The Orange Isle is the well-known island lying in the middle of the 1000-li-long
Xiangjiang River, appearing in the year 305. it was so called during the sixth century due to a line of "the orange isle's field is still futile" in a poem written by Du Fu. To its east is the city and in the west is the Yuelu Mountain, the isle is the world's longes
t is land in an inland river. On the isle, historical relics, foreign consuls, mansions and villas are randomly scattered. In 1925, when Mao Tsetung was studying in the first Normal School, Mao often got together with many of his ambitious young people in the isle, discussing the current state of affairs and wrote his best known poem "
Changsha, to the tune of Spring in the Garden of Qin", which has been inscribed on the marble tablet erected at the head of the isle. The isle is also well known for its scenery, called "the evening snowflakes flying over the river," one of the eight scenes in Hunan Province. It is said that the eight scenes include the "rain at night in the province," "a fine and bright day in the mountainous marketplace," "the homeward sails from afar in the river," "the ringing of bells of a temple amid the evening mist of smoke," "a sunset view in the fishermen's village," "the autumn moon shining over the Lake Dongting," and "the landing wild goose on the plain sands."
The "evening snowflakes flying over the river" shows in general the snowing scene in winter in the evening. The Xiangjiang grand bridge spans the isle from the city's May First Avenue to the isle's north side. It has a spiral staircase for pedestrians. The isle is equipped with all kinds offacilities including roads, power and water supplies, and communications. During the summer, the temperatures on the isle are generally lower than that in the urban area by 1 to 3 degrees, providing ideal conditions for holidaymaking, tourism and summer resorts. It produces about 100 tons of sweet oranges every year and receives a total of 500,000 tourists. Presently, it has been developed into a park and become one of the holidaymaking and tourist resorts for the locals.
