The Hunan Provincial Tourist Attraction Quality Rating Committee issued an announcement on August 3, 2026. It said that eight tourist attractions have met the national 4A-level tourist attraction standards and are now officially designated as 4A-level tourist attractions. The list is as follows:

1. Qingshuitang Scenic Area, Changsha

2. Siming Mountain Scenic Area in Qidong County, Hengyang

3. Goulou Peak Scenic Area in Hengyang County, Hengyang

4. Yinhe Scenic Area in Yintian Town, Shaoshan City, Xiangtan

5. Yulong Scenic Area in Chengbu County, Shaoyang

6. Zhenyan Academy Scenic Area, Yiyang

7. Wanyang Mountain Scenic Area in Guidong County, Chenzhou

8. Rebala Scenic Area in Longshan County, Xiangxi

Qingshuitang Scenic Area, Changsha 

(Photo provided by the Changsha Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television)

The Qingshuitang Scenic Area, a serene retreat amidst the bustling city, is located beside Bayi Road in downtown Changsha. It was the former site of the CPC Hunan Area Committee and the former residence of Mao Zedong and Yang Kaihui. The sites inside include the CPC Changsha History Exhibition, the special exhibition themed "Monument of the Hunan Area," and the Mao Zedong Poetry, Couplets, and Calligraphy Art Stele Gallery. They showcase the revolutionary history of the CPC members in Changsha and their great achievements. A quaint, well-preserved courtyard, known as "Qingshuitang No. 22," still stands within the area. It was once the office site of the earliest provincial-level Party organization in China, the CPC Hunan Branch.

Siming Mountain Scenic Area in Qidong County

(Photo provided by the Hengyang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television, and Sports)

Siming Mountain is situated in the western part of Qidong County, spanning the cities of Hengyang, Shaoyang, and Yongzhou. Its main peak, Tengyun Ridge, rises to an elevation of 1,044 meters and is the highest peak in the county. The scenic area boasts a forest coverage rate of up to 87%, home to over 1,500 species of wild plants and nearly 200 species of wild animals, earning it the title of "Biological Gene Bank of Southern Hunan."

Goulou Peak Scenic Area in Hengyang County

(Photo/Cao Zhengping and Liu Xinrong)

Goulou Peak, one of the seventy-two peaks of Hengshan Mountain, is a national forest park. With a forest coverage rate of up to 95%, it serves as a vast natural oxygen bar. There are many historical sites within the area, including the Yuwang Hall and the Yuwang Stele, both linked to the legend of Yu the Great's flood control. From the summit, visitors can enjoy views of the Xiangjiang River and Zhurong Peak.

Yinhe Scenic Area in Yintian Town, Shaoshan City

(Photo provided by the Xiangtan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television, and Sports)

The Yinhe Scenic Area is located in the easternmost part of the Shaoshan Scenic Area. It features attractions such as the Shaoshan Yinhe River, the Irrigation District Exhibition Hall, Zhangmu Mountain, and Yintian Temple within Yintian Town, Shaoshan City. In his youth, Mao Zedong, when studying away from home, would often disembark or walk to find lodging here during his winter and summer trips to visit his mother.

Yulong Scenic Area in Chengbu County

(Photo provided by the Chengbu Miao Autonomous County Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television, and Sports)

The Chengbu Yulong Scenic Area is a rare large-scale group of limestone dissolution caves, characterized by typical karst topography. It is naturally composed of a "Five Caves and One Well" combination: Yulong Cave, Baiyun Cave, Hongxi Cave, Yangjiao Cave, Biyun Cave, and Luosi Well. Inside the caves, the dissolution formations are extremely varied, and the stalactite landscapes are lifelike, resembling people and objects. The temperature inside the caves remains a constant 18°C to 23°C year-round.

Zhenyan Academy Scenic Area, Yiyang City

(Photo provided by the Yiyang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television, and Sports)

Zhenyan Academy is located in Shisun Village, Longguangqiao Neighborhood, Heshan District, Yiyang, with its back against Yaohua Mountain and facing the Zhixi River. Founded by Hu Linyi, a key leader of the Xiang Army, it has a history of over 170 years. In July 2022, the Zhenyan Academy restoration project was launched based on the principles of "remaining the original site and appearance, restoring the old to its former state, and creating a lasting masterpiece." The renovated academy includes Dacheng Hall, Gongzhan Ancestral Temple, Lecture Hall,  Cangshulou (ancient book collection building), Xiuzi Pavilion, Kuangsheng Garden, Zhenyan Academy History Museum, and Zhenyan Academy History Exhibition Hall, covering a total area of 14,000 square meters.

Wanyang Mountain Scenic Area in Guidong County

(Photo/Fu Feifan)

Wanyang Mountain Scenic Area, an alpine meadow scenic area located in Guidong County, Chenzhou, boasts an average summer temperature of only 21°C, truly earning it the name of a "natural giant air conditioner." The area is characterized by a continuous 100,000-mu (6,666.7 ha.) meadow, wind turbines, and sea-of-clouds landscapes. It is complemented by facilities such as the Rainbow Campsite and Cloudtop Grass Skiing, and offers unique accommodations like space capsules and wooden cabins.

Rebala Scenic Area in Longshan County

(Photo/Zeng Xianghui)

Rebala, in the Tujia language, means "the hometown of Rebala, the Tusi chieftain," and is hailed as a "natural museum of Tujia original ecological culture." The Rebala Scenic Area, located in Miao'ertan Town, Longshan County, is the most completely and vibrantly preserved region of original Tujia culture in the Wuling Mountain area. The scenic area features a Dongdongkui teaching center, a Tujia ethnic costume experience center, and a Tujia brocade teaching center. Visitors can come here to enjoy Tujia folk songs, stay in Tujia guesthouses, experience the unique charm of Tujia mountain villages, and immerse themselves in Tujia culture.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan