My friend from Italy visited Changsha. Not for the tea this time. For Super Wenheyou (文和友).
She walked through a rusted iron gate and stepped into 1980s China.
What is Super Wenheyou?
It's a 5,000-square-meter food complex. 200+ food stalls. But it's not a food court. It's a living museum of old Changsha.
Concrete walls. Faded job notices plastered everywhere. Rusted bicycles in corners. Old public phone booths. A cable car track you can actually ride. Printed bed sheets fluttering under neon signs.
The slogan at the entrance: "Build a dream of an era with the flavor of a city."
The food:
Level 1: Street snacks
• Old Changsha stinky tofu (臭豆腐) — limited to 300 portions daily at the "Laid-off Worker" stall
• Spicy crayfish (口味虾) served in vintage aluminum lunch boxes
• Skewers, rice noodles, pickled vegetables
Level 2: Regional specialties
• Hunan smoked pork
• Chili fish head
• Lard-mixed rice noodles (猪油拌粉)
Level 3: The unexpected
• Chili ice cream with shiso-peach-ginger
• Snake-flavored cocktails (after 1 AM)
• Michelin-recommended modern Hunan at Xinchangfu restaurant (floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Xiang River)
The experience:
My friend sat at a stall labeled "Laid-off Worker Reemployment Snack" eating crayfish that cost ¥68 per portion. Above her hung a contemporary artist's mirrored installation.
An elderly man in a faded Mao suit walked past. She thought he was staff. He was just a local who loved the atmosphere.
At 11 PM, the lights dimmed. The neon signs buzzed. A film started playing at the Red Star Cinema inside the complex. People ate noodles while watching.
The practical stuff:
Location: Hisense Plaza, 36 Xiangjiang Middle Road, Changsha Hours: 11:00 AM - 3:00 AM (dining until 2:30 AM) Metro: Xiangjiang Middle Road Station, Line 2, Exit 1 Queue: 20 minutes at lunch. Up to 2 hours at 8-11 PM. Use the Wenheyou WeChat mini-program to take a number in advance. Price: ¥80-150 per person for a full meal Best time: 8-11 PM for the cinematic lighting and atmosphere
Tips:
• Download the Wenheyou mini-program before you go. Queue remotely while exploring nearby.
• The "Changsha" neon sign on the 4th floor is the most Instagrammed spot. Use a wide-angle lens.
• Some dialect signs (like "恰饭不喽" meaning "want to eat?") are in Changsha dialect. Use your phone translator.
• After 1 AM, some stalls offer underground tasting menus.
• It's inside a luxury mall (Hisense Plaza). You can browse Chanel and Dior while waiting for your table.
The Changsha food ecosystem:
Super Wenheyou isn't alone. Changsha has become China's most exciting food city:
"I walked in expecting a themed restaurant. I walked out feeling like I time-traveled. The crayfish hurt. The ice cream confused me. The cable car was broken. And I can't stop thinking about it."
Anyone else been to Super Wenheyou? What did you eat?
Posted on 2026-5-26 10:16:42