Xiangtan has the most lotus farms in China.

　　With a history stretching back 7,000 years, a deep-rooted culture that has fostered several of the greatest figures of the past two centuries, serene mountains that sheltered venerated Buddhist monks and vast lotus farms that enrich the color of summer, the county of Xiangtan is alluring to tourists from home and abroad.

　　Archaeological studies show that as early as 7,000 years ago, human beings had already begun to rear cattle, produce rice and build settlements in the county. Relics from that time include stone utensils discovered at the Tiger Pit site in Jingzhou township and painted pottery in Jinshi township.

　　The name Xiangtan arose during the Southern Dynasties period (420-589). It became a county during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

　　When Buddhism flourished in China about 1,500 years ago, the mountains of Xiangtan were chosen by renowned monks as the site for temples.

　　One is on 437-m-high Hidden Mountain southwest of Xiangtan.

　　Originally called Dragon Mountain, the site was selected by famed Buddhist monk Dongshan Liangjie, founder of a prominent Zen sect, who was on his way to build a temple in Xiangtan.

　　In the mountain’s forest he sought a hermit Buddhist monk who he wanted to meet and learn from, but the hermit had vanished.

　　The dream-like quest helped Liangjie have a better understanding of Buddha’s doctrine that “everything one sees is an illusion”. Since then, it was called Hidden Mountain, but the original name was Mountain with a Hidden Monk.

　　Later generations believed the mountain got the name because it is often hidden in mist.

　　Even today it is considered a mysterious place, especially on foggy days, due to the sustained effort it takes for tourists and believers to find its temples.

　　Huxiang Culture

　　For the intellectual circles, Xiangtan is known as a cradle of the Huxiang Culture, a Confucian school of thought advocated by local scholars in Hunan.

　　In the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Zhou Dunyi, then one of the nation’s top Confucian scholars, moved to Xiangtan, where he gave well-regarded lectures.

　　Later in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), respected father-and-son scholars Hu Anguo and Hu Hong established the Biquan Academy in a village of the same name near Hidden Mountain.

　　Along with Yuelu Academy in neighboring Changsha – which was founded earlier in the Northern Song Dynasty – it is considered a birthplace of Huxiang Culture.

　　Huxiang Culture has endured for more than 1,000 years, playing a prominent role in shaping the common values of the Hunan people.

　　Because it advocates patriotism and piety, the culture has helped foster a number of great figures including statesmen, thinkers and artists.

　　Great figures

　　Those figures include Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai and Qi Baishi.

　　Mao Zedong was born in Shaoshan, which belonged to Xiangtan until two decades ago and is itself now a county-level administrative city. Considered the greatest Chinese statesman, political theorist, strategist and Communist leader in the past century, Mao led the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1976.

　　His theoretical contribution to Marxism, military strategy and his brand of Communist policies are now collectively known as Maoism. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern world history.

　　Peng Dehuai, born in Wushi, Xiangtan, was a prominent military leader for the Communist Party of China and served as China’s Defense Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was an important commander during the Sino-Japanese War and was also the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army in the Korean War.

　　Qi Baishi was one the nation’s top painters. The subjects of his paintings range from common animals, scenery, figures, toys, vegetables and more. In his later years, many of his works depict mice, shrimp or birds.

　　With such rich cultural and historical resources, the county has vigorously developed culture-related tourism. The former residences of Qi Baishi and Peng Dehuai, Hidden Mountain and neighboring Biquan township are among the favorite destinations for tourists.

　　Xiangtan also has the most lotus farms in China, so the county’s tourism authorities promote rustic tours to see spectacular seas of lotus flowers in summer.

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