Most attractions revolve around Mao's early life and there are museums and schools dedicated to him. Lushan Mountain is a well-known scenic area and summer resort with tranquil scenery and a warm and comfortable climate. It has been a haven for poets and artists, Confucian thinkers and Buddhist and Taoist worshippers for centuries. At its centre is Guling Town, at an altitude of 1167 metres. Steep monolithic mountains rise dramatically from a flat landscape of meandering rivers and paddy fields.
Visitors can climb the hills, take river trips and visit the parks, lakes and caves.
Further north is the Wulingyuan basin, centred on the town of Zhangjiajie , which contains dense primeval forest and several thousand steep mountain peaks, the highest of which is called Rabbits Watch the Moon . Tourism is expanding in the area and various guided tours are offered around scenic spots including Yellow Dragon Cave , with gnarled stalactites. Kunming is a newer, showcase city with some temples and very pretty lakeside parks. It is known as the 'City of Eternal Spring' because of the pleasant climate throughout the year. The ancient city of Lijiang , further west in Yunnan Province, is made up of the wooden houses of Naxi ethnic people, whose traditional Dongba religion includes witchcraft and traditional medicine.