This attraction introduction is compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · Scenic Spots section). Ticket prices, opening hours, transportation, and contact information mentioned in the text may be outdated. Please refer to the latest official announcements from the scenic area before traveling; some content consists of historical background/cultural introductions and is for reference only.
Dongfanghong Square is an important cultural facility in the Hedong New District of Xiangtan City, covering an area of 140,000 square meters. On the north side of the square, a group sculpture titled "Family Affection" themed on the great man Mao Zedong will be installed, making Dongfanghong Square a comprehensive cultural square combining commemorative and leisure functions. After Dongfanghong Square is completed, a multifunctional shopping mall integrating shopping, leisure, and dining will be built underground.
The large group sculpture "Hometown Sentiment" takes Chairman Mao's intimate conversation with his teacher Mao Yuju as the structural center, surrounded by a group of rural figures made up of men, women, the old, and the young. It vividly reproduces the moving scene of June 25, 1959, when Chairman Mao returned to his hometown of Shaoshan after an absence of 32 years. The group sculpture has a total of 8 figures, weighs 25 tons in bronze and 28 tons in total, is 15 meters wide, and the figures are 6 meters tall, with a total height of 10.1 meters including the base.
The sculpture was jointly established by the CPC Xiangtan Municipal Committee, the Municipal People's Congress, the Municipal Government, the Municipal CPPCC, and the Xiangtan Military Subdistrict. It was designed by the Sculpture Department of the China Academy of Art and cast by Hangzhou Junhua Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. The "Hometown Sentiment" group sculpture stands in the most important central position of Dongfanghong Square in the central urban area of Xiangtan City, becoming the most distinctive landmark urban sculpture in Xiangtan.
