Former Site of Hunan First Normal School
湖南第一师范旧址
The former site of the school where Mao Zedong studied for five and a half years as a young man. Its predecessor was the Chengnan Academy founded in the Southern Song, and it is a classic red-tourism site in Changsha.
The First Normal School of Hunan is on Shuyuan Road in Tianxin District. Its predecessor was the Chengnan Academy, founded by the Southern Song scholar Zhang Shi. Mao Zedong studied here from 1913 to 1918, and Cai Hesen, He Shuheng, and others also studied or taught here. The site has been rebuilt to its original appearance, with a European-style teaching building, the classroom where Mao studied, dormitories, self-study rooms, and the rooms named “Jinggangshan” and “Dining Hall.” The displays trace the growth of the young Mao Zedong. Admission is free, but visitors must register with an ID card, and the site may close on Mondays. Nanmenkou Station on Metro Line 1 is about 10 minutes away by taxi.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00; closed Mon (check notices)
Nearby sights
- Orange Isle
- Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street & Wuyi Square
- Changsha Bamboo Slips Museum
- Du Fu River Pavilion
- Former Residence of Jia Yi
- Pozi Street, Huogongdian & Wenheyou
- Changsha IFS
- Taiping Old Street