Loudi Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 娄底 ((lóu dǐ)
Population: 4,530,000
Area: 8,117 square kilometers (3,134 square miles)
Location: in the central area of Hunan Province, south-central China
Administrative Division: 1 district (Louxing); 2 counties (Shuangfeng, Xinhua); 2 county-level cities (Lengshuijiang, Lianyuan)
Area Code: 0738
Zip Code: 417000
GDP (2018): CNY 154.041 billion (USD 23.280 billion)

Loudi is situated in the center of Hunan Province, neighboring six cities in the surrounding area: Xiangtan and Changsha to the northeast, Hengyang to the southeast, Yiyang to the northwest, Shaoyang to the southwest and Huaihua to the west. It serves as a railway transport hub where the Hunan-Guizhou railway and Shanghai-Kunming high speed railway cross the east and west and Luoyang-Zhanjiang railway and Loudi-Shaoyang railway run through the north and south. Also, Loudi is an important new energy and raw material industrial base in Hunan and even in China, gathering a large number of industrial enterprises. There are 48 kinds of mineral resources that can be mined and 25 kinds have been exploited. Among them, the reserve of antimony mine ranks the first in the world. As for tourism, this city has more than 70 scenic spots various in natural landscape, historical spots and former residences of celebrities. Magnificent Ziquejie Terrace and Boyue Cave with magical karst landscape are two highlights.

Layers upon layers of terraces are mapped on the hills like green waves rolling among mountains. This is the Ziquejie Terrace in Shuiche Town of Xinhua County. Visitors coming to view this spectacle will be astonished at this creation by the ancient ancestors of the locals. 
 

Admission Fee	CNY 68
Transportation	Take regular bus from Loudi Bus Station to Xinhua, and change bus from Xinhua West Bus Station to Fengjia, Shangtuan or Xiangbei and then get off at Ziquejie Terrace.

 Located on the outskirts of the antimony capital, Lengshuijiang City, Boyue Cave is a grand limestone cave with considerable scientific and historic value. Covering an area of more than 40,000 square meters (9.9 acres), the cave contains a 1,800 meters (1,969 yards) long sightseeing route. Stunning karst landscapes make it increasingly well-known to visitors. 
 

Admission Fee	CNY 63 (including the entrance fees for the cave and the park)
Transportation	1. take regular bus from Loudi Bus Station to Lengshuijiang, and then cheng bus on the opposite of Lengshuijiang Municipal Government Building for Boyue Cave. 2. take train from Loudi to Lengshuijiang, change bus from the railway station to the municipal government building and then take bus to the cave.

 
 Other Scenic Spots: Meijiang Scenic Spot, Longshan MountainLoudi Xinhua Airport is under construction and will be put into use in 2024. It will be built in Youjia Town, Xinhua County, 110 kilometers (70 miles) to downtown Loudi. The distance between Loudi and Changsha is only 112 kilometers (70 miles), and Loudi is about 150 kilometers (93 miles), approximately 2-3 hours' drive from Changsha Huanghua International Airport. Visitors can take a bus to Changsha South Bus Station, where the airport bus terminus can be found in the square in front of the station. 

Loudi enjoys a subtropical continental monsoon climate, and the weather is humid, with moderate temperatures and four distinct seasons. Rainfall is most prevalent in the late spring and early summer. It is torrid in summer, sunny and warm in autumn. Winter months here are not severe, and the annual average temperature falls around 16-17.3 C (60.8-62.6 F).   
 
 When to Go: May to October

 History: Before the Qin (221BC-206BC) Court established a county to administer this area, the Loudi region belonged to Chu, a vassal state of the eastern Zhou Dynasty. Currently it forms part of one district, which contains two counties and two county-level cities.       
 
 Physical Features: The western region of Loudi borders the mountainous area in western Hunan, while the land in the central and east is hilly, with gently sloping topography.
 
 Special Local Products: southern poplar mushroom, glossy ganodema, waxberry