Xiangtan is best known as the birthplace of Mao Zedong — his home village 韶山 (Shaoshan) is in Xiangtan's jurisdiction and is a major 'red tourism' site. The painter Qi Baishi (齐白石) was also born here.
memory
湘 is the abbreviation for Hunan Province (from 湘江, the Xiang River). Seeing 湘 in a place name almost always signals Hunan.
