Hunan Introduction

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 runing through the province.

The mordern 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 source. Recommend to you "Wendefu" spicy source, which smells fragrant but tastes spicy!

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