60 li apart, two generations of chairmen.

Huaminglou Town is under the jurisdiction of Ningxiang City, Changsha City, and is located about 45 kilometers southwest of Changsha City. On this day, the fog was heavy, and the highway was closed, so we had to take the provincial road from Changsha to Huaminglou. The reason why we went to Huaminglou is that it is the hometown of former President Liu Shaoqi, which is now developed into the Liu Shaoqi Hometown Scenic Area, including the former residence, memorial hall, bronze statue square, cultural relics museum, Huaminglou, Xiuyang Pavilion, etc., with a total area of more than 1,200 mu. We arrived there before noon, the fog had dissipated, and it became cloudy, which was very suitable for outdoor sightseeing. The cultural square in front of Liu Shaoqi's hometown covers an area of more than 5,000 square meters, surrounded by nine 4-meter-high and 0.6-meter-diameter coiled dragon stone pillars. The gate of Liu Shaoqi's hometown is a paifang-style gate, which was completed in 1998. Unfortunately, Liu Shaoqi's hometown was closed to visitors because the bamboo and broken tree trunks crushed by ice and snow in the scenic area blocked the road and had not been cleaned up in time. Standing at the gate and looking inside, you can indeed see the messy scene. After leaving Huaminglou and driving 30 kilometers southwest, you will reach the hometown of another great man - Shaoshan Mao Zedong's Former Residence Scenic Area in Xiangtan City, which is currently part of the Shaoshan Scenic Area. Unlike Huaminglou, the roads and public places here have been cleaned up, and tourists from all over the world come here. If you make an appointment one day in advance, you can drive to the hotel in the scenic area, otherwise, you have to park in the parking lot of the visitor center, 10 yuan/24 hours. In the scenic area, there are many places to commemorate Chairman Mao, such as Mao Zedong's Former Residence, Mao Zedong Square, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, Mao Zedong Life Exhibition Area, Chairman Mao's Cultural Relics Museum, Mao Zedong Family History Museum, and Mao Zedong Memorial Garden. Mao Zedong Square on New Year's Eve is the most passionate hotspot. Shaoshan and Huaminglou are 30 kilometers apart, and two chairmen were born in the same era, which is amazing. Hunan is worthy of being the cradle of revolutionaries.