Yongzhou (永州) is a prefecture-level city in Hunan province, known as Zuling (零陵) and Xiaoxiang (潇湘), in the south of Hunan province,bordering Guangdong further south and Guangxi to the southwest.
Understand
Yongzhou sits on the southern bank of the Xiang River, the same river that flows through Changsha and Xiangtan. The prefecture encompasses an area known as Xiangnan (湘南) that is worth enough to visit, with lush green mountains with caves, waterfalls, beautiful rivers with swimming opportunities and ancient towns with unique literary culture and history.
The most notable feature of Yongzhou might be the Nüshu script, a local script understood only by women in Jiangyong County.
History
Yongzhou has a long history, with origins dating back to around 201 BC, and was once part of the state of Chu. During the Three Kingdoms, Tang and Song dynasties, Yongzhou played an important role as a cultural and economic center. It continued to maintain its geographic and cultural importance during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its modern history has seen many political and social changes. In modern history, Yongzhou experienced important events such as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the Xinhai Revolution. Nowadays, Yongzhou is famous for its landscapes, customs and rich historical relics, attracting tourists and researchers.
Geographic location
Yongzhou is connected to Chenzhou City in the east, Qingyuan City in Guangdong Province and Hezhou City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the south, Guilin City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the west, and Hengyang City and Shaoyang City in the north. The Xiangjiang River crosses the Zuqi Basin from west to east, and the Xiaoshui River runs through the whole area from south to north.
Talk
Yongzhou dialect, also known as Xiang Yongzhou dialect, is a dialect spoken in Yongzhou City and its surrounding areas in Hunan Province. The Yongzhou dialect belongs to the Xiang branch of the Chinese language and is somewhat different from the Xiang dialects spoken in other parts of Hunan.
Climate
Get in
Trains north to Changsha are frequent and cheap. Fast trains are available as well. If coming from the north, just go south to Guangxi and you are near to Guilin, where you have all the fantastic karst formation with hiking and climbing opportunities.
By car
By train
By bus
Get around
See
The city's urban area doesn't have much to offer, but there are few attractions in Lingling District, 20 km south of the CBD.
- 🌍 Liuzi Temple (柳子庙), 86 Liuzi Street, Lingling District (零陵区柳子街86号) (bus nos. 13 and 31), ☏ +86 746 6385865. 08:00-18:00, no entry after 17:00. An old memorial temple dedicated to Liu Zongyuan, a famous writer who lived during the Tang Dynasty. ¥25.
- 🌍 Yongzhou Museum (永州博物馆), 120 Nanjin Road South, Lingling District (零陵区南津南路120号) (bus nos. 1, 3, 21, 33 and BRT302), ☏ +86 746 6777310. 08:00-12:00, 14:30-17:30, closed on Mondays. The city's main museum. Free.
Most of Yongzhou's major attractions, including the Nüshu script are located in the rural counties within the vicinity.
- Jiangyong County (江永县) Visit the old villages dotted throughout, which housed women that once developed a unique literary tradition with the Nüshu script, a phonetic scrip based on Chinese logograms only understood by them.
- Jianghua Yao Autonomous County (江华瑶族自治县)
Do
Walk along the Xiang river.
Buy
Eat
Food here resembles those found in Guangxi. As in the rest of Hunan, people here enjoy fen (粉, a noodle made of rice), which comes with different ingredients. This particular fen is different throughout the province, and it is fun trying out the varieties. The ones here have somewhat of a Guangxi style. Hunanese people love spicy food, so if you can not handle that, make sure to ask the eatery to use less chili.
🌍 Laolao Braised powder (佬佬卤粉), No. 1013, Phoenix Road, Wutong Street, Lengshuitan District (directly opposite the Merchants Building), ☏ +86 177071467888. 5：00-2：00. This is a long-established Yongzhou lo mein with a variety of lo mein toppings, generally quite spicy. Chicken claws, chicken legs, and dried herbs are popular with many people. If your tastes are more diverse, you can also order it with your own small ingredients. There are many types, including beef lo mein, pig's trotters lo mein and stir-fried fat intestines lo mein. 10￥-15￥.
🌍 Ningyuan (yongzhou) duck blood (宁远鸭血), ☏ +86 746 8633698. Yongzhou duck blood is a specialty dish of Yongzhou City. It is appetizing, and made with cool blood. 45￥-298￥.
Drink
Locally brewed snake wine.
Sleep
Connect
Go next
Take a train to Hengyang (two hours) and visit Hengshan Mountain, a sacred and local Buddhist pilgrim site.
Guilin is in the vicinity for karstic formations, where you have climbing and hiking opportunities.