Our Day Tour of Changsha Highlights

We found ourselves a pleasant young guide, Larry Li, on Trip Advisor, and secured his services for Monday.

He met us in the Crowne Plaza lobby st 8:30 a.m. and off we went by taxi.

Our first stop was Mt. Yuelu. We rode to the top in open little buses. It would have been a very long walk up and down, yet we passed a lot of folks who were doing exactly that.

There seems to be a haze or mist that usually hangs over the city, and we could barely spot the river and skyscrapers below. There were other prettier vistas to admire though.

We next visited the Yuelu Academy, a thousand-year-old center of Confucian philosophy and learning that's renowned throughout China.

Larry leads us through the maze of corridors, small rooms, and courtyards with only the occasional wrong turn.

We paid about $18 to hear these musicians play a lovely song on traditional instruments. We didn't realize quite how much 120 Yuan total until we'd paid to hear a second song - silly tourists!

Still, it was charming music performed beautifully.

Confucius...

We next learn in the Museum of Chinese Academies that the Chinese deserve the credit (or blame) for the first achievement tests.

Back down the hill, we stroll past a statue of Chairman Mao on our way to grab a taxi for lunch. Lunch is worth its own post.