Changsha sits at the northeast of Hunan Province in south-central China, fed by the Xiang River, west of Jiangxi and south of Hubei. It is known for its warm climate and is the economic and political capital of Hunan. Thanks to its position as the central transport hub for Hunan, it is also easily reached by air, rail and road, with a limited passenger service bringing visitors by water. Changsha's lush farmland was for years the core of its economic success, but in the middle of the 19th century, it went through a period of modernization and today is an important economic center with particular strengths in construction machinery manufacturing, electronics and IT and food processing.
Cities all across China celebrate a wide range of festivals throughout the year and Changsha is no exception. The Dragon Boat Festivals are celebrated nationally to mark the ritual suicide in 278 BC of the poet Qu Yuan, who was protesting against official corruption. The boat races symbolize the people's desperate attempts to save him and recover his body: the local significance of the ceremonies derives from the fact that Qu Yuan died in the Miluo River, not far north of the city.
The Forest Protection Festival is unique to the city, promoting and rejoicing in the fine natural resources in Zhangjiajie Park. The China Liuyang International Fireworks Festival, which marks the Hunan Province as one of the earliest regions to produce fireworks, is perhaps a more lively time to visit the city, when long firework displays are put on to celebrate this historical connection. By far the most exciting historical attraction at Changsha is the site of the Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tombs outside the city which were discovered in the 1970s. They contained a treasure trove of Han Dynasty artifacts, as well as three well-preserved mummies. The history of Changsha can be further explored at the Hunan Provincial Museum where Shang and Zhou bronze vessels sit alongside a collection of Yuezhou celadon porcelain and an original text of the legendary calligrapher Wang Xizhi's most famous work "Prologue to the Orchid Pavilion Collection".
Visitors can also drop in on the Changsha Hunan Xiangxiu Museum and the Hunan Museum of Geology which holds collections of dinosaur bones found in the Hunan province and a planetarium. Changsha has a firm place in the modern history of China, as Chairman Mao – the Father of modern China – grew up in the nearby village of Shaoshan. His childhood home is now known as Chairman Mao Zedong's Former Residence and receives visitors daily. Within the city, his former office and another residence can also be found by those interested in understanding the birth of Chinese Communism.
Changsha Museum has a collection calligraphy and prose written in Chairman Mao's calligraphy. Yuelu Academy is the second of the most popular sights in Changsha, having been established on the slopes of Yuelu Mountain during the Song Dynasty to educate those intending to take China's rigorous Civil Examinations and receive a classical education. It is still a thriving institute of Higher Education. Yuelu Mountain itself is known as a wonderful spot to visit, dotted with sites including the Qin Dynasty Yuelu Palace and a number of Qin Dynasty tombs including the Huangxin Tomb, the Cai'e Tomb and the Chentianhua Tomb. Hengshan Mountain just outside of Changsha home to a number of Taoist and Buddhist temples including the Nanyue Da Miao which is the largest temple in southern China. The wonderfully fragrant Orange Isle in Xiang River on which sits the Heavenly Heart Pavilion located on is another beautiful location where the views over the city are considered particularly fine.
Changsha is a seat of Hunan Cuisine, one of the eight regional cuisines of China characterized by hot spicy flavors, fresh aromas and the use of color. Visitors may like to hunt out Hong Shao Rou, a braised pork dish which melts in the mouth and was known to be Chairman Mao's favorite. Location /Climate Changsha is located in the Hunan Province on the lowest part of the Xiang River. It is humid all year round, with a summer average maximum temperature of around 33C (91.4F). The coldest month of January has average minimums of 1C (33F). Area & Population The area of Changsha covers 10% of the Hunan Province: an area of 11,819 square kilometers. The urban area of Changsha is relatively small in comparison, comprising an area of 554 sq. kilometers. The population of Changsha is just under 6.4 million, with an urban population of 2.09 million. History There has been a settlement in the area now known as Changsha since the Neolithic era. It was a fortified city by the second century BC and grew further during the Han Dynasty when it became the capital of the Changsha Kingdom. During the Han Dynasty, the famous Mawangdui Tombs were constructed to house the remains of the Marquis of Dai, his wife and a second male who archeologists believe was their son.
A number of finds in the tomb have helped piece together Changsha's historical importance: rare volumes written on silk were found in the tombs along with a large collection wooden figurines which have provided valuable links between costume and status in Western Han society. Yuelu Academy was founded during the Song Dynasty in Changsha and evolved over the next 1000 years into a modern higher education institution. Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi the renowned Confucian Scholars both lectured at the academy. As a part of the Treaty of Shanghai in 1903, Changsha was opened up to foreign trade, as a consequence of which the city experienced a boom when factories, churches and schools were built with the resultant influx of money and people. Yale University alumni opened a college in the city, which later became the Xiangya Medical Centre and the Yali Secondary School.A large part of the history of Changshan and the area around it is based on its connection with Chairman Mao.
He was brought up in the small village of Shaoshan situated about 100 kilometers outside of Changshan, later attending Hunan Number 1 Teachers' Training School in the city. Two of his former residences and his former office are now open to visitors. Four large battles took place in Changsha during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when invading Japanese forces tried to capture it from the Chinese Nationalists who had secured the area. The 4th Battle of Changsha ended when the city finally fell to Japanese forces who held it for a year before being defeated in a counter-attack. The city became part of the territory of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
