Summer afternoons here can pass 40°C, so the city saves its energy for after dark. Once the heat breaks, crowds fill Huangxing Road, black squares of stinky tofu crackle in the fryer and plates of spicy crayfish keep tables busy well past midnight. Late suppers mean mornings start a little later here.
By day, cross the Xiang River to the orange groves of Orange Isle and the quiet courtyards of Yuelu Academy. Spring and autumn are mild, while summers are long, hot and humid and winters chilly and gray. A Local Friend reads the spicy menu, the metro map and the mood of the night for you, so you know which stall to trust.
