Pingjiang

Home to the Shiniuzhai glass bridge and Danxia canyon, the sea of clouds on Mufu Mountain, rafting at Lianyun Mountain and the site of the Pingjiang Uprising — and famed for its spiced dried tofu and spicy gluten strips.

Pingjiang County belongs to Yueyang in Hunan Province. It sits in Hunan's northeastern corner, where Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi meet, with the Miluo River flowing east to west through town. The county seat is about 110 km from Yueyang and about 100 km from Changsha. Known as the “County of Generals,” it was here, at the Tianyue Academy in town, that Peng Dehuai and others led the Pingjiang Uprising in 1928. In the north, the main peak of Tianyue Mufu Mountain rises to 1,596 m, the highest point where the three provinces meet; in the northeast, the Danxia canyon and high-altitude glass bridge at Shiniuzhai have become the hottest attractions in recent years; in the southeast, the tall, densely forested Lianyun and Fushou mountains are the top choice in summer for rafting, river trekking and escaping the heat. Sightseeing falls into three areas: the county town (Pingjiang Uprising site, Miluo riverside) plus the Tomb and Shrine of Du Fu in the southern outskirts; the northern route (Mufu Mountain, Shiniuzhai, Bilong Gorge); and the southeastern route (Lianyun Mountain, Chunxi Town, Tuolong Gorge, Fushou Mountain). The best times are Apr–May, Jul–Aug for cooling off and water fun, and Oct–Nov for autumn colors; in winter the mountains may be coated in rime. Buses run from both Changsha and Yueyang to the county town, and the Pingjiang–Yiyang and Yueyang–Rucheng expressways pass through. Attractions are scattered across rural townships, so driving is recommended; allow 2–3 days. Local specialties include Pingjiang spiced dried tofu, spicy gluten strips and fire-roasted fish. During the rainy season, watch out for flash floods and road safety in the mountains.

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