Historic Site sights in Húnán
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Húnán No 1 Teachers' Training School
Mao attended classes here between 1913 and 1918; he returned to teach Chinese from 1920 to 1922. It's still a working college and if you're lucky a student keen to practise their English will show you around the place, including Mao's dormitory, his old classrooms, halls where he held some of his first political meetings and an open-air well where he enjoyed taking cold baths. Otherwise, there are a few English captions. Take bus 1 from the train station.
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Tiānxīn Gé
The only remaining part of the old city walls is a popular place to escape the summer heat. It's off Chengnan Xilu. Catch bus 212 from the train station.
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Nán'àn School
Shut for repairs at the time of writing, this frugal school, its interior illuminated by light wells, is where Mao began his education. Climb the stairs to glimpse Mao's place of study, eyeball the teacher's bed downstairs and peer at fading photos of relatives and descendants.
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Mao's Childhood House
Sited in front of a pond, this simple mud-brick house with a thatched roof and stable is the village's shrine. Mao was born here in 1893 and returned to live here briefly in 1927. Among the paraphernalia are kitchen utensils, original furnishings, bedding and photos of Mao's parents, with facilities including a small barn and cattle pen. No photography is allowed inside.
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City Wall
Wander along Fènghuáng's restored salmon-pink city wall with its defensive aspect along the southern bank of the Tuó River. Halfway along its length, the North Gate Tower (北门城楼; Běimén Chénglóu) is in a tragic state of neglect, downtrodden and scratched with names, but it remains a magnificent structure. While perusing this area, look up at the distinctive roof ridges on buildings above – many adorned with carvings of creatures and fish – which are far better preserved than much at ground level.
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