The most famous of the city’s parks is a 5km-long sliver of an island smack bang in the middle of the Xiāng River. A reflective 32-year-old Mao immortalised it in Changsha, probably his best regarded poem, after standing at its southern tip and looking west towards Yuèlù Mountain one autumn day. A towering granite bust of a youthful Chairman with flowing locks now stands at the spot – but faces in a new direction.
You can walk a circuit of the island on the pleasant riverside promenade, or catch a sightseeing electric trolley (¥20). You can also rent tandem bicycles (¥30 per hour) by the metro entrance.
