The best things to do in Yiyang split into two groups: sights inside Yiyang City itself, and worthwhile day trips to nearby Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Shaoshan, and a handful of smaller towns. Inside Yiyang, the highlights are Yanzhi Lake, the Yunmeng Fangzhou water park, Yuntai Mountain in Anhua County, and the restored East and North Gates of the Yiyang Ancient City Wall in Ziyang District. For day trips, Changsha is the closest major city at about 87 km (54 miles), with Yuelu Academy and the Aiwan Pavilion among its top sights; Zhangjiajie is farther at about 248 km (154 miles) but delivers the region’s most famous scenery, including the 430-meter glass bridge over Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. This guide covers all 23 stops below with real addresses, corrected locations, and honest travel times.
Disclosure: this article contains an affiliate link, marked below. Destinations.ai may earn a commission on qualifying bookings at no extra cost to you. Last updated: August 15, 2026.
What Are the Best Things to Do in Yiyang at a Glance?
Short on time? Here is the quick-pick table before the full list of 23 stops below.
| Category | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best free/low-cost stop | Yanzhi Lake | Shoreline walking paths in Yuanjiang, no long drive required |
| Best family pick | Yunmeng Fangzhou International Tourist Resort | Central China’s largest outdoor water park |
| Best off-the-beaten-path stop | Meishan Cultural Park | Anhua County folk architecture with few foreign visitors |
| Best day trip | Zhangjiajie National Forest Park | UNESCO sandstone pillars and the 430m glass bridge, about 2h34m away |
What Are the Best Things to Do in Yiyang Itself?
These nine stops are all genuinely inside Yiyang City’s own territory – no day-trip driving required. Two of them replace items that could not be verified as real, named attractions in the previous version of this guide.
1. Yanzhi Lake
Address: Q8H6+GG6, Yuanjiang, Yiyang, Hunan, China, 413101
Yanzhi Lake sits in Yuanjiang, part of Yiyang’s home territory, and is one of the easiest lakeside stops for a half-day visit. Locals come for the walking paths along the shoreline and the sunset views over the water. Bring comfortable shoes; the paths circle a good stretch of the lake, and there is nothing to book in advance.
2. Yunmeng Fangzhou International Tourist Resort
Address: Ziyang District, Yiyang, Hunan, China
An earlier version of this guide featured a “Modern Farmer’s Fest” here that could not be verified as a real, named attraction, so it has been replaced. Yunmeng Fangzhou is central China’s largest outdoor water park, built around a 20,000-square-meter (5-acre) wave pool that can produce waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) high and hold roughly 10,000 visitors. It is the pick for families traveling with kids who want a full day of slides and pools without leaving Yiyang.
3. Yuntai Mountain Scenic Spot (Anhua County)
Address: 9X7R+55J, Anhua County, Yiyang, Hunan, China, 413506
Yuntai Mountain sits in Anhua County, part of Yiyang City’s own territory even though it is a longer drive from the urban core. The scenic area combines cliffs, waterfalls, and forest trails, and it draws hikers looking for a fuller day of walking rather than a quick photo stop.
4. Dechang Park (Nan County)
Address: 99CW+QFG, Nan County, Yiyang, Hunan, China, 413200
Dechang Park is a public park in Nan County with lakeside paths, bamboo groves, and open lawns. It works well as a slower, low-key stop between more demanding sightseeing days.
5. Bailu Temple (Heshan District)
Address: 58 Hui Long Lu, Heshan District, Yiyang, Hunan, China, 413099
Bailu Temple is a working Buddhist temple in Yiyang’s own Heshan District. Stone steps worn down by generations of visitors lead up through the temple grounds, and it is a straightforward add-on if you are already in central Yiyang.
6. Taojiang Bamboo Sea (Taojiang County)
Address: Taojiang County, Yiyang, Hunan, China
An earlier version of this guide listed this stop under a garbled name, “Taohuajiang.” The correct name is Taojiang Bamboo Sea, a AAAA-rated national scenic area covering about 11.8 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) of bamboo forest in Taojiang County, which is genuinely part of Yiyang City. It groups its highlights under a “Ten Beauties” theme and includes a Bamboo Culture Exhibition Hall, a “Bamboo Sea Wonderland” area, and the Tianwen Academy site.
7. Meishan Cultural Park (Anhua County)
Address: Anhua County, Yiyang, Hunan, China
An earlier version of this guide featured a “Yiyang Junction” here that could not be verified as a real, named attraction, so it has been replaced. Meishan Cultural Park sits at about 718 meters (2,356 feet) above sea level in Anhua County and preserves the architecture and folk customs tied to Meishan culture, one of the region’s three ancestral cultures. It is one of the least-visited stops on this list if you want Yiyang without the crowds.
8. Luowen Huahai (Nan County)
Address: 9C5V+P8J, Nan County, Yiyang, Hunan, China, 413200
Luowen Huahai is a seasonal flower field in Nan County – huahai simply means “flower sea” in Chinese. Which flowers are in bloom depends on the time of year, so it is worth checking locally before planning a special trip around it.
9. Yiyang Ancient City Wall: East Gate and North Gate (Ziyang District)
Address: No. 362 Zijiang East Road, Ziyang District, Yiyang, Hunan, China. The East Gate and North Gate sections sit at different points along the same wall complex.
The Yiyang Ancient City Wall runs along Zijiang East Road in Ziyang District. Two of its best-preserved features, the East Gate and the North Gate, are what most visitors mean when they say “Yiyang Gate.” An earlier version of this guide placed the wall in Heshan District; the confirmed address places it in Ziyang District instead.
What Are the Best Day Trips from Yiyang?
These 14 stops are real places, but they are not in Yiyang – several previous versions of this guide implied they were. Each entry below discloses the real city and an honest travel distance from Yiyang so you can plan accordingly.
10. Miyin Temple (Ningxiang)
Address: 659 Township Rd, Ningxiang, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410644
Miyin Temple was built in 813 AD on Mount Weishan and is a genuinely old, active Buddhist site. It sits in Ningxiang, which is administered under Changsha, not Yiyang – but Ningxiang borders Yiyang’s own Taojiang County, so this is one of the closer day trips on this list, even though no single verified point-to-point distance figure is available.
11. Hunan Embroidery Museum (Changsha)
Address: 39 Chezhan N Rd, Furong District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410001
The Hunan Embroidery Museum is in Changsha, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly a 57-minute drive, from Yiyang, not in Yiyang itself. It covers Hunan-style (Xiang) embroidery, including the “two-face embroidery” technique the region is known for. See the TripAdvisor listing for current visitor reviews and hours. (This is the affiliate link disclosed above.)
12. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (Cili County)
Address: 306 Provincial Rd, Cili County, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, 427234
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is in Cili County, about 248 km (154 miles) , roughly 2 hours 34 minutes, from Yiyang. Its glass-bottomed bridge opened in August 2016, runs 430 meters (1,410 feet) across the canyon, and was the longest and tallest glass bridge in the world when it opened.
13. Wulingyuan (Zhangjiajie)
Address: Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China
Wulingyuan is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed scenic district that contains Zhangjiajie National Forest Park along with Tianzi Mountain and the Golden Whip Stream valley, about 248 km (154 miles) , roughly 2 hours 34 minutes, from Yiyang. If you only have time for one Zhangjiajie stop, the National Forest Park below covers the best-known section of it.
14. Former Residence of Mao Zedong (Shaoshan)
Address: 037 County Rd, Shaoshan, Xiangtan, Hunan, China, 411301
Mao Zedong’s childhood home is in Shaoshan, part of Xiangtan, about 73 km (45 miles) from Yiyang. The mudbrick farmhouse is preserved as it stood, and it remains one of the most-visited historical sites in Hunan.
15. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Wulingyuan District)
Address: 8C8M+4WC, Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, 427403
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park holds the sandstone pillars that inspired the floating “Hallelujah Mountains” in the film Avatar. It is about 248 km (154 miles) , roughly 2 hours 34 minutes, from Yiyang, and it is the single most famous attraction in the region.
16. Changsha Window of the World (Kaifu District)
Address: 485 Sanyi Ave, Kaifu District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410100
Changsha Window of the World is a theme park with scaled-down replicas of global landmarks, from the pyramids to Venetian canals. It is in Changsha, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly 57 minutes, from Yiyang, and works best as a half-day add-on to a Changsha day trip.
17. Qianyang Ancient City (Hongjiang, Huaihua)
Address: 5RQ9+WHV, Gucheng Rd, Hongjiang, Huaihua, Hunan, China, 418116
Qianyang Ancient City is in Hongjiang, part of Huaihua – about 261 km (162 miles) from Yiyang, not in Nan County as an earlier version of this guide claimed. It is a genuinely old riverside town with stone streets, and the distance makes it a long day trip or better as an overnight stop.
18. Hunan Martyr’s Park (Kaifu District)
Address: 85 Yingpan E Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410005
Hunan Martyr’s Park is a memorial park in Changsha, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly 57 minutes, from Yiyang, commemorating those who died in China’s revolutionary struggles. It combines open lawns and a lake with the memorial monuments, and it is a quieter stop than most of the other Changsha sights on this list.
19. Former Residence of Jia Yi (Tianxin District)
Address: 28 Taiping St, Tianxin District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410006
The Former Residence of Jia Yi sits on Taiping Street in Changsha’s Tianxin District, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly 57 minutes, from Yiyang. Jia Yi was a Han dynasty scholar and official, and the site is a small, easy stop if you are already exploring the Taiping Street area.
20. Yuelu Academy (Yuelu District)
Address: Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410012
Yuelu Academy was founded in 976 AD and is considered the oldest academy of its kind still standing anywhere in the world. It sits in Changsha’s Yuelu District, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly 57 minutes, from Yiyang, and it later became the founding campus of Hunan University.
21. Hunan Forestry Botanical Garden (Yuhua District)
Address: Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410116
Hunan Forestry Botanical Garden is a large botanical reserve in Changsha’s Yuhua District, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly 57 minutes, from Yiyang. It is worth pairing with the Yuelu District sights above, since both are on the same side of the city.
22. Autumn-Admiring Pavilion, also called Aiwan Pavilion (Yuelu District)
Address: Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410012
The Autumn-Admiring Pavilion, also called Aiwan Pavilion, sits on Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, about 87 km (54 miles) , roughly 57 minutes, from Yiyang. It is not part of Yiyang’s own city wall, despite how an earlier version of this guide framed it. Built in 1792 and renamed using a line from Tang dynasty poet Du Mu, it is one of China’s “Four Famous Pavilions,” and Chairman Mao personally inscribed its name when it was rebuilt in 1952.
23. Phoenix Ancient City (Fenghuang County)
Address: Jinping Rd, Fenghuang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan, China, 416299
Phoenix Ancient City (Fenghuang) is a well-preserved riverside old town in far-western Hunan, well over 300 km (190 miles) from Yiyang – not a realistic day trip. If you want to see it, plan it as its own multi-day stop rather than an add-on to a Yiyang itinerary.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Yiyang?
April through June and September through November are the most comfortable months to visit Yiyang. Summer highs typically reach around 33°C (92°F) with high humidity, while winter lows can drop close to 2°C (36°F). July and August are the hottest and most humid months, which makes spring and fall the better window for the walking-heavy stops on this list, including Yuntai Mountain and Zhangjiajie.
Frequently Asked Questions About Things to Do in Yiyang
What are the best things to do in Yiyang itself?
Inside Yiyang City, the top picks are Yanzhi Lake, the Yunmeng Fangzhou water park, Yuntai Mountain in Anhua County, Bailu Temple, Taojiang Bamboo Sea, and the East and North Gates of the Yiyang Ancient City Wall in Ziyang District.
Is Zhangjiajie a realistic day trip from Yiyang?
Yes, though it is a longer one. Zhangjiajie is about 248 km (154 miles) from Yiyang, roughly a 2 hour 34 minute drive each way, so plan for a long day or an overnight stay.
How far is Changsha from Yiyang?
About 87 km (54 miles), roughly a 57-minute drive, which makes Changsha the easiest day trip on this list.
Can I visit Phoenix Ancient City (Fenghuang) as a day trip from Yiyang?
Not comfortably. Fenghuang is well over 300 km (190 miles) from Yiyang, so it works better as its own overnight or multi-day stop rather than an add-on.
Is Qianyang Ancient City in Yiyang?
No. Qianyang Ancient City is in Hongjiang, part of Huaihua, about 261 km (162 miles) from Yiyang, despite some older write-ups placing it in Yiyang’s Nan County.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Autumn-Admiring Pavilion
- Wikipedia, Yuelu Academy
- Wikipedia, Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge
- Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
- Trip.com, Yiyang Ancient City Wall
- Hunan Government (enghunan.gov.cn), Explore Beautiful Yiyang
- IIETA, Meishan Cultural Park case study
- Weatherspark, Yiyang climate data
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