Xiangtan County 湘潭县

History

Settlement sites of the Daxi culture (大溪文化) show farming villages here about 5,000 years ago. A county named Xiangtan was first created in the Liang dynasty's Tianjian years (502–519), but its land then lay mostly in today's Hengdong (衡东). In 749 the seat moved to Luokou (洛口), now Yisuhe town (易俗河镇), and the county took roughly its present shape. In the Southern Song, Hu Anguo (胡安国) built the Biquan academy (碧泉书堂) here and founded the Huxiang school (湖湘学派) of learning; by the Ming, Yisuhe had become a well-known rice market.

What to see

The Wushi scenic area (乌石景区) is in Wushi town, 40 kilometres southwest of the county seat. Peng Dehuai's Former Residence (彭德怀同志故居) was built between 1925 and 1927 by his younger brothers with his pay as a Hunan army officer, so it is also called Sanhua Hall (三华堂); it became a national key cultural relics protection unit in 2001. The Peng Dehuai Memorial Hall (彭德怀纪念馆) stands on Wohu Hill (卧虎山) 200 metres opposite, and his ashes were moved from Beijing to a tomb below Wushi Peak (乌石峰) in 1999. The peak, 377.5 metres high, is counted among the 72 peaks of Mount Heng (衡山).

The Qi Baishi cultural tourism area lies in Baishi (白石镇) and Zhonglupu (中路铺镇), 35 kilometres from the county seat below Lotus Peak (莲花峰). Qi Baishi's Former Residence (齐白石故居) at Xingdoutang (星斗塘) is an earth-walled thatched farmhouse from the Xianfeng reign where he was born in 1864 and lived for 36 years; it was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 2006. The Yin Ancestral Hall (尹氏宗祠) in Baishi, built in 1905–1906, had its design, carving and carpentry done under Qi Baishi's own charge, and in the Guangxu reign he and friends formed the Longshan poetry society at Dajie Temple (大杰寺) on Wulong Hill (五龙山).

Food and local products

The county calls itself the home of Xiang lotus seeds (湘莲); Xiangtan lotus seeds and Wushi cured pork (乌石腊肉) are both national geographical-indication products. Zhonglupu makes yaotang (药糖), a maltose sweet also called "sesame slab candy" (炒片子芝麻糖), from rice, wheat and sesame with tea-seed oil, in more than 19 steps; it is pale yellow, glossy and crisp. The Shigu–Qingshan suona (石鼓·青山唢呐) is on the national intangible-heritage list.

Getting oriented

The county centre sits next to the Beijing–Guangzhou and Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railways, and the Beijing–Zhuhai and Shanghai–Kunming expressways cross the county.

Highlights

• Peng Dehuai's Former Residence 彭德怀同志故居: Built 1925–1927 by Peng's brothers; national key cultural relics protection unit since 2001.
• Qi Baishi's Former Residence 齐白石故居: Thatched farmhouse at Xingdoutang where Qi Baishi was born in 1864; national listing 2006.
• Yin Ancestral Hall 尹氏宗祠: Built 1905–1906 in Baishi; Qi Baishi took charge of its design, carving and carpentry.
• Wushi Peak 乌石峰: 377.5 m, counted among the 72 peaks of Mount Heng.
• Yaotang 药糖: Crisp sesame maltose sweet from Zhonglupu made from rice, wheat and sesame.