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Geography of
Hunan Province |
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Hunan Province is located in the southern part of the middle reaches of
the Yangtze River. Since it lies to the south of Dongting Lake, the
second largest fresh water lake in China, it was given the name Hu-nan
(literally meaning south of the lake). As the Xiangjiang River runs
through the province from north to south, it has been shortened to
Xiang. Hunan has a total area of 211,800 square km. a population of
66.04 million (2022), and is home to the
Tujia,
Miao,
Yao,
Dong,
Bai,
Hui and
Zhuang ethnic groups. The province governs 12 cities at the prefectural
level, 11 administrative offices and one autonomous prefecture. The
provincial capital is
Changsha.
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Climate of
Hunan Province |
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Hunan is in the continental
sub-tropical monsoon humid climate zone. It has a short winter and a
long frost-free-period. The sunshine lasts for a long period during the
day and the four seasons are clearly distinguished. The annual average
temperature is 16-18
°C
(60.8°F
- 64.4°F),
and the annual average rainfall is between 1,200 and 1,700 mm. The best
tourism season is in fall, but traveling is pleasant from April to
November. |
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Brief History of
Hunan Province |
Hunan has a long history, with
abundant products, beautiful scenery and many places of interest. The
historical and cultural cities of
Changsha and Yueyang are located in the
province. Also, there are 25 tourism areas at the State or provincial
level, 22 nature reserves at or above the provincial level, 51 ancient
or memorial buildings and more than 70 relics, ancient tombs or tablet
inscriptions. Hunan is also the home of many famous communist leaders, including
Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi and Hu Yaobang. Lots of tourists come here to
track down their stories.
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Hunan Local Products |
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Hunan is "a land of fish and
rice", teeming with delicacies, fruits and handicrafts of every kind.
Its embroidery is know across the country and the ammonite stone
carvings are famous throughout the world. Both artistic forms have won
favor with tourists. Travels can not only taste the delicious Hunan
dishes, but can also enjoy colorful festivals with minority
nationalities. Various kinds of folk art are demonstrated here. |
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Hunan Local Cuisine |
As one of
the eight regional cuisines of China, Xiang, or Hunan,
cuisine has evolved from the three local styles of the Xiang
River region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province.
It is popular for hot spicy and sour flavors, fresh aromas
and deep color, as well as sophisticated cooking and cutting
techniques.
Common cooking methods include stewing, frying,
pot-roasting, braising and smoking.
Ingredients used in Hunan dishes are many and varied due to
the region's high agricultural output.
Xiang cuisine master chef Xu Yunju has defined authentic
Hunan cuisine as "a hundred courses (with) a hundred tastes
and each dish (with) a distinguished flavor. Elegant
cutting, dainty cooking."
Actually, Xiang cuisine has a long history of over 2,000
years and probably dates back as early as the Han Dynasty
(206 BC-AD 220).
Relics unearthed from a Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24)
tomb in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, are evidence of
local people's early cooking of various dishes: not only the
bones of fish, pigs and cows but also pickled fruits and
vegetables.
Located in central and south China, the region has
distinctive seasons, abundant rainfall and plenty of
sunshine which have all contributed to the development of
Hunan cuisine.
Ross Terrill, the renowned Harvard professor, once described
Hunan as "an abundant and fertile inland province which has
been honored as 'the land of rice and fish'." He added that
the people are straightforward.
The heavy style and hot flavors of the cuisine reflect the
resource-rich land and the bold and unrestrained character
of Hunan people. Their addiction to spicy food can be
attributed to the region's wet climate.
People believe that the chili spice is effective in getting
rid of the affects of humidity and rheumatic afflictions and
is also important in stimulating the appetite.
If you visit the Dong and Miao ethnic people in Hunan
Province they usually welcome you with a dish of stewed meat
cooked with dried chili. During a meal, they will warmly
invite you to take more chili rather than meat, a clear
indication of their passion for the hot seasoning.
Actually people in China's western and southern areas are
all keen on spicy food. The differences are that Sichuan
people prefer hot and numbing food, Guizhou people usually
like aromatic and hot, Yunnan people have a crush on pure
spicy, Shaanxi people focus on salty and spicy) and Hunan
people are more interested in dry spicy and sour spicy.
As opposed to other spicy cuisines around the country, Xiang
(Hunan)cuisine is known for being dry hot or purely hot
thanks to its liberal use of chili peppers, shallots and
garlic, and the technique of pickling.
Hunan cuisine is often spicier purely due to chili content,
contains a larger variety of fresh ingredients, tends to be
oilier, and is said to be purer and simpler in taste.
Another characteristic distinguishing Hunan cuisine from
other spicy cuisines is that, in general, it uses smoked and
cured goods in its dishes much more frequently.
In recent years, Hunan cuisine has become popular among
foreign people, especially those from European, American and
South-east Asian regions.
In the United States, some Hunan-style restaurants display
paintings of huge chilis on their outdoor signs and their
waiter aprons are embroidered with chili motifs.
Former US President George W. Bush also put chou doufu
(stinky tofu), one of the most distinguished Hunan snacks,
on his list of must-tries.
It is not possible to discuss this cuisine without
mentioning the late Chairman Mao Zedong, a Shaoshan native
of Hunan Province who never lost his love for the local
spicy cuisine. His hometown food style is original Xiang
homemade dishes from the Shaoshan mountain area. His
favorites - braised pork, fried bitter melon with chili and
loach toufu - are all signature dishes of the style.
When former US President Richard Nixon visited China in
1972, Mao ordered signature Hunan-style dishes, including
braised pork, to be on the banquet menu.
(Source of this section: Shanghai Daily 2010-05) |
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Places of Interests and Tourist Attractions in
Hunan |
- Hunan -- hometown of former
Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong, has become one of the new hot tourist
destinations in China.
- The old town of
Phoenix is like an impressive community living on the banks
of the Tuojiang River. The unique lifestyle has long fascinated
visitors, as has the town's enchanting scenery and peaceful
atmosphere. It's free to enter the old town but some cultural
relic buildings and notable residents' homes still have
admission charges.
(source: China Internet Information Center)
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Hunan Useful Links and Sites |
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Hunan
Related Report Links |
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