Changsha Overview

Basic Information

  • Chinese Name: 长沙
  • Administrative Category: Capital of Hunan
  • Location: East Hunan
  • Area: 11,819 square kilometers
  • Population: 7,918,100(2017)

Administrative Division

As of 2017, Changsha has jurisdiction over 6 districts and 1 county, and manages 2 county-level cities with total of 80 subdistrict, 95 towns, 14 townships, 715 communities, 1,169 villages. The government is located at No. 218 Yuelu Avenue, Yuelu District.

Geography

Changsha (长沙) is the capital and most populous city of Hunan province in the south central part of China. It covers 11,819 km2 and is bordered by Yueyang and Yiyang to the north, Loudi to the west, Xiangtan and Zhuzhou to the south, Yichun and Pingxiang of Jiangxi Province to the east. Changsha is located in the Xiangjiang River valley plain, bordering on Luoxiao Mountains on the east, Wuling Mountains on the west, edging in Dongting Lake on the north and bounded on the south by Hengshan Mountains. It has a monsoonal humid subtropical climate, with an average annual air temperature of 16.8 to 17.3 °C (62.2 to 63.1 °F) and an annual rainfall of 1,358.6 to 1,552.5 mm.

Climate

In Changsha, the summers are hot, oppressive, wet, and mostly cloudy and the winters are very cold and partly cloudy. In general, the temperature range is often from 36°F to 91°F and is rarely below 29°F or above 96°F. Summer in Changsha is from June to September with a  temperature range of 79-91°F, which is the hottest season in Changsha. The coldest season-winter is from December to February with a temperature of 32-49°F. Of course, the snowfalls are possible in winter. The highest recorded temperature in Changsha is 111.0°F (43.9°C), which was recorded in August. The lowest recorded temperature in Changsha is 19.0°F (-7.2°C), which was recorded in February.

Best Time to Go

Changsha is a place to visit all year round.

  • Spring(April to May): Spring is a season that all comes into life. All leaves are verdan, the buds are tender, and misty landscapes are likely to show after the rain. Of course, it is the one of the best time to visit Changsha.
  • Summer(June to August): Although it is hot in summer, especially in the daytime, it is the best time to  visit Yuelu Mountain.
  • Autumn(September to November): Autumn is a harvest season, also a tourism season. The beauty of Changsha in autumn will always make you enjoy yourselves so much as to forget to leave.
  • Winter(December to March of the next year): It is the season that is possible to see the snow in Changsha.

Transportation

Changsha has the very convenient transportation in air, railway, highway and watercourse. Changsha Huanghua International Airport is the largest and best-equipped in Hunan Province with capability of handling 4,600,000 passengers every year and also famous as one of the top 20 busiest airports in China. The complex watercourses spread the whole of city, which there are over one hundred watercourses including Xiangjiang River and Dongting Lake. What's more, there are three national highway 107, 319 and 106 that pass through the city and connect most large and moderate cities of China.

Festivals

Changsha, a place with many ethnic minorities, has many unique folk festivals and the strong customs, which have become the major scenery line of Hunan Tourism. Although there are many traditional festivals in China, the most exciting is undoubtedly unique festivals for all ethnic groups.

Hunan World Famous Flowers Eco-cultural Festival
Hua Zhao Festival Observed on Orange Isle
Lantern Festival Activities in Changsha
Huogongdian Temple Fair
Tujia June 6(土家六月六)

What to Do in Changsha

Characterized by spectacular landscapes, charming natural scenery and diverse ethnic customs, Changsha is an impressive region to visit. Hunan Provincial Museum has five permanent exhibitions in its permanent collection, among which the Mawangdui Han Tomb exhibition is an important part of the museum's permanent collection. Mount Yuelu Scenic Area is a mountainous area characterized by jagged peaks and an old, but dense forest, and by a valley with rivers and lakes that abound in flora and fauna. It is  a cultural-historical site, and also a site of revolutionary monuments. Yuelu Academy is the most ancient academy in China. It was established in A.D 960, Northern Song Dynasty. In AD 1015, the academy became famous for the highest-quality study base. Orange Isle in the Xiangjiang River formed in the 305 AD, covered by the flourished and aged trees. The name of isle was derived from a famous poem of Chairman Mao Zedong, also well-known for its product, the orange. It is difficult to list all attractions in Changsha one by one. If you want to know detailed information about attractions in Changsha, you can see the introduction of attractions in the following. Of course, you can contact us for more detailed information. Therefore, come here, we can always find the right attractions for you according to your requirements. In fact, when you choose to go to Hunan, what you meet will be a dreamy trip.

Historical Culture of Changsha

Changsha hosts the Hunan Provincial Museum. 180,000 historical significant artifacts ranging from the Zhou dynasty to the recent Qing Dynasty are hosted in the 51,000 acres of space in the museum. Mawangdui is a well-known tomb located 22 kilometers east of Changsha. It was discovered with numerous artifacts from the Han dynasty. Numerous Silk Funeral banners surround the tomb, along with a wealth of classical texts. The tomb of Lady Dai lies in Mawangdui is well known due to its well-preserved state: scientists were able to detect blood, conduct an autopsy and determined that she died of heart disease due to a poor diet. Changsha is a sister city with St. Paul, Minnesota. St. Paul is developing a China garden at Phalen Park, based on the design of architects from Changsha. Current plans include a pavilion replicating one in Changsha, while in return St. Paul will send the city five statues of the Peanuts characters. They will be placed in Phalen's sister park, Yanghu Wetlands.

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