Hunan Botanical Garden is located in Dongjing Street, Yuhua District, Changsha City, Hunan Province. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a national science popularization education base. The scenic area covers an area of about 140 hectares, with a forest coverage rate of over 90%, and boasts more than 3,000 species of rare plants. It is a comprehensive botanical garden integrating plant protection, scientific research, science popularization, and tourism. The scenic area features a theme of "Nature, Science, Culture," with more than 20 special gardens such as the Cherry Blossom Garden, Rhododendron Garden, and Rare Plant Garden. Every spring, when cherry blossoms, tulips, and other flowers are in full bloom, it attracts a large number of visitors.
History and Culture
Hunan Botanical Garden was founded in 1985, jointly invested and constructed by the People's Government of Hunan Province and the Ministry of Forestry of China, and officially opened to the public in 1994. In the early days of its establishment, it aimed to collect and preserve subtropical plant resources. After years of development, it has gradually become an important plant germplasm resource bank in central and southern China.
The scenic area retains part of the original vegetation and landforms, while integrating elements of Huxiang culture. For example, it embodies the artistic conception of the "Eight Views of Xiaoxiang" in garden design and has built a display area for Hunan's native plants, showcasing Hunan's unique plant ecology and regional culture. In 2012, the scenic area was recognized as the "Hunan Environmental Education Base," carrying out more than 200 science popularization activities annually, making it an important window for spreading plant science knowledge.
Main Attractions
Cherry Blossom Garden
The Cherry Blossom Garden covers about 30 mu, planting more than 20 cherry blossom varieties with a quantity of over 5,000 trees, including Somei Yoshino Cherry, Kwanzan Cherry, and Weeping Cherry. From mid-to-late March to early April each year, cherry blossoms are in full bloom, forming a 400-meter-long cherry blossom avenue. It is a popular spot for spring flower viewing in Changsha, receiving over 10,000 visitors daily on average.
Tulip Garden
The Tulip Garden covers 20 mu, displaying more than 50 tulip varieties and about 100,000 plants from winter to spring each year. Paired with bulb flowers such as hyacinths and daffodils, it forms a colorful flower field landscape. The garden is equipped with landscape features like Dutch windmills, creating a strong European style, making it a popular photography spot.
Rare Plant Garden
The Rare Plant Garden covers 15 mu, collecting and preserving more than 10 species of national first-class protected plants such as Davidia involucrata, Cathaya argyrophylla, and Bretschneidera sinensis, as well as more than 30 species of Hunan endemic plants like Hunan persimmon and Hunan rhododendron. The garden has a greenhouse to provide a suitable growth environment for rare plants, serving as an important venue for scientific research and science popularization.
World Famous Flower Garden
The World Famous Flower Garden covers 25 mu, introducing more than 1,000 ornamental flower species from around the world, divided into areas such as the European Garden, American Garden, and Asian Garden. The garden has flowers in all seasons, with peonies in spring, water lilies in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and plum blossoms in winter, showcasing flower cultures and garden arts from different regions.
Food
Sugar Oil Baba
A traditional Hunan snack, made from glutinous rice flour, fried until golden in oil, and coated with brown sugar syrup. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, sweet and delicious. The "Xiang Flavor Snack Street" in the scenic area makes about 500 portions daily, with 4 pieces per portion, priced at 10 yuan.
Stinky Tofu
A characteristic food of Changsha, made from fermented tofu pieces, fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, paired with secret sauce and coriander, with a unique flavor. Stinky tofu in restaurants around the scenic area has a daily average sales of 800 portions, with 6 pieces per portion, priced at 12 yuan.
Chopped Pepper Fish Head
A famous Hunan dish, using fresh bighead carp heads covered with chopped red peppers, steamed and paired with scallions. The fish meat is tender and spicy. Restaurants near the scenic area offer this dish, each portion weighing about 1.5 kg, priced at 68 yuan, suitable for 2-3 people.
Perilla Peach Ginger
A characteristic snack of Changsha, made by slicing peaches and young ginger, pickling them with perilla, rock sugar, and white vinegar. It is sweet and sour, refreshing, and has a heat-relieving effect. The dessert shop in the scenic area supplies about 200 portions daily, 250 grams per portion, priced at 15 yuan.
Tickets
Free admission, but reservation is required. Some projects in the garden require separate fees.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "湖南省植物园" to get the latest updates or make online reservations for tickets.
Opening Hours
The scenic area is open year-round from 7:30 to 18:00 daily (admission stops at 17:30). Among them, the greenhouse is open from 9:00 to 17:00, and the Science Museum is open from 9:30 to 16:30. From March 1 to May 31 and from September 1 to November 30 each year are the peak tourist seasons, with extended opening hours to 18:30 on weekends and holidays (admission stops at 18:00).
Tour Route
Recommended tour route: Enter from the north gate of the scenic area, first visit the Cherry Blossom Garden (focus on viewing from March to April), then go to the Tulip Garden (from December to April), followed by the Rare Plant Garden to learn about endangered plants, then walk to the World Famous Flower Garden to enjoy flowers from various countries. Have lunch at the Xiang Flavor Snack Street, visit the Science Museum in the afternoon (to learn plant science knowledge), and finally exit from the west gate. The whole journey is recommended to take 4-5 hours. If visiting in autumn, focus on the Osmanthus Forest (September-October) and Liquidambar Forest (November-December).
Transportation
- Bus: Take bus routes 7, 17, 102, 103, 120, 123, 140, 141, 147, 209, 210, 229, 230, 239, 276, 27, 502, 702, 801, 802, 806 to "Provincial Botanical Garden" station, then walk about 200 meters to arrive.
- Metro: Take Changsha Metro Line 5 to "Maozhutang" station, exit from No. 1, transfer to bus routes 210 or 239 to "Provincial Botanical Garden" station, or take a taxi for about 5 minutes to arrive.
- Self-driving: Navigate to "North Gate of Hunan Botanical Garden". The scenic area has a parking lot with a charging standard of 5 yuan/hour, and the maximum daily fee is 30 yuan. Parking spaces are tight on weekends and holidays; it is recommended to arrive before 9:00 am.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Cherry Blossom Garden: Covering 30 mu, over 5,000 cherry trees form a 400-meter cherry blossom avenue. The best viewing period is from mid-to-late March to early April, making it a core attraction for spring flower viewing in Changsha.
- Rare Plant Garden: Preserving more than 10 species of national first-class protected plants and over 30 species of Hunan endemic plants. Endangered plants like Davidia involucrata and Cathaya argyrophylla can be viewed in the greenhouse, suitable for plant enthusiasts and researchers.
- Science Museum: With a construction area of 1,500 square meters, it has exhibition areas such as plant evolution, ecological environment, and plants and humans, displaying more than 2,000 specimens. Free explanations are available at 10:00 and 15:00 daily, suitable for parent-child families.
Tour Tips
- Spring (March-May) is the peak flower viewing season. It is recommended to arrive before 9:00 am on weekdays to avoid the rush; in autumn (September-November), you can enjoy osmanthus and red maples with relatively fewer visitors.
- Carry a light backpack and comfortable sports shoes as the walking route in the scenic area is long; prepare a folding umbrella for rainy spring days; take sun protection measures in summer as there are few shaded areas in the garden.
- Catering in the scenic area is concentrated in the "Xiang Flavor Snack Street" near the north gate and the "Ecological Restaurant" at the west gate. The snack street has a per capita consumption of 20-30 yuan, and the ecological restaurant has a per capita consumption of 50-80 yuan. You can also bring your own lunch for a picnic on the lawn.
- Follow the official WeChat public account "Hunan Botanical Garden" to check real-time flower conditions and activity previews, and make reservations for free explanation services during the peak season.
Notes
- Carrying pets into the garden is prohibited. Smoking and littering are forbidden in the garden, and violators will be fined 50-200 yuan.
- Warning lines and signs are set in the flower viewing areas. Entering the flower fields for photography, picking flowers, and climbing trees are prohibited to avoid damaging plant growth.
- The temperature in the greenhouse is high, reaching over 35°C in summer. Pay attention to heatstroke prevention when visiting; some exhibits in the Science Museum are fragile cultural relics, so avoid touching them.
- There are many water areas in the scenic area, especially the artificial lake beside the Cherry Blossom Garden. Visitors with children should keep an eye on them at all times to prevent drowning.
- Traffic around the scenic area is congested on weekends and holidays. It is recommended to choose public transportation first; when driving away, follow the parking lot instructions to pass in an orderly manner to avoid scratches.