Huaihua
Huaihua is a prefecture-level city in western Hunan province, China.
It is known as the "Western Gate" of Hunan and is the largest prefecture-level city by area in the province. It covers 27,564 km2 (10,643 sq mi) and is bordered by Xiangxi to the northwest, Zhangjiajie and Changde to the north, Yiyang, Loudi and Shaoyang to the east, Guilin and Liuzhou of Guangxi to the south, and Qiandongnan and Tongren of Guizhou to the southwest. It has a population of 4,741,948, accounting for 7.22% of the provincial population. According to the 2010 Census, 2,909,574 people, or 61.4% of the population, are Han Chinese. Minorities constitute 38.6% of the population, with 1,832,289 people. The Dong, Miao, Tujia, Yao and Bai are major native minority groups. Huaihua is the central region of the Dong ethnic population, home to nearly 28.35% of the Chinese Dong ethnic group.
Getting to Huaihua
Huaihua is located on the Shanghai-Kunming railway line, which now host both fast and regular trains. 1 hour and a half by fast train and 5 to 9 hours on regular trains from Changsha. 1 hour and 15 minutes by fast train and 3 to 5 hours on regular trains to Kaili in Guizhou province. Regular trains also go northwest towards Chongqing and it takes between 8 and 18 hours.
- 01Huaihua Zhijiang Airport
Has flights from several cities in China.
Worth seeing
Huaihua's central urban area has only a few low-key sights such as the Huaihua Museum. All the main attractions and ethnic towns are outside the main urban area and in other parts of the prefecture. Those places can be reached by bus and in some cases by train. Tongdao Dong Autonomous County (通道侗族自治县). Visit Kam people, whose language is a branch of the Tai-Kadai linguistic family.
- 01Xiangshipo Forest Park
- 02Gaoyi Ancient Village
- 03Qianyang Ancient City
- 04Wanfo Mountain
- 05Wuxi Cultural Plaza·Qianhe Lake
- 06Huaihua Yingfeng Park
Things to do
Wanfu Mountain (万福山 Wànfúshān). Huaihua Tai Chi Championship ：Tai Chi enthusiasts can learn from each other and improve together.
- 01Wanda Cinema
Where to eat
Pao Cai (泡菜) or pickled vegetables are found everywhere around the city. It's a must try if you are in this dusty city.
- 01Gourmet Kitchen
Home Kitchen Catering (飨厨行.老家厨餐饮), 2nd Floor, City Garden Hotel, Hecheng District.
- 02Cuicui's Three-Way Duck
3020 and 3021 on the 3rd floor of Wanda Plaza, Nanhuan Road.
- 03Jiahe Liangtian
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.