Best Hospitals in Changsha for International Patients

Fermented black tofu deep-fried until crispy outside and custardy inside, then drenched in a spicy, garlicky sauce. Smells challenging, tastes divine.

A giant fish head steamed under a blazing-red blanket of salted chopped chili, scallions, and ginger — fiery, fragrant, and fall-apart tender.

Pork belly slow-braised with rock sugar and soy but no soy-sauce coloring — only caramel. A favorite of Mao Zedong, who was from Hunan.

Crayfish stir-fried with mountains of garlic, chili, and Sichuan pepper. A messy, communal summer feast eaten on plastic-covered tables.

Golden, chewy rice cakes fried in caramelized brown-sugar oil until glossy and crisp-edged. A sweet street-food classic.

Flat, silky rice noodles in a clear pork broth with minced meat, pickled beans, and a hit of chili. Breakfast, Changsha style.

The simplest, truest Hunan dish: thin pork belly strips seared with fresh green chilies and garlic — fragrant, smoky, and fiercely spicy.

A forested scenic mountain on the Xiang River west bank, home to Yuelu Academy — one of China's four great ancient academies, founded in 976 AD and considered the predecessor of today's Hunan University.

A long sandbar island in the Xiang River, famous for its orange groves and the giant 32m-tall bust of young Mao Zedong. Great riverside promenades and gardens, with fireworks on select holidays.

Home to the astonishingly preserved 2,100-year-old corpse of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui) from the Han Dynasty, plus her complete tomb inventory of silk paintings, lacquerware, and the world's earliest known medical texts.

A preserved Qing Dynasty commercial street in the old city, now Changsha's hottest food and nightlife strip. Try the city's famous stinky tofu, spicy crawfish, and milk tea from the ubiquitous Chayan Yuese tea shops.