Hunan (湖南), or abbreviated as Xiang (湘), is located in central China, bordering Jiangxi in the east, Chongqing and Guizhou in the west, Guangdong and Guangxi in the south and Hubei in the north. Its name Hunan literally means “South of the Lake” in Chinese. Most of its lands lie to the south of Dongting Lake, the famous lake in China which is praised as the Kidney of the Yangtze River, hence the name.
Thanks to its unbeatable central location, Hunan is a busy transportation hub for China tours. In addition to its traffic significance, Hunan is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in China featuring otherworldly Avatar Mountains and the world's longest and highest glass bridge in Zhangjiajie, primitive Tujia & Miao Ethnic Villages in Fenghuang and Yongshun, rich historical and educational heritages in Changsha, the birthplace of Chairman Mao in Shaoshan, and so on.
Visitors usually spend 6~7 days around in Hunan, include 3~5 days in Zhangjiajie, 1 day or so at Fenghuang Ancient Town and 1~2 days in Changsha. Some visitors also prefer to add a one-day side trip to Shanshao - the birthplace of Chairman Mao, or spend one day to Yueyang - where famous Yueyang Tower and Dongting Lake are located. Visitors who are interested in photography may extend their tour to Dongjiang Lake in Chenzhou, which needs about 1~2 days more. Mountain lovers may also spend 1~2 days more to Mount Heng in Hengyang.
Visitors also prefer to visit Hunan with other hot destinations in China, like nearby Tongren with sacred Mount Fanjing, Yichang with easy access to cruise Yangtze River, Huangshan with spectacular Yellow Mountain, Guilin with picturesque Kast Mountains and Rivers, etc. Besides, Hunan tourists also like to visit Beijing with somewhat China’s remarkable landmarks like the Great Wall, Shanghai with contrast past and modern China looks, Hong Kong with fabulous skyline, Guangzhou with delicious Cantonese food, etc. Have your preference? Customize your Hunan tour with China Discovery now!
Amazing tourist destinations in Hunan is a lot, while Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang located in its northwestern part are the must-visits. Besides, Shaoshan, the birthplace of Chairman Mao, is also popular among visitors. Some visitors also prefer to visit its bustling capital Changsha with one of the Four Famous Ancient Academies in China - Yuelu Academy and the nearby Yueyang with famous Yueyang Tower. For those who want an in-depth exploration of Hunan, you are also highly suggested to visit Hengyang to get close to one of the Five Sacred Mountain in China - Hengshan (Mount Heng). And for photography lovers, you should never miss Dongjiang Lake in Chenzhou.
From world-class mountains, caves and lakes to magical man-made glass bridges and historical relics and traditions of thousands of years, Hunan Province is no shortage of surprise. Highlights of Hunan include Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, Fenghuang Ancient Town, Hunan Provincial Musuem, Yuelu Academy and so on. Here is the list of our picks of top attractions in Hunan. You can also check 12 Things to Do in Hunan to get more!
The UNESCO World Heritage Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源核心景区) is composed of four major parts, including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie! The Avatar Mountains with rolling pillars in unique narrow but tall shapes there are really worth a close visit!
The 430 meter wide Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge (张家界玻璃桥) hanging over 300 meters above the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (张家界大峡谷) is the longest and highest glass bridge on earth. Walking on this awe-inspiring bridge, which is all paved with large pieces of transparent glasses, is really a great way to challenge yourself and marvel at the human's creativity.
Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain (天门山), or called Tianmen National Forest Park, gets its name because there is a gigantic natural Tianmen Cave high up the mountain, which is really rare to see anywhere else. It is also famous for its 99 Bends with 99 sharp turns embed on the mountain and glass walking trails built along the cliffs.
Fenghuang Ancient Town (凤凰古城), or known as Phoenix Ancient Town, enjoys the reputation of “The Most Beautiful Town in China”. Despite over 400 years have passed, the town's unique stilted buildings and ancient elegance are still intact. Enjoy a leisure boating on the Tuojiang River with rows of ancient buildings standing aside there is very popular.
Furong Town (芙蓉镇) is located halfway between Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang. It is known as a Thousand-year Old Town Hanging on the Waterfall, because it has a long history of over 2,000 years and there is a majestic waterfall winding through it. Seldom tourists know it until a famous film of the same name becomes a big hit. And now, an incredible increasing group of world-wide tourists come to visit.
Hunan Provincial Museum (湖南省博物馆) is the first batch of national first-class museums in China. It has a wide collection of over 180,000 pieces of cultural relics, including bronzes, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy as well as a complete undecayed female corpse discovered from Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb, which is reputed as the No.8 Miracle in the World.
Yuelu Academy (岳麓书院）setting at the foot of Yuelu Mountain in Changsha downtown is one of the Four Famous Academies in ancient China and one of the oldest institutions in the world. All of its traditional architectures built for teaching, sacrificing, relaxing and book storing are well-preserved, giving you a perfect glimpse of school life in ancient China.
Mao Zedong, the great founder and the first Chairman of the People's Republic of China, was born and grew up in Shaoshan in Hunan. If you are curious about this great man and the real life and history during then, his former residence (毛泽东故居) should be on your travel list, which is easily to be reached from Changsha in merely 1.5 hours or so by car.
Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼) near Dongting Lake in Yueyang City is praised as one of the Top 10 Historical and Cultural Towers in China and one of the Three Great Towers in Jiangnan Area (regions south of the Yangtze River). The famous poem On Yueyang Tower is a must-read for all junior high school students in China, which implies the significance and poetic charm of the tower.
Dongjiang Lake (东江湖) featured by misty river scenery with local fisherman working on their small wooden boat is one of the Top 10 Photography Places in China. The mist floating on the river is just like a jade dragon dancing there. When the mist comes, the skyline disappears, and then you will magically find it is hard to tell the sky and river apart. It is especially like a fairy-word, and thus you will find yourself can't help pressing the shutter.
Mount Heng (衡山), together with Songshan in Henan, Taishan in Shandong, Huashan in Shaanxi and Hengshan in Shanxi, is known as Five Sacred Mountains in China. It is a sacred mountain of Taoism and Buddhism in China. In ancient China, it was a sacred place for emperors offering sacrifices to the heaven. The frequent emperor visits left the mountain a legacy of temples, ancient inscriptions and other relics there.
Yongshun Laosicheng Tusi Site (永顺老司城遗址) is a historical site of ancient tribe. Tusi refers to local tribal leader in south-central and south-west areas of China from 13th century to 20th century. Tusi Sites are praised as China’s “Machu Piccu”, which remain the unique self-governed tribe. In 2015, this sacred place, together with Enshi Tusi Site in Hubei and Hailongtui Tusi Site in Guizhou, was inscribed as a cluster of World Heritage Sites.
Hunan belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, including rainy and unpredictable spring from March to May, sultry summer from June to August, crisp autumn from September to November and cold winter from December to February. The average yearly temperature of different cities in Hunan Province varies from 16℃ to about 19℃. January is usually the coldest month, with an average temperature for about 6℃. And July is usually the hottest, with the temperature of most summer days higher than 26℃.
The months from March to October are considered as the best times to visit in Hunan, including Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Changsha, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Hunan in Spring: Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Hunan in Summer: Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Changsha, Yueyang, Chenzhou, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Hunan in Autumn: Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Changsha, Shaoshan, Hengyang, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Hunan in Winter: Zhangjiajie, Changsha, Yueyang, Shaoshan, etc.
>> see details about Zhangjiajie Weather & Best Time to Visit | Changsha Weather & Best Time to Visit
Hunan is an inland province in China with an efficient traffic system. Visitors can get there by flight, train, coach, car, etc. Flight and bullet train are the most popular ways to visit it. And Zhangjiajie, Changsha and Fenghuang are the busiest transportation hubs.
Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport are the hottest chosen airports for flights to Hunan. There are frequent international flights to Hunan, including flights from Bangkok, Los Angeles, Singapore, Seoul, Osaka, etc. And the domestic flights are also abundant, including Beijing (3 hrs.), Shanghai (2~2.5 hrs.), Xian (2 hrs.), Guangzhou (1.5 hrs.), Chengdu (2 hrs.), etc. There is also an airport located in between Fenghuang and Tongren named Tongren Fenghuang Airport. If you want to visit Fenghuang Ancient Town directly, you can choose a flight to/from this airport.
The whole Hunan Province has over 18 train stations. Almost all the popular tourist cities in Hunan have their own bullet train station, while the most popular train stations are the ones in Zhangjiajie and Changsha, including Zhangjiajie West Railway Station, Changsha South Railway Station, etc. It is really easy to get to Hunan by bullet train from other cities in China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, etc. Besides, you can travel between any two of Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Yueyang, Hengyang, etc. in Hunan Province by train.
>> Check more about Zhangjiajie High Speed Train | Changsha High Speed Train
To travel between cities in Hunan Province, riding a high speed train or private car is the best way. If you want to go between the large cities like Changsha, Zhangjiajie and Yueyang, high speed trains are more recommended. And if you have plans to visit the Former Residence of Chairman Mao and ethnic villages like Fenghuang Ancient Town and Furong Ancient Town, private cars are better. Besides, for tours in anywhere in Hunan, private cars are more suggested to get around. We China Discovery also offer such convenient private car service with professional guide and experienced driver to travel around Hunan Province. If you are in need, please feel free to contact us.
>> Check more about Zhangjiajie Transportation: How to Get to/around Zhangjiajie
>> Check more about Changsha Transportation: How to Get to/around Changsha
>> Check more about Changsha to Fenghuang | Fenghuang to Changsha
>> Check more about Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang | Fenghuang to Zhangjiajie
>> Check more about Zhangjiajie to Changsha | Changsha to Zhangjiajie
The best places to stay in Hunan vary according to your trip plan. Usually, all the popular tourist places in Hunan like Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Changsha offer lots of hotels from luxury 5 star or 4 star hotels to budget inns to stay. And all the hotels and hostels there can meet your basic needs like hot water, comfortable bed, etc. Changsha and Zhangjiajie also have highest-end hotels of international luxury hotel brands and domestic luxury hotel brands.
For detailed accommodation information, please check Where to Stay in Zhangjiajie | Recommended Hotels in ChangshaThe following Hunan Maps, including Hunan China Map, Hunan Province Map, and Changsha Zhangjiajie Transportation Map will help you know better about Hunan and plan a better Hunan tour! If you are interested, you can also check more Hunan Maps 2025 >>
China is vast and diverse. You can choose your favorite destinations among more than 70 tourist destination and regions, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, etc. Following are 8 popular destinations you may get interested in. Check all destinations in China.
All itineraries and side trips can be customized privately, so please feel free to contact with our travel consultants if you have this kind of need.
Enjoy 2 days to discover all best city highlights in Changsha in the most classic way without missing the impressive Hunan Provincial Museum collections, literal Yuelu Academy, and poetic Orange Island with scenery and interesting stories!
If you show interests in the natural splendid landscapes and like to take challenges, this 4 Days Zhangjiajie Exciting Tour will be your satisfactory selection.
This 5-day Zhangjiajie Fenghuang tour is the best way to fully make use of your time in Zhangjiajie. Admire all natural must-sees in UNESCO Zhangjiajie Forest Park with a cultural relaxation at antique Xiangxi flavored Fenghuang Ancient Town.
Are you caught by the fabulous photos of Zhangjiajie and want to have a great look of its famous natural wonders in person? This tour is really suitable if you want to discover the famous Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the exciting glass bridge in the most classic way!
Your ultimate exploration of all natural wonders in Zhangjiajie Forest Park plus adventures to thrilling Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and Tianmen Mountain
The leisure trip to see the top wonderful natural mountains and cliffs, caves and lakes, valleys and streams in wonderful Zhangjiajie
Have 7 memorable days Changhsha to have a close up of Hunan Province with its highlights of nature, culture, history, and ethnic minority customs from the best gateway - Changsha!
The popular trip to enjoy all best highlights in the top three best destinations in Hunan - Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang Ancient Town and Changsha to enjoy nature and culture fun!
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