Lu Shu Homestay

Top choice in Changsha


Set in an old brick house and owned by an architect, this is Changsha's cosiest hotel by a long shot. Decor mixes contemporary sensibilities with the odd antique to superb effect – there's a lovely sitting room, patio, adjacent cafe and even a 2nd-floor tatami terrace. Book in advance (try www.trip.com).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Changsha attractions

1. Yuelu Mountain

0.4 MILES

This large park on the slopes of Yuelu Mountain makes a pleasant city break. You can climb to the top in less than an hour, or else go up on the chair…

2. Tangerine Isle

0.91 MILES

The most famous of the city’s parks is a 5km-long sliver of an island smack bang in the middle of the Xiang River. A reflective 32-year-old Mao…

3. Yuelu Academy

1.4 MILES

Students have been cramming for exams at the base of Yuelu Mountain west of the river since AD 976, when the academy was established as one of China’s…

5. Old City Walls & Tianxin Pavilion

2.27 MILES

The old city walls, which once stretched for 9km around ancient Changsha, were built of rammed earth in 202 BC, reinforced with stone in AD 1372 (during…

6. Kaifu Temple

2.47 MILES

This large and active temple in the north of town dates originally to the Five Dynasties period, with many additions during later dynasties. The imposing…

7. Changsha Municipal Museum

2.51 MILES

A colossal aluminium/magnesium alloy statue of Mao Zedong, cast in Heilongjiang, affably greets you at the entrance. This is the first clue that, despite…

8. Lieshi Park

2.7 MILES

Tree-shaded and dotted with lakes, leafy – and incredibly huge – Lieshi Park is very popular in the mornings for singing, dancing and taichi.