Changde: The Peach Blossom Source Code from Tao Yuanming's Pen
If you haven't experienced the poetic landscapes and unique local charm of Changde, then a trip to Changde is your best choice. Here, you'll find scenery like a paradise on earth, mouthwatering cuisine, and cultural landmarks steeped in history. Below is a Changde travel guide:
Accommodation Recommendations
Luxury
Sheraton Changde Wuling Hotel: Rating 4.7, a Marriott property located at 899 Zaoguo Road, offering stunning lake views.
Liuyuan Jinjiang Hotel Changde: Rating 4.6, with superb surroundings featuring garden-style architecture at 198 Quanshui Road in the Liuye Lake Tourist Resort.
Budget-Friendly
Puyun Hotel (Liuye Lake Branch): Lake-view rooms with excellent vistas, just a 5-minute walk to the pier.
Laoximen Academy Hotel: Nestled in old alleys, full of retro artistic vibes.
Food Recommendations
Changde Rice Noodles: A local specialty featuring smooth, chewy noodles with various toppings and condiments. Highly recommended is the beef noodles at Yang Yongsheng Rice Noodle Shop.
Hotpot Dishes: A rich variety, such as pork intestine hotpot, beef hotpot, and duck hotpot, all stewed to perfection—perfect for pairing with several bowls of rice.
Fermented Chili Fish Paste: Salty fermented chili paired with fresh small fish, mixed with rice for an incredibly fragrant dish.
Shimen Pork Intestines: A signature Changde dish combining oily pork intestines with tender pork head meat.
Spicy Salted Duck: Made from local ducks through multiple processes, the meat is firm and gets more flavorful the more you chew.
Attractions
Changde Poetry Wall Park: Rating 4.8, famous for its wall inscribed with thousands of famous poems, located along Yuan'an Road by the river.
Liuye Lake Tourist Resort: Rating 4.5, surrounded by mountains and water, offering beautiful scenery for lakeside walks, cycling, and visits to Sima Tower, at the intersection of Liuye Avenue and Huanhu Road.
Taohuayuan Scenic Area: Experience the utopia described in *The Peach Blossom Spring*, with attractions like Qin Valley and Peach Blossom Mountain, plus a large-scale immersive performance along a stream.
Laoximen Alley: Full of old-town charm, featuring traditional teahouses, artsy shops, and a Hotpot Dish Museum.
Hunan Changde Wildlife World: Rating 4.4, great for family visits to observe various wild animals.
3-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Morning: Arrive in Changde and head to Yang Yongsheng Rice Noodle Shop for Changde rice noodles. Then stroll along the Changde Poetry Wall to admire the flood wall covered in poetry and art, soaking in the cultural atmosphere (suggested duration: 2 hours).
Noon: Enjoy local hotpot dishes like Shimen pork intestines near the Poetry Wall.
Afternoon: Visit Liuye Lake Tourist Resort, rent a bike for a lakeside ride, enjoy the scenery, and explore Sima Tower (about 4 hours).
Evening: Dine near Liuye Lake, trying dishes like spicy salted duck, followed by a lakeside walk to enjoy the night views.
Day 2
Morning: Explore Laoximen Alley, wander through red-brick lanes, and visit the Laoximen Hotpot Dish Museum to experience old-town charm (2 hours).
Noon: Try local specialties like Zhengji Mayang Duck near Laoximen.
Afternoon: Head to Taohuayuan Scenic Area, starting at Qin Valley to don Hanfu and experience farming activities like rice cake pounding.
Evening: Watch the *Peach Blossom Spring* immersive performance along the stream, diving into the dreamlike utopia.
Day 3
Morning: Climb Peach Blossom Mountain for panoramic views of peach forests and visit ancient sites like Fangzhu Pavilion (3 hours).
Noon: Enjoy local specialties like Taohuayuan pounded tea and Taoyuan spicy salted duck in the scenic area.
Afternoon: Visit Hunan Changde Wildlife World for close encounters with animals (about 3 hours), then return to the city for departure.
We look forward to welcoming you to Changde, where you can stroll by the Poetry Wall, lose yourself in the lakes and mountains, explore the secrets of Taohuayuan, and savor local delicacies. Every sight and bite in Changde will leave a lasting impression—start your amazing Changde journey now!