Xiangtan

Xiangtan

Xiangtan is a city located in the east of Hunan Province, and on the western shore of the Xiangjiang River; a city that gave birth to a number of founders of the New China, such as Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai and Chen Geng; and a city that tourists should visit with a feeling of great reverence.

The Former Residence of Chairman Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong (1893 - 1976), a Chinese revolutionist, strategist, theoretician and poet, is the main founder and leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Republic of China (PRC), and the main generator of Mao Zedong Thought. His courtesy name is Runzhi (originally Yongzhi, and later changed to Runzhi) and his pseudonym is Ziren. He was born in Shaoshanchong Village, Xiangtan County, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan Province in 1893, and died in Beijing in 1976. From 1949 to 1976, he was the supreme leader of the PRC. His development of Marxism-Leninism and contribution to Military Theory & Communist Theory are the most important integral parts of Mao Zedong Thought. He is regarded as one of the most important persons in modern world history and honored as one of top 100 influential persons in the 20th century by the Time Magazine.

A common cottage of south style, the ancestral property shared by three generations of Mao Zedong, is located in the south of Shaoshanchong village, where Chairman Mao Zedong spent his childhood and boyhood.

Dishuidong Cave

Named as “Western Cave” by Maozedong, is famous due to Mao Zedong’s legendary life and stories .The Dishuidong Villa was built on July 18 of 1966, Mao Zedong spent eleven days here during the time he returned to Shaoshan. Scenic Area of Shaofeng Peak is located to the south of the Former Residence of Mao Zedong, with an altitude of 520 meters .It is the highest peak of Shaoshan Mountain and one of the 72 peaks of Hengshan Mountain.

Poetry Forest of StelesShaoshan Mao-tsetung Poetry Forest of Steles was built in 1993 for Mao Tse-tung’s centennial of birthday and in commemoration of him for ever. In the garden of steles there are 50 steles, in which are inscriptions of 50 poems of Mao Tse-tung. The shapes of the steles are made according to the artistic conceptions of the peomspoems, while the peomspoems endue the steles with poeticity. In the rooms there are “Art Exhibition of Mao Tse-tung's Poetry”, “Exhibition of Chairman Mao and his Six Family Members” and “Exhibition of Mao Tse-tung's Family Letters”, and it is an ideal place for education for patriotism and revolutionary tradition to adolescents.