The isle's head
River views.
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A long sandy island in the middle of the Xiang River, which runs through Changsha, about 5 kilometres long and 170 to 320 metres wide; it is recorded as early as AD 305 and was famous under the Tang for the orange groves that gave it its name. It was one of the celebrated «Eight Views of Xiaoxiang» in Chinese painting, as «Evening Snow over River and Sky», and when Changsha opened to foreign trade in 1904 consulates and foreign merchants' houses were built on it, some of which still stand. Most of the island today is gardens, green walkways and orange groves, and at its southern tip, called the «Head of Orange Isle», stands a giant stone sculpture of the young Mao Zedong's head, erected in 2009, as he wrote a well-known poem about the city here in 1925; the tip looks out over the city and Yuelu Mountain. Entry is free with a real-name booking up to three days ahead, with the island's electric carts paid separately, per visitor guides. The island is very long, so the cart saves a great deal of walking, and late afternoon is the loveliest time.
River views.
Behind the name.
Of the consulates.
Mid-river in the Xiang, Yuelu District, Changsha
Yes, entry is free but needs a real-name booking up to three days ahead, and the electric carts on the island are paid, per visitor guides.