Changde

Food Culture

Changde is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Positioned on the west side of Dongting Lake in the south of the Yangtze River at the foot of Wuling Mountain, the area functions geographically as a historic central market and transit hub along the Yuan River basin.

Wuling Lei cha

Ground tea and dry ingredients

Local delicacies

• Changde rice noodles
• Changde Sauce Salted Duck
• Changde Spicy Meat
• Lotus Sausage
• Vinegar-braised Pork

Geographic Thresholds and Regional Terrain

Changde is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, positioned at latitude 29.03205 and longitude 111.69844. Historically known as Wuling, the municipality sits on the west side of Dongting Lake in the south of the Yangtze River at the foot of Wuling Mountain.

The surrounding geography establishes Changde as the throat of Sichuan and Guizhou, and the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou. The territory is bordered by Dongting Lake to the east, Yiyang to the south, the Wuling and Xuefeng Mountains to the west, and Hubei province to the north. Within this regional expanse, the city administers urban districts alongside the county-level city of Jinshi and six distinct counties.

Geographic features shape local tourism and recreation. Inside the urban area, Liuye Lake provides a national AAA tourism space equipped for international sporting events, while Taiyang Mountain and the three-kilometer Changde Poetry Wall line the Yuan River. Beyond the municipal limits in Taoyuan county lies Taohuayuan, celebrated for its natural scenery and peach blossoms.

Changde is a prefecture-level city situated in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Positioned on the west side of Dongting Lake in the south of the Yangtze River and at the foot of Wuling Mountain, the municipality administers the county-level city of Jinshi along with six counties, supporting an urban population of 1,457,419.

Three mountains and three rivers

Defined by the local phrase "三山三水", the physical geography of the area is anchored by three prominent elevations surrounding the urban center: Taiyang Mountain to the north, Mount De to the south, and Mount Hefu to the west. Water resources thread extensively through the landscape, notably featuring the Yuan River upstream from its junction with the Lake Dongting system, alongside the Chuanzi and Xin Rivers flowing directly through the Wuling urban district. To the northeast of the city center lies Liuye Lake, while numerous other ponds, lakes, and streams punctuate the terrain. Historically, the urban area was situated on the north bank of the Yuan River before expanding development south of the river.

Borderlands and heights

The broader territory shares borders with Hubei province to the north, Yiyang to the south, Dongting Lake to the east, and the Wuling and Xuefeng Mountains to the west. Within Shimen county near the Hubei border rises Huping Mountain, which reaches an altitude of 2,099 metres and represents the highest peak in Hunan province. The rugged terrain of the Wuling and Xuefeng Mountains has historically served as part of the native habitat for the critically endangered South China tiger, with the Hupingshan-Houhe National Natural Reserve Complex selected as a potential site for future reintroduction efforts. Furthermore, the region encompasses diverse ecological zones that have sustained human habitation for approximately 8,000 years, bridging ancient river basins and towering mountain strongholds.