Huxiang Cultural Exploration: 6-Day Zhangjiajie and Changsha-Shaoshan Study Tour

Visit Yuanjiajie’s “First Bridge Under Heaven” and seek the “Avatar” filming location, Hallelujah Mountain. Ride the Bailong Elevator, the world’s highest, fastest, and heaviest sightseeing elevator. Hike Tianzi Mountain, observe its rock formations, learn about its geological types, and understand their formation causes.

Trek Jinbian Stream, closely observe peak pillars, complete a quartz sandstone observation record, and analyze its role in Zhangjiajie’s landscape formation. Compare upper and lower sedimentary rock layers, trace geological evolution through iron caps, faults, and folds, and analyze why Jinbian Stream’s pillars stand firm.

Visit the Paleontology Fossil Hall, guided by mentors, to explore ancient fossils and learn about Earth’s life evolution.

Experience a 5D science film to understand Zhangjiajie’s landscape formation and feel the wonder of geological changes.

Attend a professional geology lecture by renowned experts, covering Zhangjiajie’s formation, geological structures, relics, scientific value, and conservation significance, using local case studies to explain crustal uplift, sedimentary layers, and external forces.

Watch the Charm Xiangxi performance, experiencing the mysterious, passionate, and romantic Xiangxi culture. Appreciate Miao drum dances, Tujia Maogus dances, and Bai folk songs, analyzing their unique artistic features. Under mentor guidance, reflect on the preservation of folk arts.

Taiping Street is Changsha’s treasure, a pulse of history where time-honored shops and weathered signs record the past like ancient ink. Amid tea aromas and skilled craftsmanship, it offers a visual and spiritual feast, capturing the unique charm of an ancient street in a bustling city.

Yuelu Academy, with a millennium of uninterrupted scholarship, was founded in 976 AD by Zhu Dong, the Tanzhou prefect, on a monastic school’s foundation. In 1015, Emperor Zhenzong granted its name. Over dynasties, it evolved, merging with Hunan Higher School in 1903 and becoming Hunan University in 1926. As the precursor to Hunan University, it nurtured generations of practical talents.

A key national university under the Ministry of Education, Hunan University is part of the “Double First-Class,” “985,” and “211” projects. On September 17, 2020, President Xi Jinping visited Yuelu Academy, remarking, “It’s a pleasure to see you, reminding me of Yuelu Academy’s words: ‘Only Chu has talent, here it thrives.’ What a gathering of talents!” He encouraged students to seize their youth, study diligently, and contribute to national rejuvenation.

Hunan’s largest history and art museum, covering 50,000 square meters, is a first-tier national museum with over 180,000 artifacts, including bronzes, silk paintings, porcelain, textiles, and calligraphy. The Mawangdui Han Tomb artifacts are its treasures, showcasing Hunan’s millennia of cultural development.

Mao’s statue stands in Shaoshan Square, backed by Shaofeng Peak, facing the Mao Clan Ancestral Hall and Memorial Hall. Born in 1893, Mao spent his childhood here, leaving at 16 to embrace a revolutionary life.

Mao Zedong Memorial Hall
A national study tour base for students, the hall houses over 60,000 artifacts and 1,000 celebrity artworks. It features the China Produced Mao Zedong biographical exhibit, Mao Zedong’s Relics, Mao’s Revolutionary Family, and temporary exhibits, showcasing Mao’s monumental contributions and the scientific system of Mao Zedong Thought.

Mao Zedong Former Residence
Known as Shangwuchang, Mao’s former residence is a typical “concave” shaped wooden structure covering 566.39 square meters. With 20 rooms, it includes 14 for the Mao family, 5 for neighbors, and a shared hall. Mao was born here and spent his childhood and youth, making it a valuable site for patriotic education.