China Vacations | Changsha
Hunan's Capital, Changsha for China Vacations
Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province, located on a branch of the Yangtze River, known as the "Xiang Jiang". It has a long and interesting historical background, with many sites to explore when you visit. Chairman Mao Zedong was born in a Shaoshan, about 130 km South-West of Changsha. He completed his education in Changsha and was converted to communist ideology in this city. During the Taiping Rebellion (1850 to 1864 CE), Changsha was besieged by the army of the "Heavenly Kingdom", but was never captured. Today, Changsha is a modern port city with a developing industrial and commercial base.
Image: drs2biz | Lens Updated: January 18th, 2013 @ 3:45 am Beijing time.
Changsha City Basic Data...
- longitude: 112° 58' 20" E
- latitude: 28° 11' 46" N
- altitude: 45 m (148 ft)
- area: 11,819 km2 (4,563.3 sq mi)
- postcode: 410000
- areacode(s): +86/731
- population: 2,776,343 in city
City Nightlights of Changsha in Hunan Province
Image: yakobusan, on Flickr
What Does Wikipedia Say About Changsha City?
Read what the online reference has to say about Hunan's capital...
Changsha is the capital city of Hunan, a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. Its municipality covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometres and has a population of 6,017,600 (2003 intercensal estimate), the urbanised area has around 2.7 million people.
Changsha was important from the time of the Qin dynasty (221-207 BCE). In 750-1100 CE Changsha was an important commercial city, and its population increased greatly. Under the Qing dynasty, from 1664, it was the capital of Hunan province, and it was a major rice market. It was besieged during the Taiping Rebellion but never fell. Changsha was the site of Mao Zedong's conversion to communism. It was the scene of major battles in the Sino-Japanese War of 1937?45 and was briefly occupied by the Japanese. Rebuilt since 1949, the city is now a major port and a commercial and industrial center.
Some Major Tourist Attractions in Changsha - Let's take a look at what's available to see in Changsha...
Yuelu Academy Image: docsdl, on Flickr
There are many interesting tourist attractions in and around Changsha. Take some time to view them and you won't be disappointed. Major items of interest include the following:- Hunan Provincial Museum
- Ju Zi Zhou Tou ~ "Oranges at the Island's Head Park"
- Lushan-Si Temple
- Martyr's Park (Lieshi Gongyuan)
- Pond of Clear Water (Qingshuitang)
- Temple of the Beginning of Blissful Happiness (Kaifu Si)
- Yuelushan Hill
- Pavilion for the Enjoyment of Twilight (Aiwan Ting)
- Yuelu Academy (Yuelu Shuyuan)
Ju Zi Zhou Tou ~ "Oranges at the Island's Head" - A favourite spot for local citizens to relax...
This park was constructed in the 6th century CE, during the Sui Dynasty. It was made famous in China by a line in a poem from Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu - "orange continent field was rich". Situated in Changsha city's Xiangjiang River, this long, narrow sand strip had orange trees planted on it during the Tang Dynasty. They have became famous for their sweetness and bountiful harvest. Chairman Mao used to swim near here, and walk around the island during his student years at the adjacent No. 1 Normal School. Mao even composed a poem about this island, and it has subsequently been engraved on a huge rock situated near the island's centre. In 1992, Ju Zi Zhou Tou was developed as a scenic park in Changsha.
Martyr's Park ~ "Lieshi Gongyuan" ~ in Changsha - A memorial to the revolutionary martyr's in central Changsha...
Planning started on this park in 1951, and construction commenced in 1957. By 1959 it was completed. The main feature is the 58 metre tall Martyr's Memorial Cenotaph. This contains images of 90 Hunan revolutionary martyr's, and a record of the names of more than 100,000 Hunan martyr's from the Opium Wars. Also inside the memorial there are historical artefacts and inscriptions composed by Chairman Mao, who was born on the outskirts of Changsha at Shaoshan.
The park area is around 154 hectares in area, and is one of the ten largest parks in China. It is an important cultural site and is used to educate children about the sacrifices made by the revolutionary soldiers from the past. There are large, man-made lakes in the centre of the park, and boat trips are available. Also available are several pavilions for refreshments and a fairground. Martyr's park is adjacent to the Hunan Provincial Museum at No.1 Dongfeng Road. Admission is free.
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