Atlas of China
Hunan 湖南Húnán
Sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, riverside Fenghuang and fiery chilli cooking
- Type
- Province
- Capital
- Changsha
- Featured places
- 5
- Cities and prefectures
- 14
- Listed sites
- 32710 rated 5A · 205 rated 4A · 171 national heritage
About Hunan
Hunan's northwest is crowded with the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, thousands of forested columns rising out of deep ravines and often wrapped in mist. Nearby, the old town of Fenghuang lines the Tuo River with wooden houses on stilts, and the Miao and Tujia peoples keep their own dress, songs and festivals across the surrounding hills. Changsha, the lively capital, is known for chilli-heavy cooking, late nights and the remarkably preserved finds from the Mawangdui tombs.
Hunan at a glance
- Area
- 211,836 km²
- Population
- 66.4 million 2020
- Highest point
- Ling Peak 酃峰2,115 m
Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.
What to eat in Hunan
- Steamed fish head with chopped chillies (剁椒鱼头)
- Stir-fried pork with chillies (辣椒炒肉)
- Changsha stinky tofu (臭豆腐)
Places to visit in Hunan
-
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park 张家界国家森林公园
Thousands of sandstone pillars rising out of the mist like a stone forest
-
Fenghuang Ancient Town 凤凰古城
Stilt houses leaning over the Tuo River in a town that glows after dark
-
Tianmen Mountain 天门山
A cliff-top walk to a natural arch known as Heaven's Gate, above the city
-
Yueyang Tower 岳阳楼
A helmet-roofed tower above Dongting Lake, famed for one 11th-century essay
-
Hunan Museum 湖南省博物馆
A Han marchioness, her silk banner and a gauze robe as thin as air
Listed sites in Hunan
327 sites in Hunan are on the official lists, 10 of them rated 5A and 171 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.
All 327 listed sites in HunanCities and prefectures of Hunan
- Changde 常德 City
Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring and a walled town 6,000 years old - Changsha 长沙 City
Mawangdui's silk books, Yuelu Academy and fireworks from Liuyang - Chenzhou 郴州 City
Mist on Dongjiang Lake and red Danxia hills on the road to Guangdong - Hengyang 衡阳 City
The southern peak of the Five Mountains, where the wild geese turn back - Huaihua 怀化 City
Merchant houses of Hongjiang, Dong drum towers and the home of hybrid rice - Loudi 娄底 City
Ziquejie's rice terraces, deep caves and Zeng Guofan's family mansion - Shaoyang 邵阳 City
Red Danxia cliffs at Langshan and the old walls of Wugang - Xiangtan 湘潭 City
The Lotus City, Shaoshan and Qi Baishi's farmhouse - Xiangxi 湘西 Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture · Jishou
Tujia and Miao country of river towns, Tusi ruins and Qin-dynasty writing slips - Yiyang 益阳 City
Dark tea from the Anhua hills and lake country on the Dongting shore - Yongzhou 永州 City
Liu Zongyuan's place of exile, Shun's mountain and a script written by women - Yueyang 岳阳 City
A Song-era essay's tower over Dongting Lake and the poet Qu Yuan's river - Zhangjiajie 张家界 City
Forests of sandstone pillars, Tianmen's cliff-top arch and Tujia country - Zhuzhou 株洲 City
Locomotive works, Liling porcelain and the tomb of the Fire Emperor
Before you go
- Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
- Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
- Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
- Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
- Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
- When to go When is the best time to visit China?
On the map
Open Hunan on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.
Open Hunan on the map