Changsha, located in the northeast of Hunan Province, is its provincial capital as well as a well-known ancient city with a history of 3,500 years. It used to be a place of strategic importance of the state of Chu, a famous prefecture of the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 B.C.), and the capital of the early Han Dynasty (206 B. C. – A.D. 220). Now Changsha is an important place gathering historical and cultural relics of Hunan Province.
Changsha is a multi-ethnic city. Fifty-three ethnic minority groups are represented in the city with a total population of 72,500. The largest ethnic groups in Changsha are the Tujia, Miao, Hui, Dong, Yao, Man and Zhuang. In addition, 50,000 more members of ethnic minority groups visit Changsha each year for business and tourism. Changsha’s ethnic minority population is diverse and growing, and its members are scattered throughout the city. Furthermore, Changsha’s universities and colleges attract about 40,000 students from various ethnic minorities.
The traffic of Changsha is comprehensive in all directions. Xiangjiang River goes from the urban area to the north, running directly to Dongting Lake. The main arteries of Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Luoyang-Zhanjiang Railway run from the north to the south. Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway, Hunan-Guizhou Railway and Shimen-Changsha Railway make a joint between the east and west. Expressways radiate to the surrounding areas. The three National Highways of No.319, No. 107 and No. 106 intersect in the suburbs, forming a network of highways that radiate to the whole province and the whole country as well. Huanghua International Airport is the largest of Hunan Province, which have already operated more than 30 international and domestic routes.
Changsha is a city with many famous scenic spots, including Mount Yuelu, Orange Island, the Human Provincial Museum, the Mawangdui Mausoleum, the Mao Zedong’s Former Residence and so on. All of these spots are of great historical and cultural significance, which absolutely deserve your visit. You should never miss these spots in Changsha if you are interested in the modern history of China.