Changsha Things to Do

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Shaoshan is famous for being the birthplace of Mao Zedong. He is said to have been born in this mud-brick thatched house in 1893, and therefore, it's one of China's most visited sights. He lived here with his family until 1910 and came back briefly in 1921. The rooms have been largely reproduced with items that would've been there during Mao's time.

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You'll probably have to wait in a queue for some time before finally getting inside but it's well worth it just to see the once great leader's underwear! Other items on display include more of his clothes, towels and face clothes, his car, desk, chair, bed, photos and hand-written documents.

The town of Shaoshan is located about 130km (80 miles) south-west of Changsha and is famous for being the birthplace of Mao Zedong. He is said to have been born in a mud-brick thatched house in 1893 which still stands today, and therefore, is one of China's most visited sights. He lived here with his family until 1910 and came back briefly in 1921. Not only can pilgrims visit his childhood home but they can also visit family tombs, a museum and a statue of him. To get here, take a bus from Changsha's southern bus station which takes 2 hours and costs Y25.

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The Xiang River is the largest river in Hunan and one of the largest tributaries of the Yangzi River at 856km in length. It originates from the Haiyang Mountain and empties into Lake Dongting where it connects to the Yangzi River. There's a small park that is located along side the river near the Juzl Zhou Bridge.

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A small part of the old Ming dynasty walls can be found in the south-west of the city. The Tianxin Pavilion is the symbol of the ancient city and still remains along the remaining wall.

Admission: Y18.

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This large 58-metre high Martyr's Cenotaph is the main sight within the Hunan Martyr's Park. An epigraph "The Cenotaph of Hunan Martyr's Park" written by Mao Zedong can be found engraved on its body. The inside contains portraits of more than 90 Hunan revolutionary martyrs and more than 100,000 registered names of Hunan revolutionary martyrs from the Opium War in 1840.

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This park, located to the north-west of the train station, was built in 1951 and opened in 1953. It is one of the ten largest parks in China, covering an area of 153.5 hectares, a key cultural relic under province protection and the base of patriotism education of the Hunan province. The park contains a couple of lakes, gardens, some nice pavilions and buildings, a fairground and a cenotaph.

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This small building lies within the grounds of the Changsha City Museum and was the head-quarters of the Hunan branch of the Communist Party of China. Mao Zedong was appointed the secretary in May 1922 and lived here for a short while until April 1923. His wife, Yang Kaihui and her children carried on living here until May 1924. Inside you can see the bedroom of Mao and his wife, his study, the meeting room and the living room of Yang Kaihui's mother.