Hunan is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning "south of the lake"). Hunan is sometimes called Xiang for short, after the Xiang River running through the province.

The modern history of Hunan was recorded with consequent uprisings and rebellions. It was a major battleground for the Taiping (Heavenly Kingdom) Rebellion forces. Mao Zedong (1893-1976), the great revolutionist to found the People's Republic of China, was born into a rich peasant family in Shaoshan. A popular Hunan saying was "no government could be formed without the Hunanese, and no army could be rallied without the Hunanese".

Beyond Mao, Hunan is home to many famous communist figures, including the artist Qi Baishi, renowned for his shrimp and horse paintings, the redeemed late president Liu Shaoqi and the current Chinese Premiere Zhu Rongji.

Scenic spots in the province include the Zhangjiajie National Park, with its bizarre and mystical scenery, Hengshan, a Buddhist and Taoist holy mountain, and Changsha, with its memorials, museums and pleasant parks.

Chinese Net Friends' Comment:
Hunanese are skillful swindlers! I was cheated several times by them. The spicy food of Hunan is quite good. Bring home some local spicy sauce. I recommend to you "Wendefu" spicy sauce, which smells fragrant but tastes spicy!

The climate in Hunan is defined as subtropical. The province has long summers with extreme hot and humid weather conditions. In short winters, the temperature rarely drops below 4 degrees C., although in the north of the province cold fronts are occasional from the high pressure zone over Mongolia. The yearly average temperature is between 16 and 18 degrees C. and yearly average rainfall is 1,500mm, although higher precipitation rates can be expected for the areas on the seaward side of the mountains.

The best season to visit Hunan is probably Autumn, when there is little rain and a pleasant coolness over most of the province. For the mountain attraction of Hengshan, however, you may wish to head here in winter, when the area is usually covered by beautiful snow, or May, when the local fairs are out in force. The obvious time to visit Shaoshan, although undoubtedly a busy time, is on the 26th December, Mao's birthday.

Day 1: Arrive in Changsha, check in at a local hotel. In the morning visit the nearby Yuelu Park, viewing the remains of the Yuelu Academy and the Loving Dusk Pavilion. In the afternoon, visit the Hunan Provincial Museum, the Former Headquarters of the Local Communist Party, the Hunan Number One Teachers' Training School and, if you have time, the Leifeng Memorial Museum. Stay overnight in Changsha.

Day 2: Check out of the hotel early in the morning. Take the early bus to Shaoshan (1hour), and visit the hometown of Mao Zedong. In the afternoon, return to Changsha and take the bus to Hengshan (4-5hours) or the train (K511; arrives Changsha at 18:08, arrives in Hengshan at 20:04; RMB22). Stay in a local hotel.

Day 3: Get up early and trek up the hill. Eight to ten hours are enough for a return hike. Stay in your hotel.

Day 4: In the morning return to Changsha. Take the long distance bus to Zhangjiajie city. One hour's journey to the Zhangjiajie National Park. Visit the Yellow Lion Village (Huangshizhai). Stay in a hotel at Jinbian Creek (Jinbian xi).

Day 5: Whole day hike on the Tianzi Mountain (Tianzi shan). Stay in a local hotel.

Day 6:  Visit the Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglongdong) in the morning, and the Tujia Ethnic Museum in the afternoon. Take a bus to Furong Villiage (Furong zheng). Stay in a local hotel.

Day 7: Visit Furong Village in the morning. Take the bus to Mengdong River (Mengdong he) and start a rafting trip in the afternoon. Take the bus back to Zhangjiajie, in the late afternoon. The journey in Hunan comes to the end in the city, that can be left by plane, train or automobile.

The transportation infrastructure in Hunan has been upgraded in recent years, making it now far easier to get to, and to travel within, the province. The most convenient way to get around the province's best sights is probably via the provincial capital Changsha.

By air:
Changsha Huanghua International Airport operates flights to more than 40 cities including Hong Kong. Other major domestic airports are located at Changde (flights available to Beijing, Guangzhou, Haikou and Shenzhen) and Zhangjiajie (flights available to more than 20 cities).

By bus:
The road network in Hunan spans over more than 60,000 miles, extending in all directions inside the province and linking it with various neighboring provinces.  Major highways include the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan, the Yueyang-Guangzhou and the Changsha-Zhangjiajie lines. There are frequent bus services that lead you to all major tourist sights.

By boat:
Transportation in Hunan also depends heavily on its convenient water transport network as four branches of the Yangtse River (Chang jiang) flow across this province. Yueyang, a city in the northeast of Hunan, serves as another important port along the Yangtse river.