Shaoshan, a mountain village about 100km southwest of Changsha, with some fairly beautiful scenery and a once typically Hunan village atmosphere, has been irreparably changed by history. On the 26th December 1893, a baby was born in a little house in this village, to a relatively wealthy peasant couple. The child was to grow up to become China's Great Helmsman, Chairman Mao Zedong, and it was in this region that he spent his childhood and youth, attending school and helping his father with his work.

The tourist attractions in the village are highly propagandorial, but then this is all part and parcel of the Mao image. Loudspeakers will great you on arrival with revolutionary songs and speeches, the village is guarded by sleepily bored soldiers and the history is only partially represented at best. The revolutionary tourist attractions include the Former Residence of Mao Zedong (Mao zedong guju), the Ancestral Temple of the Mao Family, now Comrade Mao's Museum (Mao zedong tongzhi jinianguan), Stone Steles covered with Mao's poems, and a Revolutionary Martyr's Cemetery. The former residence is the most interesting. Entered through a courtyard, the house is of a sunny yellow, mud brick walls, with a nicely thatched roof, and is found on a wooded hillside, above some lush paddy fields. You can visit all of the 13 rooms inside, that include a kitchen, a dining room, three family bedrooms, a guest room and an ancestral hall. Within the rooms are various personal effects of Mao and his parents, as well as photos from Mao's life.

If the propaganda gets too much, the area around the village is of the beautifully simple Hunan countryside, with small peasant houses scattered about the stepped paddyfields and bamboo groves. The Dripping Water Cave (Dishui dong), about 3km northwest of the village, is a very popular destination, possibly because of the fact that Mao allegedly spent 11 days here in the early days of the Cultural Revolution Years (1966-76), contemplating the unknown. Even nicer however, is the ascent to Shao Hill Peak (Shaoshan feng), the conical hill just to the northwest of the village. From the summit (reached on foot [1-2hrs.] or by cable car [RMB20]), you will have some good views over the village and Hunanese countryside.

How to get shaoshan: To visit the place in a one-day trip, there are daily round-trip buses and trains from Changsha to Shaoshan. Train No.5365 leaves Changsha at 06:40, arriving in Shaoshan at 09:30. Train No.5366 leaves Shaoshan at 17:00 and arrives in Changsha at 20:16. There are buses from Changsha South Bus Station to Shaoshan every 50 minutes from 07:00 to 17:00. The ticket prices for all of these modes of transport should not exceed RMB30 one way.
Getting around: Shaoshan is divided in two: a town (Shaoshan shi) where most hotels, the train and bus station are located; and the village (Shaoshan dong) where Mao lived. The town's train station and main road has minibuses that will take you to the village and other sights (including the Dripping Water Cave and the foot of Shao Hill). Each journey by minibus shouldn't be more than RMB2, but you may have to bargain. The nicest hotels in the area can be found in the village, including the Shao Hill Hotel (Shaoshan binguan, Tel: 0732-5682309) and the Shao Peak Hotel (Shaofeng fandian, Tel: 0732-5685073).