Changsha's main attraction is this modern museum. There's a special focus on the Mawangdui Tombs, which were excavated nearby in the early 1970s,…
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Changsha
For three millennia, this city on the Xiang River (湘江; Xiāng Jiāng) flourished steadily as a centre of agriculture and intellect. In the 1920s it was still so well preserved that British philosopher Bertrand Russell is said to have compared it to a medieval town, but not long after, the Sino-Japanese War and a massive fire in 1938 gave Changsha (长沙; Chángshā) an irreversible facelift, leaving little of its early history. These days it's a modern, energetic city, known mainly for sights relating to Mao Zedong, but with its magnolia-lined streets and riverine aspect, it's a pleasant enough stopover.
Explore Changsha
- HHunan Provincial Museum
Changsha's main attraction is this modern museum. There's a special focus on the Mawangdui Tombs, which were excavated nearby in the early 1970s,…
- KKaifu Temple
This large and active temple in the north of town dates originally to the Five Dynasties period, with many additions during later dynasties. The imposing…
- TTangerine Isle
The most famous of the city’s parks is a 5km-long sliver of an island smack bang in the middle of the Xiang River. A reflective 32-year-old Mao…
- YYuelu Academy
Students have been cramming for exams at the base of Yuelu Mountain west of the river since AD 976, when the academy was established as one of China’s…
- OOld City Walls & Tianxin Pavilion
The old city walls, which once stretched for 9km around ancient Changsha, were built of rammed earth in 202 BC, reinforced with stone in AD 1372 (during…
- CChangsha Municipal Museum
A colossal aluminium/magnesium alloy statue of Mao Zedong, cast in Heilongjiang, affably greets you at the entrance. This is the first clue that, despite…
- YYuelu Mountain
This large park on the slopes of Yuelu Mountain makes a pleasant city break. You can climb to the top in less than an hour, or else go up on the chair…
- HHunan County No 1 Teachers’ Training School
Between 1913 and 1918, Mao studied here and returned to teach classics from 1920 to 1922. It’s still a working college, and sometimes students keen to…
- LLieshi Park
Tree-shaded and dotted with lakes, leafy – and incredibly huge – Lieshi Park is very popular in the mornings for singing, dancing and taichi.
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Changsha.
See
Hunan Provincial Museum
Changsha's main attraction is this modern museum. There's a special focus on the Mawangdui Tombs, which were excavated nearby in the early 1970s,…
See
Kaifu Temple
This large and active temple in the north of town dates originally to the Five Dynasties period, with many additions during later dynasties. The imposing…
See
Tangerine Isle
The most famous of the city’s parks is a 5km-long sliver of an island smack bang in the middle of the Xiang River. A reflective 32-year-old Mao…
See
Yuelu Academy
Students have been cramming for exams at the base of Yuelu Mountain west of the river since AD 976, when the academy was established as one of China’s…
See
Old City Walls & Tianxin Pavilion
The old city walls, which once stretched for 9km around ancient Changsha, were built of rammed earth in 202 BC, reinforced with stone in AD 1372 (during…
See
Changsha Municipal Museum
A colossal aluminium/magnesium alloy statue of Mao Zedong, cast in Heilongjiang, affably greets you at the entrance. This is the first clue that, despite…
See
Yuelu Mountain
This large park on the slopes of Yuelu Mountain makes a pleasant city break. You can climb to the top in less than an hour, or else go up on the chair…
See
Hunan County No 1 Teachers’ Training School
Between 1913 and 1918, Mao studied here and returned to teach classics from 1920 to 1922. It’s still a working college, and sometimes students keen to…
See
Lieshi Park
Tree-shaded and dotted with lakes, leafy – and incredibly huge – Lieshi Park is very popular in the mornings for singing, dancing and taichi.
Guidebooks
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