Orange Island Park

The 32-meter-high granite sculpture of Mao Zedong is located on Orange Island, Changsha.

Orange Island rests in the center of the Xiangjiang River, which divides Changsha into two parts with the lush Yuelu Mount to the west and city's bustling downtown area to the east.

The island is an oasis from the noise and industry of Changsha but is easily accessible with a metro stop located on the 5-kilometer-long island.

Orange Island has long been a famed local tourist spot, yet the island has perhaps gained most attention for being a favorite leisure site for Mao Zedong. As a young man he enjoyed spending summer afternoons with friends swimming in the river, a spirit of youth that is captured wonderfully in his well-known poem Qin Yuan Chun-Changsha.

The island has a number of worthwhile sightseeing spots including Wangjiang Pavillion, some colonial-style buildings from its time as a center for foreign embassies, and a large granite bust of a young Mao.