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Yueyang
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 Yueyang
city is found on the eastern shores of the Dongting
Lake in northeast Hunan. Located 132km (82 miles) away
from the provincial capital of Changsha, the city covers
15,000 sq km and has a population of 4.5 million.
The city is famous because of Dongting Lake, the 2nd
largest freshwater lake in China. Found amid the lake's
waters is Junshan Island, home to the precious silver
needle tea. On the lake's banks is Yueyang Tower, the
beauty of which was written about by Song dynasty poet
Fan Zhongyan.
Dragon boat racing is said to have begun in Yueyang
and tourists should try and visit during the Dragon
Boat Festival on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month
(June or July). Visitors will enjoy the festive atmosphere
as the crowds cheer on the rowers.
Always an important trading centre, YUEYANG was opened
to foreigners as a treaty port in 1898 but never figured
large in China's history. Despite accelerating tourism
and an unpleasantly crowded new city springing up in
the background, Yueyang's older lakeside quarter still
retains the atmosphere and disinterested hospitality
of a small town. The main street, Baling Lu , runs for
5km, bare, broad and numbingly straight from Yueyang's
newer eastern fringes right up to Nanyuepo docks on
the lake shore. Here it's crossed by Dongting Lu, with
the old part of town, most of the accommodation, and
all the sights close to this junction, including the
unusual and impressive Yueyang Tower and a network of
rambling stone alleys. The best time to be in town is
for the Dragon-boat Festival , though beds will be in
short supply. It's also worth asking at your hotel about
possible evening opera performances ; spectacular, if
less formal than Beijing's.
Attractions
in Yueyang
Neighboring Areas: Jiangxi,
Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Hubei provinces; Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region
Climate northern subtropical monsoon
climate with long warm period, short freeze-up and rich
rainfalls; 4 distinct seasons with sunlight of 1792
hours and frost-free period of 277 days
Average Temperature: 17 C
Rivers: the Yangtze River, Xiang River,
Zi River, Ruan River and Li River
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Map
of China
