Hunan People's Government and all the Hunan people sincerely welcome you to Hunan, a place blessed with great potentials and wonders. This is a warm provision of useful information for you to know Hunan better and to enjoy your stay in Hunan.
Changsha City
Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, is a famous ancient city with a history of 3,500 years. It used to be a place of strategic importance in the Kingdom of Chu, and a famous prefecture of the Qin Dynasty (221BC-207BC). Now Changsha is an important city with numerous historical and cultural relics, and an ideal destination for tourists. In Dec., 2008, Changsha entered the list of 2008 Top 10 Cities of Bliss in China upon strict assessment and selection by the expert commission.
Though 3,500 years have elapsed after the founding of Changsha city, people can still feel the past prosperity of this ancient city from a great number of historical remains in the city. A woman corpse that has been well preserved for more than 2,000 years astonished the world along with the discovery of over 3,000 precious cultural relics which were excavated from the Han tombs in Mangwangdui, making people in the world gasp in admiration at the ancient civilization created by the ancient Chinese people. Yuelu Academy, one of the four most famous academies in China, is widely accepted to be among the oldest educational institution in the world.
Changsha is closely related to a great number of celebrities, including Qu Yuan, Jia Yi, Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi, to name just a few; and Hunan First Normal College, the meeting venue of the Autumn Harvest Uprising, Qingshui Pond and other historic sites remind tourists of the old stories.
There are also many natural scenic spots, including the Yuelu Hills noted for its beauty and vitality, the Xiangjiang River that flows through the whole city from south to north with the picturesque Orange Isle quietly lying in it. All these jointly compose a melodious song.
There are also many natural scenic spots, including the Yuelu Hill characteristic of beauty and vitality, the Xiangjiang River flowing through the whole city from south to north with the picturesque Orange Islet quietly lying in it. All these jointly compose a melodious song.
Nowadays, Changsha has become the central city in the middle part of China. According to the new statistical report released by the Statistics Bureau in Changsha, since the implementation of reform and opening-up policy in China, Changsha has been developing very fast. At present, its urbanization rate has surpassed 60%. From 1978 to 2007, the urban area in Changsha expanded from 352 square kilometers to 556 square kilometers and the urban population grew from 948,000 to 2,187,500, with an average annual increase of 3%. The urbanization rate in Changsha ranks the top in Chang-Zhu-Tan City Cluster.
