7 Days in Xiaogan

Dong Yong Park tells the legend that put "filial piety moves heaven" into the city's name - recorded as Xiaochang in 454 AD and Xiaogan since 924; the tale joined the first national intangible-heritage list in 2006. Finish with warm rice wine and sesame candy downtown.

1. xiaogan dongyong park
2. xiaogan city markets

In Xiaochang County about an hour northeast by road, the national forest park's twin peaks top out at 873.7 m; stone steps, temples and valley streams - take water and start early.

1. xiaogan shuangfeng mountain

Stay in Xiaochang County - the Guanyin Lake reservoir country next to Shuangfengshan means lakeside paths, small islands and fish restaurants; a slow day after yesterday's climb.

1. xiaogan guanyin lake

An honest county day - Tangchi sits in Yingcheng, a county-level city under Xiaogan, about 80 km southwest by road; soak in the morning, take the town's long lunch, and a second soak before the ride back.

1. xiaogan tangchi hot springs

Another county day, this one east - the poet Li Bai settled in Anlu around 727 AD and stayed about a decade, marrying into a local family; the Baizhao Mountain cultural zone keeps temples and springs in his memory, and the Wuhan-Shiyan HSR (2019) stops at Anlu West nearby.

1. xiaogan baizhao mountain

The provincial capital is about 70 km southeast, 30 minutes by intercity rail - the 1957 first Yangtze bridge, the Yellow Crane Tower and Jianghan Road fill a day; back to Xiaogan for the night.

1. wuhan

The flower park on the city's northern fringe runs tulip season around March-April and cosmos into autumn; the half-hour intercity rail (opened December 2016) connects straight to Hankou for the way home.

1. xiaogan jinhui manor