The Changde Poetry Wall is more than four kilometres long and divided into eight sections: “百代沧桑”, “名贤题咏”, “武陵佳致”, “兰芷风华”, “华夏新声”, “五洲撷英”, “时代风采” and “千古绝唱”. The eight named sections organise the Poetry Wall by theme.
Poetry Wall and Poetry Park
The authority responsible for the Poetry Wall established four themed routes: a classical route, a route focused on red culture, one focused on integrity culture, and an education route on Party work. A 2024 report by the authority lists these routes; the programme may change. So if you plan to follow one of the themed routes, check in advance which ones are currently offered.
Changde Poetry Park is a publicly accessible, non-profit park and also an important tourist reception and visitor destination. The Poetry Wall and the park give a visit a clear cultural focus, while other nearby places showcase different aspects of the city.
Changde Hejie nearby
Changde Hejie comprises four areas: Mayang Street, Xiaohe Street, Dahe Street and Tianrun Plaza. The street is set along the banks of the Chuanzi River in Liuye Lake Tourism Resort and is modelled on the former street on the Yuanjiang River. It has been designated a national tourism and leisure district as well as a national cultural and tourism consumption area for nighttime consumption.
For a culinary break, Xiaohe Street offers a different focus from the historic buildings on Dahe Street. Xiaohe is more than 300 metres long and is home mainly to snack stalls and restaurants serving local specialities. Individual shops and businesses may change, so it is worth checking what is available on site.
Dahe Street is about one kilometre long. Its buildings recreate foreign trading houses, shops and homes from before 1943, and consist mainly of courtyard houses and 窨子屋. The two street sections therefore have different emphases: Xiaohe focuses on food and specialities, while Dahe showcases the recreated buildings and their architectural styles.
The newly built section of Changde Hejie is 1.5 kilometres long and includes 281 shops with 150 traders. The number of shops and traders may change. Together with its four named areas, Hejie can be regarded as a diverse street district; Xiaohe and Dahe particularly clearly illustrate its different focuses.
Liuye Lake and other nearby places
Liuye Lake has a water surface area of 21.8 square kilometres. In December 2020, it was designated a national tourism resort. Boat trips are offered on the lake; check current departure times before planning your visit. Liuye Lake International Fishing Center offers recreational and spinning fishing, competitive angling, and entertainment-oriented fishing. Check current operating details in advance.
There is also a striking structure on the eastern shore: the East Shore Skybridge is 2,100 metres long and 23 metres wide. Huxian Island is surrounded by water and accessible only by boat. The island is designed as a holiday and leisure complex centred on love, for families, couples and friends. As it can only be reached by boat, check current connections before visiting.
Other cultural sites use different forms of presentation. Language Plaza presents Changde’s linguistic culture through landscape lighting, dialect walls and three-dimensional sculptures. Sixian Plaza illustrates Changde Sixian culture with printed perforated copper panels, cultural stones and art sculptures. Both plazas convey cultural themes through tangible design elements, while the Poetry Wall unfolds its themes through named sections.
Liuye Lake Fishing-Song Art Camp focuses on fishing culture and fishing-song art, and offers performances and experiences related to fishing culture. Check in advance which activities are currently available. This makes it easy to distinguish the area’s various focuses: poetry and culture at the wall, street life and architecture at Hejie, and water and fishing themes around Liuye Lake.
Discover more destinations: Yongzhou, Shaoyang, Xiangtan, Yueyang, Xiangxi, Zhangjiajie, Chenzhou, Yiyang.
For the broader travel overview: Hunan.
