益阳 is famous for
安化黑茶 (Anhua dark tea) — a post-fermented pressed tea that was a staple of the
茶马古道 (Tea Horse Road) trade with Tibet. The city also produced author
周立波 (not the comedian), whose novel 《
山乡巨变》 is a canonical piece of 1950s socialist realism set in the local countryside.
