Chaling County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province — a famous historical and cultural city on the border of Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, known as the "Pearl of Eastern Hunan". It boasts attractions such as Yunyang Mountain National Forest Park, the Southern Song Dynasty City Wall (a Major National Historical and Cultural Site), the Site of Chaling County Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Government (the first county-level red political power in China), Mixiang Academy, and Dongyang Lake. Integrating the heritage of a millennium-old city, red revolutionary memories, and Danxia landscape scenery, experience the diverse charm of "Ancient Chaling" in 2 days.
Red Culture Tracing, Ancient City Exploration, Landscape Discovery
Visit the site of China's first county-level red political power in the morning to recall the revolutionary years; stroll along the Southern Song Dynasty City Wall at noon to touch the millennium-old history; wander around Mixiang Academy in the afternoon to experience Confucian cultural heritage.
Climb Yunyang Mountain in the morning to admire the Danxia landform and sea of clouds with pine waves; visit Dongyang Lake in the afternoon to enjoy the high gorge flat lake and island scenery, ending the Chaling tour.
A traditional delicacy of Chaling, made from local black pork, marinated and then smoked with pine firewood and rice husks. The meat is bright red, rich in salty aroma, fat but not greasy, can be steamed or stir-fried. It is a must-have for Chaling people during the Spring Festival and a popular souvenir for tourists, with the best quality produced in Zhitang Town.
A special snack of Chaling, also known as "Hulatuo". Rice milk is spread into thin pancakes on a flat pan, which can be filled with shredded radish, chives, cowpeas and other fillings, and fried until golden and crispy. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, salty and delicious, a common breakfast and supper on the streets of Chaling, reflecting local rural flavors.
A specialty dish of Zhitang Town in Chaling, made from local free-range yellow cattle, stir-fried with yellow chili peppers and ginger, or slow-cooked in a casserole. The meat is tender and spicy, especially the bone-in beef, which is rich in sauce aroma. It is a staple dish at Chaling banquets, reflecting the spicy charm of Eastern Hunan.
A specialty of the Chaling section of the Mi River, mandarin fish has tender meat with no small thorns, mainly steamed or braised in brown sauce. Steamed mandarin fish retains the original flavor with delicious soup; braised mandarin fish in brown sauce is rich in sauce aroma and delicious with rice. It can be tasted in restaurants along the Mi River, representing Chaling's "living off the water" characteristic.