in English. Chinese restaurants also cater to groups, who order several dishes and then eat communally. The best option for one or two people is to try to find a noodle shop, which may mean walking a little ways from the main area. Hunan cuisine is famously hot, so if you don't want a dish red in colour from all the chili, its best to make it clear beforehand.
Shopping Tips
Shops directed at tourists, Chinese and foreign alike, are almost exclusively filled with bright red and gold Mao and CCP-themed items, including large brass busts of Mao, Mao-suit-themed clothing and hats, and original copies of the famous "Little Red Book" of the Quotations of Chairman Mao.
Xiangtan University
Xiangtan University(XTU) is located in
Xiangtan City, the home town of Mao Zedong and a historically and culturally famous city in
China. It is a comprehensive and national key university operating under the joint support of the Hunan Provincial People's Government and the Ministry of Education, and the only one exempted from large-scale merger in Hunan Province. It is one of
China's first educational institutions shortlisted in the National Basic Ability Construction Project of Western and Central China. It is listed among the co-construction program between Hunan Province and the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. It is also among the earliest schools authorized to award master's degree and approved to enroll overseas students and students of national defense. Its performance on bachelor degree education was rated as excellent by the Ministry of Education.
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