Changsha 长沙

About Changsha

The Mawangdui discoveries reveal an intimate Han-period world beneath the modern provincial capital. Food and evening street life give the city a different rhythm after a museum visit. Group sights by riverbank and use the metro for deliberate crossings, leaving enough time to enjoy a neighbourhood rather than collecting distant stops.

Changsha has more than 2,400 years of urban history, and its name first appears in the pre-Qin text Yi Zhou Shu. The Qin dynasty established Changsha Commandery here, and the Western Han founded the Changsha Kingdom. The Tang-dynasty Changsha Kiln (长沙窑) was the first to produce underglaze-painted porcelain, and in the Five Dynasties period Changsha was the capital of the Southern Chu state. The Song-dynasty Yuelu Academy (岳麓书院) was one of four major academies of that era, and in the late Qing, Changsha was one of China's four major rice and tea markets.

The city's economy and historic architecture were damaged during the Second Sino-Japanese War, including the 1938 Wenxi Fire (文夕大火). Few of the old city's stone-paved streets survived; only four complete stretches remain, and five historic-and-cultural districts have since been designated for protective conservation, including Taiping Street (太平街) and Chaozong Street (潮宗街).

Changsha is now known for an industrial chain centred on engineering machinery and new materials, and hosts the Xiangjiang New Area, a national-level new area. It was the birthplace of China's first domestically made laser 3D printer and its first domestic maglev rail line, and UNESCO has named it China's first 'City of Media Arts'.

What to look for

• The contrast between the Yuelu academic landscape and the east-bank city.
• Han-period discoveries, local food and the modern commercial street scene.

Location & getting there

Getting to Changsha

Choose accommodation with a practical metro connection to your main sights. Changsha South is the principal high-speed rail hub, while the airport is east of the city; confirm the station and terminal on your booking before choosing the transfer.