Brief Introduction to Hunan Province

Brief Introduction to Hunan ProvinceHunan Province, known as Xiang for short, lies in the south of the middle Y angtze River valley, with Changsha as its provincial capital. According to archaeological finds and recorded history, there were human beings living in this area more than 8,000 years ago. Hunan has an area of 210,000 square kilometers. It is surrounded with mountains on three sides: Mufu and Luoxiao mountains in the east, Nanling Mountain in the south, and Wuling and Xuefeng Mountain in the west. The northern part of the province is the Dongting Lake Plain, and central Hunan has wide areas of low hills, basins and valleys. Among the total area of Hunan, mountainous regions account for 51.2%, while basins, plains and hilly areas account for 13.9%, 13.1% and 15.4% respectively. Areas below 50 meters altitude form 9.9% of the total, while areas above 1,000 meters account for 4.3%. The majority of Hunan Province lies at altitudes between 100 meters and 800 meters.Hunan has a humid continental and subtropical monsoon climate. It has four clearly contrasted seasons, abundant rainfall. The annual average temperature is 16°C-18°C, a frost-free period of 260-310 days, and a mean annual precipitation of 1,300-1,700 mm. Its climate has three characteristics: first, it has abundant sunshine, heat and water resources, and they reach their peak synchronously(同步). During the period from April to October, the total radiation amount is 70-76% of the whole year, and rainfall accounts for 68-84% of the total. Second, there are distinct seasonal climate changes, with a cold winter and hot summer. The temperature always changes in spring, but always declines abruptly in the autumn. There is much rainfall in spring and summer, while drought always appears in autumn and winter. Third, areas with an abruptly changeable climate are surrounded by mountains in three directions, especially in the mountainous regions in west and south Hunan.Hunan is known as the land of fish and rice because of plentiful production of rice, cotton, tung oil, orange, and fresh water fishes. It is also noted as thehome for rich mineral resources.Hunan has a complete water system. Dongting Lake in northern Hunan, the second largest fresh water lake in China, has a water area of 2,691 sq km. It takes the waters of the Xiangjiang River, Zishui River, Yuanjiang River and Lishui River from the southwest, and then flows into the Y angtze River at Chenglingji.Hunan has various and abundant minerals. The province is known as the "hometown of nonferrous metals"(有色金属), with the presence of 37 types confirmed among them.Hunan Province is famous for its picturesque scenery. There are places of historic interest and scenic beauty, such as Mountain Yuelu, Mountain Hengshan, Mountain Jiuyi, the Yueyang Tower, the Dongting Lake and Wulingyuan tourist area. WulingYuan tourist area with its unique physiognomy, limestone caves, brooks, hot springs, ancient trees and rare animals, has been placed by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the World Natural Heritage List. Mount Hengshan is the famous sacred mountain of Buddhism and a summer resort. Y ueyang Tower is also well known at home and abroad for its long history, folklore and grand architecture. Changsha, the provincial capital, is a historic and cultural city. Tourist sites there include Han Dynasty Tombs at Mawangdui, Y uelu Hill, Loving Y outh Pavilion (Aiwanting), Orange Isle (Juzizhou), and Y uelu Academy of Classical Learning.Xiang cuisineXiang cuisine is the abbreviation of Hunan cuisine, which consists of the cuisines of the Xiang River region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province in China. Xiang cuisine can be divided into three different styles: Xiang River style which is featured by dishes of Changsha, Dongting Lake style which highlights dishes of Hengyang, and western Hunan style whichis known for dishes of Xiangtan. As one of the eight famous regional cuisines in China, is renowned for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color.Common cooking techniques of Xiang cuisine include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising(烤), and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, ingredients for Hunan dishes are many and varied. Hunan is known for its liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots（葱）and garlic. Xiang cuisine is known for being dry hot, or purely hot, as opposed to Szechuan cuisine, the neighbor to which it is often compared. Hunan Cuisine is often spicier and contains a larger variety of ingredients. Other characters distinguish Hunan cuisine from Szechuan cuisine is that in general; Hunan cuisine utilizes smoked and curing（固化）food in its dishes much more frequently than Szechuan cuisine.Xiang cuisine stems from Hunan, a province that has an age-old reputation as a 'land of fish and rice'. Hunan Province has always been a cornucopia（聚宝盆）as far as foodstuffs go. The salient（突出的）features of Hunan cuisine are richness, creaminess, and moistness, combined with a delicate use of chili. Hunan cuisine is also fragrant, with crunchy(脆脆的) fresh vegetables. It is said that Hunan cuisine not only has the saltiness of the cuisines of North China and the sweetness of the cuisines of South China, it also has the spicy-hotness as well as the tanginess of more local dishes. Moreover, Hunan cuisine relies on fresh, local ingredients that are seasonal staples(季节性的主食), which is another reason why Hunan cuisine is often less expensive than other cuisines.Xiang cuisine favors cooking techniques such as stir-frying, steaming and smoking. It is renowned for its "stewed" dishes. However, Xiang cuisine excels at braising and baking, which lend themselves admirably to the raw materials that make up Hunan cuisine. Equally as important to Xiang cuisine is the art of cutting meats and vegetables, both to pleasethe eye and, in the case of meats, to enhance the tenderness of the finished product.The special seasonings of Xiang cuisine include soy sauce, tea seed oil, spicy oil, Chinese red pepper, each of which add its own particular color and flavor to the cuisine.Famous Dishes are hot pot (鸳鸯火锅yuān yāng hǔo gūo), Orange Beef （桔汁牛肉）, Crispy Duck（脆皮鸭）, Dongan Chicken（东安子鸡）,Peppery and Hot Chicken（麻辣仔鸡）,Lotus Seeds in Sugar Candy （冰糖湘莲。