Yueyang Introduction

132km (82 miles) from the provincial capital of Changsha, Yueyang is situated elegantly at the lower reaches of Xiang River in northeast Hunan, where Dongting Lake joins the Yangtze River. The city came into being as early as the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280AD). Formerly called Baling, Yueyang always played an important role as a trade port. The city was opened in 1898 as a treaty port and in 1992, the city was opened again as one of the 14 cities along the Yangtze.

The magnificent Yueyang Tower is the city's major landmark and the vast Dongting Lake is the second largest fresh water body in China.

The best time to visit Yueyang is during the Dragon Boat Festival, which is said to have started in Yueyang, on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month (around June or July in the Gregorian calendar). According to legend, in the late Warring States Period (453-221BC), when the state of Chu was invaded and conquered by the Qin, a Chu official was so sad to see his beloved country subjugated that he drowned himself in the nearby Miluo River. Locals rushed to save him in their distinctive "dragon" boats but failed. Commemorating the event has become an annual festival.