Shaoshan

Shaoshan is a small county-level city administered by Xiangtan in central Hunan, famous throughout China as the birthplace of Mao Zedong, who was born here in 1893. His childhood home, a modest mud-brick farmhouse, together with memorial halls, a bronze square and the secluded Dishui Cave, make the town one of the country's foremost 'red tourism' destinations, drawing millions of visitors a year. Set among green hills and rice paddies, it offers a restful rural landscape. For an international student, Shaoshan offers a close look at modern Chinese history and revolutionary heritage, and a peaceful taste of the Hunan countryside.