Holiday in Changsha

About Changsha

Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province in Central China and one of the oldest cities in the country with over 3,000 years of history. The city on the Xiang River is primarily known as the birthplace of Mao Zedong — his childhood home in Shaoshan, about 100 km southwest, is one of the most visited memorials in China. Orange Island (Juzi Zhou) in the middle of the Xiang River is a 5 km long park, at its southern tip stands a 32-meter tall statue of young Mao Zedong. From here, there is a panoramic view of the modern skyline and the historic Yülu Mountain on the opposite bank. Yülu Mountain is home to the Yülu Academy, one of the four great classical academies of China, founded in 976 AD during the Song Dynasty. The Hunan Provincial Museum showcases spectacular finds from the Mawangdui tombs of the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC): The over 2,100-year-old body of Lady Dai is one of the best-preserved mummies in the world — with still elastic skin and movable joints. Changsha is the center of Hunan cuisine, one of the eight great regional culinary traditions of China — known for its intense spiciness and generous use of chili and fermented beans. Pozi-Jie Street is Changsha's most famous food street with hundreds of food stalls and restaurants. The city is also home to Hunan TV, China's most popular entertainment channel, earning Changsha the reputation of the "Entertainment Capital."