Three National Rural Tourism Boutique Routes in Hunan

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently announced 82 national rural tourism boutique routes, recommending tourists to explore ancient buildings, visit relics, seek cultural roots, and experience local heritages. Among them, 3 rural tourism routes in Hunan made the list.

Hunan's three routes are: Yongzhou's "Source of Xiaoxiang – Ancient Architectures in Lingling", Zhuzhou's "Thousand-year-old Porcelain Capital – Under-glaze Colored Porcelain in Liling", and Yueyang's "Ancient Charm of Yueyang – Root-seeking Journey".

Zhou Family Courtyard. (Photo/Tian Zexiang)

Yongzhou's "Source of Xiaoxiang – Ancient Architectures in Lingling" Route

Recommended route: Zhou Family Courtyard – Pinzhou Academy – Liu Zongyuan Cultural Tourism Zone – Lingling Ancient Town – Chaoyang Rock – Xiangling Mountain – Dongshan Scenic Spot

The first stop, Zhou Family Courtyard, is the largest and most complete ancient residential dwelling in southern Hunan. The site was the home to descendants of Zhou Dunyi, the precursor of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty (960–1279). The second stop, Pinzhou Academy, enables visitors to enjoy the scenery of the Xiaoshui River by a boat trip starting from the ancient pier. Here, visitors can closely observe the Huilong Pagoda, a registered key site under national-level protection,  savoring the romance of the Night Rain of Xiaoxiang, one of the "Eight Views of Xiaoxiang".

Liling Ceramic Valley. (Photo/Tong Di, Hunan Daily)

Zhuzhou's "Thousand-year-old Porcelain Capital – Under-glaze Colored Porcelain in Liling" Route

Recommended route: China Ceramic Valley – Liling Kiln – Gengchuan Ancestral Hall – Fengxi Valley – Yuyang Cultural Tourism Scenic Spot – Lujiang Academy – "Charm of Porcelain City and Riversides"

The Liling Kiln site is an ancient porcelain kiln site notable for its large scale and concentrated distribution of relics, covering a total area of 129 square kilometers.  It reflects the history of Liling's porcelain production, which began in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 CE – 220 CE), and is recognized as the birthplace of Liling porcelain industry. It is the cradle of the under-glaze colored porcelain and a "living thesaurus" for studying the development history of ceramics in China.

Zhang Guying Village. (Photo/Li Min)

Yueyang's "Ancient Charm of Yueyang – Root-seeking Journey" Route

Recommended route: Yueyang Tower Tourist Area – Zhang Guying Village, Yueyang County – Quzi Ancestral Hall – Changle Ancient Town

The Zhang Guying Ancient Architectural Complex is a registered key site under national-level protection. Since the early Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), Zhang Guying moved to settle in this place, and then his descendants have lived together here for more than 600 years. The Quzi Ancestral Hall is also a registered key site under national-level protection built in honor of the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan. It was built in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), and has undergone numerous repairs over generations. The present Quzi Ancestral Hall was relocated and rebuilt in 1754.

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

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: Official WeChat of the Information Office of Hunan Provincial People's Government