Changde City, historically known as Wuling, serves as the gateway to northwestern Hunan and is famed as the 'City of Peach Blossom Shangri-La'. Key attractions include the Taohuayuan Scenic Area (a utopia depicted by Tao Yuanming, offering idyllic rural landscapes and cultural relics), Liuye Lake Tourism & Holiday Resort (an urban lake ideal for lakeside cycling and water sports), Huping Mountain (the rooftop of Hunan, featuring primeval forests and gorges), and the Chengtoushan Ancient Cultural Site. Local cuisine highlights include Changde rice noodles (renowned for beef and pork tripe noodles with rich, savoury broth), spicy and addictive braised duck, sweet Shimen oranges, as well as local specialties such as lei cha (pounded tea) and hao zi ba ba (mugwort rice cakes).