We Have This Hunan City to Thank for Our Dragon Boat Festival Holiday
Where does the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday come from? Should zongzi be sweet or savory? When Yueyang in Hunan speaks, all other cities in the country have to step aside.
Traditional Miluo zongzi are original flavor, pointed in shape, and eaten dipped in white sugar;
The custom of dragon boat racing originated in Miluo, Yueyang.
Miluo, Yueyang is the birthplace of China's Dragon Boat Festival culture. Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the racing dragon boats become a world-class spectacle. Miluo zongzi, neither sweet nor salty, cleverly resolve a north-south debate.
For most Chinese, Yueyang is a city that lives in high school textbooks—an essay titled "Record of Yueyang Tower" made Yueyang famous throughout the world.
The city that lives in high school textbooks—she has arrived.
In the hearts of Chinese people, Yueyang is a famous historical and cultural city and a classic tourist destination;
In the hearts of Hunanese, Yueyang is the "Northern Gateway of Hunan," embracing Dongting Lake and bordering the Yangtze River to the north. It is a hub of land and water transportation and the second-largest economy in Hunan;
In the hearts of Yueyang locals, Yueyang is a hometown filled with the warmth of life and human kindness.
Yueyang by Dongting Lake is a great destination for Dragon Boat Festival travel.
In the past, Yueyang "connected to Wu Gorge in the north and reached Xiaoxiang in the south." Though far from the political center, it was Hunan's gateway to the core cultural sphere. Today, Yueyang has become a sub-central city of Hunan. After 2,500 years, has Yueyang's significance in Hunan ever changed?
Why did "Watery Yueyang" emerge from mountainous Hunan?
Hunan is surrounded by mountains on three sides but is named after water; Yueyang is named after a mountain but is truly a city of water.
The Dongting Lake basin has many wetlands, and agriculture has been developed since ancient times.
Hunan has no shortage of mountains—the east, south, and west are encircled by continuous mountain ranges, leaving only a gap in the north. Four major rivers originating from these mountains collectively rush toward the northern gap, eventually converging into Dongting Lake.
In Yueyang, Dongting Lake meets the Yangtze River. As China's second-largest freshwater lake, Dongting Lake "holds distant mountains and swallows the Yangtze River," exuding grandeur. Half of Dongting Lake is embraced by Yueyang.
See how the vast Dongting Lake embraces Yueyang.
How important is Dongting Lake? The "lake" in Hunan and Hubei refers to Dongting Lake. Dongting Lake is a "rest stop" for the Yangtze River. During the flood season, the Yangtze's water level surges dramatically, and Dongting Lake, with its strong flood storage capacity, absorbs the river's waters, ensuring safety on both banks.
Dongting Lake is also Hunan's "switch," controlling the flow of water in and out of the province. It is the必经之地 for Hunanese leaving the province and outsiders entering Hunan, serving as the economic and cultural gateway of the province.
The 163-kilometer stretch of the Yangtze River flowing through Hunan lies entirely within Yueyang.
Dongting Lake receives the waters of four rivers and connects with the Yangtze River.
"The waters of Dongting are unmatched under heaven" is no exaggeration.
Thus, Yueyang has been known since ancient times as the "Gateway to Northern Hunan."
Bordered by the Yangtze River to the north and embracing Dongting Lake, Yueyang gathers the waters of Hunan's three regions and four rivers. Statistics show that there are 165 lakes and over 280 rivers within Yueyang's territory, with the famous Miluo River flowing almost entirely through the city.
Yueyang is virtually a city built on water.
Since ancient times, the Dongting Lake Plain has been renowned for its developed fisheries and dense paddy fields, earning it the title "land of fish and rice." During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Huguang region (Hunan and Hubei) gradually became the granary of the nation, with the saying "When Huguang has a good harvest, the whole country is well-fed" replacing the previous "When Suzhou and Huzhou have good harvests, the whole country is well-fed." Yueyang on the Dongting Lake Plain played a crucial role in this.
Tranquil scenery, a bustling land of fish and rice.
The people of Yueyang know best how to coexist with water. Junshan Island in the center of Dongting Lake has a forest coverage rate of over 80%, and the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve is known as a "paradise for birds." The 5,000-acre wild lotus area becomes Asia's largest natural wild lotus viewing spot in summer; in autumn, people dig for lotus roots in the water; and in the cold winter, a bowl of lotus root soup is the most warming "aquatic product" for the people of Yueyang.
When it comes to Junshan's ecology, every Yueyang resident is proud.
How did Water Yueyang become the center of Mountain Hunan?
As the gateway to northern Hunan, Yueyang has been a strategic military site since ancient times. Crossing the Yangtze River and capturing Yueyang means seizing the throat of Hunan. Then, descending along the Xiang River, the entire province falls into one's hands. It can be said that he who holds Yueyang holds Hunan.
Legend has it that the giant serpent Ba, which plagued both shores of Dongting Lake, was slain by the hero Houyi.
The serpent's body transformed into Mount Tianyue, giving rise to the name Yueyang.
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Sun Quan used Yueyang to contain Liu Bei's forces throughout Hunan. Yueyang's strategic importance was thus recognized. To review troops, Lu Su built the famous Yueyang Tower by the shores of Dongting Lake.
This is the closest view of Yueyang Tower.
Yueyang, which "connects to the Wu Gorge in the north and reaches the Xiao and Xiang rivers in the south," was regarded as a military stronghold in Hunan during wartime. In peacetime, it became a gathering place for "exiled officials and literati." Due to the convergence of famous figures, Yueyang gradually became a cultural hub of Hunan.
The couplet "The waters of Dongting are unmatched under heaven; the tower of Yueyang is peerless in the world" originates from here.
The Dragon Boat Festival, which has been celebrated for over 2,000 years, originated from the Miluo River in Yueyang. In 278 BC, Qu Yuan, who had been exiled to Yueyang for a decade, drowned himself in grief and indignation. This once little-known river, commemorated by Sima Qian, Jia Yi, and others, became a famous river in Chinese culture. Yueyang thus became a destination for literati throughout the ages.
The Quzi Temple was first built on the banks of the Miluo River during the Tang Dynasty.
It became a place for literati of all dynasties to pay their respects.
Yueyang Tower is the center of attention in Yueyang. There are at least hundreds of poems and literary works themed around it. The tower has also boosted the fame of Dongting Lake, making both key terms for exploring Yueyang's history.
A tower needs not be tall to gain fame—it takes literary prestige. There is also a Yueyang Tower in Linfen, Shanxi, which has stood for a thousand years but remains little-known. During the Republican era, Hunan and Shanxi provinces disputed over the name "Yueyang." Eventually, Yueyang County in Linfen, Shanxi, was forced to rename itself Anze County, allowing Hunan to retain the name. It can be said that Fan Zhongyan’s renowned essay *Record of Yueyang Tower* played a decisive role. Interestingly, Fan did not write it in Yueyang—the essay was essentially "inspired by a painting."
Yueyang Tower helped Yueyang keep the name "Yueyang."
Junshan Island, described in verse as “a green snail in a silver plate,” faces Yueyang Tower from afar. It is a culturally renowned island interwoven with myth and history, and in the world of martial arts novels, it is regarded as the headquarters of the Beggar Sect, the greatest martial arts clan. Zhangguying Village, known as the “First Village Under Heaven” with a history of over 500 years, preserves the residential architecture and culture of the Jiangnan region from the Ming and Qing dynasties…
Zhangguying Village is a must-visit spot for art and literature enthusiasts.
A thousand-year cultural legacy has shaped the sentimental side of Xiaoxiang culture, yet in Yueyang, the unyielding spirit deeply rooted in Hunan people remains undiminished. In modern times, Yueyang became one of the birthplaces of the Chinese revolution and a cradle of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Pingjiang, a small town nestled deep in the mountains, was the site of the Pingjiang Uprising and has produced 64 generals of the People’s Republic, making it one of China’s “Top Four General Counties.” Modern Yueyang embodies the Hunan spirit.
More than 2,500 years of history represent over 2,500 years of cultural heritage. History and culture are not only Yueyang’s past but also its confidence in facing the future.
Yueyang Today: The Second Largest City in Hunan, Shaped by Rivers and Lakes
Among the 14 prefecture-level divisions in Hunan, Yueyang ranks 8th in area and 6th in population, yet its GDP is second only to the provincial capital Changsha. It has been Hunan’s second-largest economy for two decades.
The Hangrui Dongting Lake Bridge is a stunning landmark on Dongting Lake.
Transportation is Yueyang’s secret weapon, unlocking the channels for its economic development.
Yueyang’s advantages in water transport are obvious. The Yangtze River, known as the "Golden Waterway," has inland shipping capacity nearly equivalent to the entire national railway system. Over half of the raw materials and products in Yueyang are transported by water. As Hunan’s only riverside city, Yueyang Port handles the province’s waterborne cargo, especially for the Chang-Zhu-Tan region, with 15 million tons of goods passing through annually. Leveraging its strength in shipping, Yueyang has integrated Hunan into the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
The magnificent Chenglingji, where Dongting Lake meets the Yangtze River.
Yueyang serves Hunan while aiming to embrace the Yangtze River and connect with the world. The city’s main urban area is close to the provincial border and maintains close ties with many cities along the Yangtze. As Hunan’s only seaport, Yueyang Port makes the city the province’s sole international trade gateway to the sea.
Chenglingji Port, one of the eight major deep-water ports along the Yangtze, boasts six national-level open platforms and a comprehensive bonded zone. It is a designated import port for automobiles, meat, grain, and other goods. Open to the world, Chenglingji not only leads Yueyang in economic growth but also allows locals to easily access affordable international products.
Another city similarly situated near a provincial border is Jiujiang in Jiangxi.
While water transport is a natural advantage, railway development is the result of Yueyang’s own efforts. In the early Republican era, the Yuehan Railway was initially planned to bypass Yueyang. Li Chengyu, a native of Yueyang, submitted a lengthy petition urging the government to change the route, successfully integrating Yueyang into the wave of modern transportation development.
After the founding of the People’s Republic, the north-south Jingguang Railway naturally passed through Yueyang, followed by the Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway and the Jinggang’ao Expressway. Railways truly connected Yueyang north and south. With the opening of Sanhe Airport in 2018, Yueyang’s comprehensive water, land, and air transport network solidified its status as a major transportation hub in central China.
Leveraging its strategic location built on transportation, "resource-limited" Yueyang has the confidence to develop industries worth hundreds of billions.
Modern logistics is a given—Yueyang’s shipping logistics leads Hunan. In the past, this attracted many state-owned enterprises in petrochemicals, power energy, and equipment manufacturing, where countless Yueyang locals dedicated their youth. Traditional food industries have also been revitalized; Pingjiang natives now supply 80% of the spicy strips sold in domestic supermarkets. Global Fortune 500 companies have taken notice of Yueyang. With Huawei and New Kinpo Group establishing presence in the Chenglingji New Port Area in 2019, Yueyang’s electronic information industry gained new momentum.
The Yueyang floating photovoltaic project demonstrates the strength of Yueyang's electric power energy industry.
Of course, the people of Yueyang are even more optimistic about their cultural tourism industry. As a cultural city with a history of 2,500 years, Yueyang has an innate confidence in its cultural and tourism endeavors, much like the phrase "natural beauty cannot be hidden."
Compared to many large cities in China, Yueyang's main urban area is quite ordinary—no subways, ring roads, or elevated highways. A taxi ride from east to west takes just over ten minutes, and the population is only just over a million. However, thanks to its rivers, lakes, ports, and roads, Yueyang's economic strength in Hunan is undeniably robust.
As a demonstration area for high-quality indica rice in southern China and the largest aquaculture city in Hunan, Yueyang is rich in fish and rice products, making it a true "land of fish and rice."
Fishermen in Yueyang, Hunan, celebrate a bountiful harvest.
For the people of Yueyang, no banquet is complete without fish. Fire-dried fish, pan-fried directly with tea oil, exudes a rustic charm; cured fish, first salted and then smoked with camphor leaves, can be enjoyed by Yueyang people all year round with gusto.
The Baling Whole Fish Feast takes the Yueyang people's pursuit of fish to the extreme. Dozens of dishes, from appetizers to main courses and dim sum, are all made from fish, but each with different cooking methods and flavors. All 27 types of fish must be fresh from Dongting Lake. This feast embodies the most authentic pride of the Yueyang people.
When it comes to Yueyang, how can we forget crayfish and barbecue? In 2021, Hunan ranked third in crayfish production nationwide, with Yueyang contributing nearly one-third of the output. The people of Yueyang naturally took the lead, even bringing their crayfish restaurants to the provincial capital, Changsha. Mention Yueyang-style crayfish tails, and which Changsha local wouldn't drool?
Crayfish: another signature of Yueyang.
However, to fully enjoy a day in Yueyang, from morning to night, one must start with a bowl of rice noodles in the morning. Yueyang locals eat their noodles with all the toppings: freshly stir-fried shredded pork with peppers, assorted delicacies, and slow-cooked beef offal and bone broth... Flat noodles are a must to absorb the flavors. This is the homely way. For something more delicate, try a bowl of Dongting silver fish and egg skin noodles; for something heartier, choose Dongting fish noodles made with fresh crucian carp broth; the top-tier way is to use Xiangyin's camphor tree port peppers for the toppings, which cost三四百块钱一斤—absolutely the pinnacle.
A wonderful day for Yueyang people begins with a bowl of rice noodles.
While Changsha is the gathering place for Hunan's late-night snack culture, Yueyang is its birthplace. In summer, Yueyang is enveloped in the aroma of barbecue. Despite the dominance of Northeastern and Northwestern barbecue styles, Hunan people firmly stand by Yueyang barbecue.
Grilled beef fat is the concentrated essence of Yueyang barbecue; grilled crucian carp, with even the bones crispy and crunchy; springy and tender grilled tendon, thin and chewy grilled板筋... Yueyang barbecue can be charcoal-grilled or iron-griddled, with both methods employed—everything can be grilled.
Yueyang barbecue grills out the city's rustic charm and lively atmosphere.
Braised dishes and beer are classic companions to barbecue. The duck feet from Guanyinge and the beer from Yueyang Tower are deeply missed by many Yueyang natives living elsewhere. Whenever they recall the street vendors under Baling Bridge, the sounds of eating, drinking, and laughter as night falls feel like reliving the past, while the trains roaring by on the Jingguang Railway just 10 meters away go unnoticed.
With rivers and lakes, Yueyang is imbued with a rustic charm, grilled into a lively atmosphere. In this small central city, human warmth is fully displayed.
Does the Yueyang in these snacks make you miss home?
The landscapes of Hunan have shaped the character of its people—a blend of fiery determination and tender grace, firm yet flexible. These traits are fully reflected in the people of Yueyang.
In Yueyang, where "dialects change every ten li," each county has its own dialect, and everyone speaks their own way without compromise. Yet in daily life, it’s common to see people wearing pajamas while shopping for groceries; peppercorns can be brewed into tea, bean skin can be made from mung bean flour, and northern-style wontons are called "wrapped noodles"—Yueyang people aren’t bound by too many rules.
Historically, Yueyang Tower was destroyed by fire multiple times but rebuilt again and again. The indomitable Yueyang Tower, much like the people of Yueyang, refuses to admit defeat and embodies resilience.
Yueyang is a microcosm of Hunan, and Hunan cannot do without Yueyang. In Yueyang, one can understand Hunan.
Cover photo | Tuchong Creativity