Changsha Travel Guide

Destination overview Destination sketch Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province in South-central China and has a history of over 3,000 years. Mao Zedong lived and worked as a teacher in Changsha, and it was the site of his conversion […]

Destination overview

Destination sketch

Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province in South-central China and has a history of over 3,000 years. Mao Zedong lived and worked as a teacher in Changsha, and it was the site of his conversion to communism. A huge sculpture of Mao’s head on Orange Island reminds everyone of his connection to the city.
Today, Changsha has an urban population of about 7 million people and has left the communist past behind it. A modern city center with skyscrapers, shopping malls and walking streets invites for relaxed strolls. There are also plenty of opportunities to try the famous Hunanese cuisine and street food stores offer small bites such as stinky tofu, mini lobsters, butter pancakes, and many more!

Best travel season

The scorching summer and cold winter are two distinctive seasons in Changsha. The summer comes around the later May with high heat and heavy humidity. The sweltering climate of July and August is particularly stifling.

Intercity traffic

Aircraft

Huanghua International Airport
Ground Transportation:
A maglev rail line connects the airport to the Changsha South Railway Station. From there, the subway can take you to the city center.
A 45-minute drive on the expressway will take you to the city center.
Airport buses operate from 6AM-10PM between the airport and downtown Changsha and cost ¥16.5. The bus arrives at/leaves from the CAAC Aviation Hotel on Wuyi Dadao (五一大道) a block west of the central train station.
Taxis are located outside the arrivals area. As of February 2013, taxis to the city cost approximately ¥90-100 (plus ¥10 tolls).

Train

Changsha Railway Station

This station is in the heart of the city. There are direct train connections from many cities in China or indirect ones using a connecting train. From Beijing it is about 14 hours by regular (sleeper) train. As of 2017, Metro line 2 connects this station to the city center.

Changsha South Station

Changsha South Station (of the Wuhan-Guangzhou High Speed Rail) is southeast of the downtown, about 25–30 minutes from the city core. From Guangzhou South it is about 2.5 hours on the high speed train, or a minimum of 8 hours on the much cheaper normal trains (a little over one quarter of the price). From Beijing, times vary, but can be as low as 6.5 hours by high-speed train (650 rmb as of 2013).

Long distance bus

Changsha West bus station
Buses from here to/from western locations like Zhangjiajie. Adjacent to Wangchengpo metro stop.

Traffic in city

Taxi

Ubiquitous taxicabs flood the city streets, willing to transport you just up the street or to the other side of town. Meters start at ¥8 in daylight, ¥10 at night.

Bus

If you want to spend like a native or just want to experience the sensation of being sandwiched between locals, then hop on a bus for ¥2 and feel the thrill of speeding down the bumpy roads with barely any breathing room. Buses with air-conditioning (hot or cold) or cross city districts run for ¥2 and buses without run for ¥1.

Subway

As of 2017, Changsha has 2 metro lines:
Line 1 (north-south) – Has stops for Kaifu Temple and Provincial Museum, all due north.
Line 2 (east-west) – Connects the Changsha Railway Station, Changsha South Railway Station, and West Bus Station (Wangchengpo stop). There is also a stop for Juzizhou.
You can transfer between the two lines at Wuyi Square.

Attractions

Mt. Yuelu

Mt. Yuelu, which means the foot of Mt. Hengshan (Southern Mountain), is located on the west bank of Xiangjiang River and lies in the west of Changsha City. Its East Gate is about 2 km (1.2 miles) from from Orange Isle. It’s a highly reputable scenic area in Hunan Province, an area that enables you to have a much clearer understanding of Changsha City once you have paid a visit to Mt. Yuelu. Mt. Yuelu is noted for its picturesque scenery. The towering trees that provide dense shade emerge through heavily planted foliage around the mountains and provide an instant sense of refreshment and vitality to the environment. The full-blown azaleas in spring, the tranquility and coolness in summer, the flamboyant maple leaves in autumn and the silver-colored trees covered with snow and frost in winter make it a delightful spot all year round.

Lushan Temple

Halfway up the mountain you will discover the Lushan temple, which was built in the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and is the earliest Buddhism temple in Hunan Province.

Aiwan Pavilion

The Aiwan Pavilion was built during the reign of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was first called the Hongye Pavilion and then was renamed the Aiwan Pavilion because of a poem written by a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). After several expansions and renovations, it appears as we see it today. It is also a place of revolutionary significance. When Mao Tse Tung (Mao Zedong), the first chairman of PRC, was studying in a normal school, he used to come to the pavilion with several friends and they often discussed current affairs. The pavilion name was inscribed by Chairman Mao in 1952 when it was rebuilt. The Aiwan Pavilion is one of ‘Four Famous Pavilions’ in China.

Orange Isle

It is about 1.2 miles (2 km) from the East Gate of Mt. Yuelu, is located in the center of Xiangjiang River. It is abundant with sweet and delicious oranges, so it is called Orange Isle, or Juzi Island in Chinese. It the biggest inland island in China and is honoured as the “First Island in China”. Going there, visitors can wander at the beach park, watch the fountain, statue and fireworks show, and enjoy the beautiful sceneries to relax themselves.

Mt. Shaoshan

Mt. Shaoshan is over 100 kilometers south-west of Changsha is a significant place for Chinese Communists for it was home to Chairman Mao Zedong. It is a good place to learn more about this great Chinese man. The old houses where he lived, a museum, a monument and other memorial spots are well preserved in the scenic area and create a kind of solemn atmosphere. Chinese come to pay their respects here during the memorial days.

Mt. Shaoshan Scenic Area

Shaoshan, a county-level city of Xiangtan City in central Hunan Province, is well-known as the hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong where he was born and undertook the revolutionary activities in his youth. Due to the advantaged natural environment and the history, it has become a well-known scenic area, also regarded as a sacred place to commemorate the Chinese revolution. There are four main scenic areas here: Mao Zedong’s Former Residence, Water Dripping Cave, Shaoshan Peak and Limpid Stream.

Chairman Mao’s Former Residence

Scenic spots in this area depict Mao Zedong’s former residence and provide historical information about him. These attractions include the Former Residence, the Memorial Museum, Memorial Park, Mao’s Bronze Statue Square, the Relics Museum, the Library, and the Mao Ancestral Hall.

Water Dripping Cave

Water Dripping Cave is Chairman Mao’s villa which is 3 km (around 2 mi) away from his former residence. It consists of Water Dripping Valley, Tiger Resting Lawn (Huxie Lawn), Dragon Head Hill, No.1 Building, and other scenic spots.

Shaoshan Peak

The peak is also called Fairy Peak or Fairy and Elegant Peak. The main attractions include the Steles Forest of Mao Zedong’s Poems, the Temple of Shaoshan Peak, and the rope way.

Limpid Stream Scenic Area

At Qingxi Town of Shaoshan City, there is a boulevard named Hero Road, at the north end of which is the Square of Young Mao Zedong’s Statue and at the south end is Swan Hill, on which the Martyrs Cemetery lies.

Huaminglou

Huaminglou is the hometown of Liu Shaoqi, who is the former chairman, proletarian revolutionist and one of the founding fathers of the People’s Republic of China, located 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of downtown Changsha. The main scenic spots include Liu Shaoqi’s Bronze Statue Square, his memorial hall, former residence, Huaminglou Building, Wande Ding, and an airplane that Liu had flown in.

Mawangdui Han Tombs

Located in the eastern suburb of Changsha City, the world famous Mawangdui Han Tombs is one of the most fascinating attractions in Hunan Province. It is no exaggeration to say that the Mawangdui Han Tombs is an open book to the glorious West Han Dynasty (206BC-24). All three tombs were excavated between 1972 and 1974. According to the research this place was a family graveyard from at least two thousand years ago. The Mawangdui Han Tombs are very grand and complicated as well. Number 1 and Number 3 tombs were in excellent condition when excavated and Number 1 is the largest among the three. Number 1 and Number 2 tombs have been in filled. Number 3 has been preserved and covered by a ceiling for the benefit of the visitors.

Hunan Provincial Museum

Hunan Provincial Museum is located on No. 50, Dongfeng Lu, Changsha City, next to the Revolutionary Martyr’s Park. It covers an area of 50,000 square meters (about 12.2 acres) with a construction area of 20,000 square meters (about 4.9 acres). First built in 1951, the museum was open to the public in July 1974. It has gathered together most curios unearthed in Hunan Province, unfolding the cultural development of Hunan Province throughout thousands of years.

Hunan Provincial Museum has a collection of more than 180,000 objects, over 763 of which are top grade cultural relics. Most of these objects were discovered by archaeological excavation. What’s more, the museum has gathered together nearly all the fine works unearthed in different parts of Hunan Province. According to the various textures, the cultural relics in Hunan Provincial Museum can be classified into the following kinds: bronze, silk paintings and books, lacquers, textiles, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy. These cultural relics include stone implements and pottery from the Neolithic Age, bronze wares of the Shang Dynasty (16th – 11th century BC) and Zhou Dynasty (11th – 221 BC), and celadon wares from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220) to the Sui Dynasty (581 – 618) and the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). Some masterpieces by famous scholars like Wang Xizhi, a famous calligrapher from the Tang Dynasty, and Wang Fuzhi, a great philosopher of the late Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and the early Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911) are also on display. Cultural relics unearthed in Mawangdui Han Tombs are the highlights in Hunan Provincial Museum.

Dufu Pavilion

The pavilion houses a museum dedicated to the Chinese poet Dufu and contains pictures and information on other famous Chinese poets as well. There is a beautiful tea house on the top floor, and the balkonies offer nice views over the river, city and Orange Island, if the weather allows.

Hunan Embroidery Museum

This museum is on the second floor of a store that sells high-quality embroidery. Visit and learn about the history of embroidery in Hunan. Special techniques have been locally-developed to achieve finer detail. At the end of the tour, you can visit the workshop where new items are being embroidered.

Bamboo Slips Museum

This museum contains a both ancient carved bamboo slips and a series of pottery artifacts. The building is architecturally-interesting, as bamboo grows out of one side of it. Free with identification.

Tianxin Pavilion

This pavilion is next to the ancient city wall. Cannons that have been used to defend the city are perched in the wall.

Kaifu Temple

It is really quite beautiful and is one of the few functioning temples in Changsha. Inside there is a fairly good vegetarian restaurant, don’t be fooled by the menu, all the meat is fake!

Food

When eating in Changsha there is nothing better than a plate of stinky tofu, butter pancake or mini lobster bought right off the street. If you have just arrived, be wary of eating from street vendors. Although the inviting aroma of food cooking may be too tempting to resist, you had better have a strong stomach if you do not want to get an upset one.

Changsha food is part of the broader Hunanese cuisine, one of China’s traditional eight great regional cuisines. Traditional Hunan foods are quite spicy like Sichuan cuisine, but without the unique numbing sensation that comes with Sichuan peppercorns. In summer, oversized metal mixing bowls filled with crawfish seasoned with plenty of chili and spices, take the stage atop countless tabletops. Restaurants get so busy and overcrowded that tables, chairs along with diners spill into the busy streets and the parade of tantalizing dishes endlessly leave the kitchen to appear on the tables of hungry diners.

Accommodation

There are many choices as accommodation place in Changsha city.

Shopping

Chrysanthemum Stone, Xiang Embroidery , Liuyang Fireworks

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