Dongting Lake

4-Day Itinerary Recommendation for Yueyang-Changsha-Zhuzhou || "I behold the magnificent scenery of Baling, all centered around Dongting Lake." Sunset + Dongting Lake—the poetic imagery from textbooks suddenly becomes vividly real.

D1 (Yueyang City & Yueyang County) Experience Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
① Yueyang Tower: p2, worth reciting for free entry
② Baling Square: p3
③ Jin'e Park
④ South Lake Park: p4↑
⑤ Piaowei: p4↓
⑥ Former Missionary School Site: p5 (Note: Staff mentioned closing at 6 PM during sunset visit; adjust order of ⑤⑥ if needed to avoid being locked in. See notes ["4.17 Stunning Sunset at Dongting Lake"])
🚍: Direct bus access

D2 (Changsha City Hiking) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
① Yuelu Mountain: p6 (Aiwan Pavilion), p7 (summit). See notes ["4.18 Changsha: Beating the Thunderstorm"]
② Wangjiang Park (Statue of a Great Leader): p8
③ Changsha Railway Station: p9 (beautiful night view). See notes ["4.18 Changsha: Beating the Thunderstorm"]
🚇🚍: Metro/bus accessible

D3 (Changsha City Walk) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
① Hunan Museum
② Orange Isle (Juzizhou): p10-11
③ Jiangtan Park: p12-13. See notes ["4.19 The Later the Night, the Bigger the Fish"]
🚇🚴: Metro + shared bikes

D4 (Zhuzhou City Walk) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
① Wenyi Road: p14-15 (charming murals). ①-④ details in notes ["4.20 Zhuzhou: Abandoned Pier & Slingshot Range"]
② Shennong Park
③ Yongli Pier: p16-17
④ Shennong City (Shennong Tower, Shennong Altar, Shennong Lake): p18
🚍: Bus