Located at the foot of Xuefeng Mountain in southwestern Hunan Province, Hongjiang District sits at the confluence of the Yuanshui and Wushui rivers. The district administers two townships and four sub-districts, covering an area of 115 square kilometers with a total population of 57,000. Historically a distribution center for goods as well as a political, economic and cultural hub of southwestern Hunan and beyond, it has long been celebrated as “Little Nanjing” and the “Great Metropolis of Southwest China.” In the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties it was a typical representative of the budding stage of capitalism in China; in the early Republic of China era (1912–1949) it was a gathering place of advanced culture in the inland mountainous region; during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it served as an important rear area of Hunan; and in the era of the planned economy, it stood as a key industrial base of the province. Within the district lies the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town, lauded as “China’s No. 1 Ancient Commercial Town” and “a living fossil of the budding stage of capitalism in China,” and recognized as the best-preserved ancient commercial town from the Ming and Qing dynasties in the country, enjoying considerable fame and influence in the tourism sector of Hunan and indeed the whole of China. In recent years, the district has successfully built itself into a national-level night-time culture and tourism consumption agglomeration area and a provincial all-for-one tourism demonstration zone, and has been designated a key area for premium provincial tourism routes. The Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town has been listed among the province’s first batch of top 10 cultural tourism towns and named “Hunan’s Internet Famous Tourist Attraction,” has been rated among the province’s top 10 cultural tourism landmarks, and has been included in the directory of the International Golden Tourism Belt of the Yangtze River. Meanwhile, the district has successfully established a provincial demonstration zone for the construction of ecological civilization, maintaining an excellent air quality rate of over 98% year-round, with the water quality of all major rivers reaching Class III or above and a 100% compliance rate for drinking water quality.
Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town
Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town, a national 4A tourist attraction (which is now making every effort to be developed into a national 5A tourist attraction and has been put on the reserve list for such creation), lies at the foot of the picturesque Songyun Mountain and on the bank of the rippling Yuanshui River. As a typical representative of China’s ancient commercial towns and an outstanding example of Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) towns and residential architecture, it presents a panorama of urban life in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Republic of China era much like a vivid “Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival,” and has long enjoyed the reputations of “Little Nanjing,” “Thoroughfare of Seven Provinces” and “the Great Metropolis of Southwest China.” Rare in China and even in the world at large, Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town is unreplicable and can never be reproduced. Like a “Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival” displaying the marketplace society of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is hailed as “China’s First Ancient Commercial Town” and “a living fossil of the embryonic stage of capitalism” for its enormous scale, marvelous architecture, imposing grandeur and profound connotations. It now preserves intact more than 380 ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Republic of China era, including guild halls, private banks, commercial firms, foreign firms, workshops, shops, courtesan houses, newspaper offices and opium dens, covering a total area of more than 300,000 square meters.
Quzi Jiangge Pavilion (Core Landmark of the Fifth Provincial Tourism Development Conference)
Standing on Chuanshan Avenue in Hongjiang District, across the river from the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town, the Quzi Jiangge Pavilion (the riverside pavilion named after the great poet Qu Yuan) is Hongjiang’s new cultural tourism landmark and an immersive experience space of Chu culture. The building adopts a Chu-style design, with its facade dominated by the classic red-and-black color scheme of Chu lacquerware. At night, its lights trace the flow of star trajectories, lending the pavilion an air that is bridging the ancient and the modern. The five-story pavilion, with a floor area of 142 square meters, features a distinct theme on each level: the first floor, “Chu Soul · Prologue,” narrates the life of Qu Yuan through a dynamic sky-dome canopy and a light-and-shadow matrix of bronze chime bells; the second floor, “Crossing the River · Illusion,” presents a holographic immersive reenactment of Qu Yuan’s journey in his poem Crossing the River; the third floor, “Li Sao · Elegant Gathering,” allows visitors to converse with a digital human of Qu Yuan and try on hanfu photography; the fourth floor, “Nine Songs · Tide Gathering,” features a riverside teahouse where one can quietly take in the confluence of the Yuanshui and Wushui rivers; and the fifth floor, “Heavenly Questions · Firmament,” houses a 180-degree dome theater and the “Mirror of the Sky” observation deck, overlooking the Taiji pattern of river and mountain in a scene of profound and far-reaching charm. In front of the pavilion, the plaza is equipped with a large-scale water-and-light musical fountain. The fountain changes with the play of lights and melodies, its water shapes shifting in colorful variety; at night, it sets off the pavilion’s lights and the night views of the ancient commercial town, creating a breathtaking waterscape.
Songyun Mountain National Forest Park
The Songyun Mountain Scenic Area, a national AAA-level tourist attraction, is an eco-tourism area of Hunan Province and serves as the back mountain of the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town. Covering a total area of 3,349.67 hectares with a forest coverage rate of 92%, it was officially designated a national forest park in September 2010. With a complete array of high-quality forest tourism resources, numerous rare species, rich landscapes and a unique locational advantage, the park encompasses five major landscape categories of biological, geomorphic, hydrological, cultural and astronomical features. As an eco-tourism area of Hunan Province and a key regional forest park, it ranks among the major tourism resources that the province prioritizes for development and promotion to the outside world, and has long enjoyed the reputation of being “the first mountain of Western Hunan.” Within the scenic area stand two ancient temples: the Miaoyin Temple, dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Daxing Chan Temple, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. With their imposing and majestic architecture, carved beams and painted rafters, and a simple yet elegant style, they are ideal places for self-cultivation, spiritual nurturing, leisure and prayer. The Songyun Mountain Scenic Area features spectacular cloud seas throughout the year, and reaching the cloud-sea observation platform from the urban center takes just a ten-minute drive.
Miyanjian Cloud Sea Landscape
Miyanjian is the highest mountain on the north bank of the Yuanshui River in Hongjiang, whose main peak rises 730.6 meters above sea level, making it the third-highest peak in the area. It is not only the best vantage point to take in the Taiji (yin-yang) pattern formed by the river and mountains of the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town, but also an unrivalled spot for viewing the cloud sea and the morning glow. When the rosy light of dawn pierces through the clouds, the scene becomes especially awe-inspiring, earning a reputation as one of nature’s finest spectacles. Spanning about 10 kilometers, Miyanjian towers over the north bank of the Yuanshui River with overlapping peaks, towering ancient trees, and swirling mist and clouds, presenting a breathtaking, fairyland-like vista. An observation platform stands atop the mountain, accessible by driving along the navigation route to “Miyanjian” for about 20 minutes; after parking at the nearby lot, visitors can reach the platform on foot in 10 minutes. The best viewing period runs from late November to the end of December, when sunrise occurs at around 7:10 am; arriving half an hour early allows visitors to witness the stunning moments of flowing clouds and shifting light. It is a destination for leisure sightseeing and photography. At present, Hongjiang District has completed the construction of a scenic access road to the Miyanjian Scenic Area and further improved its viewing facilities, making it easier for tourists to admire this natural wonder.
“Fanghua Era” Industrial Cultural Tourism Block
The block was included in the 2024 list of “New Cultural Tourism Consumption Scenarios of Hunan Province”, and has become a key observation project for both the creation of a national 5A tourist attraction at the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town and the cohost of the fifth Hunan Provincial Tourism Development Conference. Drawing on the industrial remains of the Luobowan area and rooted in Hongjiang’s industrial history, the project has been meticulously designed and built in a nostalgic 1980s industrial style. It showcases buildings, landscapes, vehicles and ornaments that evoke memories of Hongjiang’s traditional industrial era, and hosts light business formats such as travel photography, camping, music events and catering. As a new cultural tourism space integrating urban memory, cultural heritage, leisure experience and photo check-ins, the project covers a total area of about 200,000 square meters, comprising an exhibition of industrial culture space, a wetland park and a traditional wharf.
Maotouyuan Starry Sky Manor Scenic Area
Located in Maotouyuan Village, Hongjiang District, the Maotouyuan Starry Sky Manor Scenic Area is a national 3A tourist attraction. It serves as a key link of the “Hongjiang and Yuanshui Twin Ancient Towns Water Tourism Corridor,” one of Hunan Province’s “Four Hundred” boutique rural tourism corridors, and a pivotal stop along the premium cultural-ecological tourism routes of the greater Western Hunan region. It is also an important node on Huaihua’s “Golden Triangle” tourism circuit, functioning as a hub that connects the Anjiang Agro-Cultural Tourism Area with the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial Town Scenic Area, and stands as a benchmark scenic area for the integrated development of “tourism + agriculture” in Hongjiang District. Located only 9 kilometers from the urban center and 25 kilometers from Anjiang High-Speed Railway Station, the scenic area is easily accessible via the Hongjiang District spur of the Shaoyang-Huaihua Expressway and the former Provincial Highway S222, enjoying obvious locational advantages and highly convenient transportation. Centering on themes of traditional farming culture, agricultural science and technology, eco-agricultural tourism and science education, rural tourism, and creative culture, the scenic area has completed major attractions including a rural research-based study and science education exhibition hall, an experience venue for traditional rural farming culture, a fruit and vegetable picking garden, and an herb camping site.
Hengyan Bamboo Sea
The Hengyan Bamboo Sea Scenic Spot in Hengyan Township, Hongjiang District, has long been renowned as “China’s second-largest bamboo sea” in southwest Hunan. Covering a total area of 33 square kilometers, with a core scenic area of 20 square kilometers, the scenic spot boasts 46,000 mu (about 3,067 hectares) of forest land. Its forest coverage rate exceeds 95%, of which 28,000 mu (about 1,867 hectares) is covered by nan bamboo and 1,350 mu (90 hectares) by water areas. Blessed with fresh air and a high concentration of negative oxygen ions, it is a natural eco-tourism destination ideal for leisure, sightseeing and wellness retreats.
(Translated by Yang Hong)