Changsha

Changsha

Changsha located in the east of Hunan Province and lower reaches of Xiangjiang River, covers an area of 556 km2 with a population of 1.99 million. Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province and a famous historic city of China, features historic sites of travel resources with more than twenty main tourist attractions including Yuelu Academy, Mawangdui Tombs of Han Dynasty and Xiang Embroidery Academy, etc.

Yuelu Mountain

Yuelu Mountain is composed of five scenic areas and two independent sites of ruins. The Mountain with an altitude of 297 meters is the tail peak of the 72 peaks of Mt. Hengshan in the south, one of the five great mountains of China, and noted for its emerald green, gracefulness, loftiness and serenity. Furthermore, it boasts of a great many of charming sceneries of humanities and cultural treasures and the great feature of the coexistence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Attractions are Aiwan Pavilion, Yunlu Taoist Temple, Lushan Temple, Yuelu Academy, King Yu Stele, Crane Fountain, Tomb of Huang Xing, Tomb of Cai E, etc.

Yuelu Academy

As one of the four famous academies in ancient China, the Yuelu Academy lies at the foot of Yuelu Mountain on the campus of Hunan University. The academy integrates three major functions: delivering lectures, collecting books and holding memorial ceremonies. As an important national library and academic center, the Yuelu Academy embraces some historical sites, such as Wenchang Pavilion, Library of Imperial Books and Xiangshui Sutra Proofreading Hall.

Orange Island

Located in the Xiangjiang River in the west of the city, the Orange Island is 5km long and 0.4km at the widest. Therefore, it is also called the Long Island .The Island is beautiful with green willows, fragrant flowers, orange trees and surging waves. Mao Zedong often swam here with schoolmates in his youth .The Island is now constructed into the Orange Island Park.

Jinggang Ancient Town

From the end of Qing Dynasty, with thousands of ships docked here everyday, the shipping industry became more and more advanced because Jinggang’s natural advantage. As a famous town of history and culture, Jianggang currently preserves “8 streets, 4 lanes and 7 piers”. There are dozens of ancient shops, workshops, temples and other structures which are of great cultural relic value and are memorable such as “Hongtai Mansion”, “Ningxiang Assembly Hall”, “pawnshop” and “founding hospital”. In addition, the “Renaissance Tower”, “Goddess of Mercy Temple”, “Purple Cloud Pavilion” which are worshiped by thousands of pilgrims, and filled with pilgrimage incense coupled with innumerous bright lamps, leaving highly spectacular and impressive scenes that lingers in visitors’ memory.

In July 2008, The Protection and Development Crusade of Jinggang—China’s Famous Town of History and Culture was officially launched. In September 2008, Jinggang won the honored title of ‘China’s Famous Town of History and Culture’ and the relevant protection and development projects have been incorporated into the provincial and municipal key projects.

Hunan Provincial Museum

As the largest comprehensive historical and art museum in Hunan Province, Hunan Provincial Museum is situated in Kaifu District, Changsha. A large number of ancient and modern cultural relics are on display in the Museum, such as the cultural relics excavated from the Han tombs at Mawangdui, bronze wares of the Shang (c. 16th —11th century B.C.) and Zhou (c.11th century — 221B.C.) dynasties, pottery and porcelain wares, paintings and calligraphic works of the past dynasties, and many modern and contemporary cultural relics. Han Tombs is located in Wulipai in the eastern suburbs of Changsha, the tombs were for the aristocrats of Changsha State in the early Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. — A.D.24). The coffin chambers were laid out well-conceived. Over 3,000 cultural relics had been excavated from the Han tombs, such as a thin gauze cloth, weighing only 49g, beautiful silk writings and paintings, and a woman corpse that had been well preserved for more than 2,000 years. All these cultural relics are now preserved in the Hunan Provincial Museum.

Liu Shaoqi Memorial Hall

Liu Shaoqin (1898-1969), a great Marxist, great proletarian revolutionist, statesman and theoretician, one of the chief leaders of C.P.C and P.R.C. He is also one of the founding fathers of P.R.C. and an important member of the collective leadership of the first generation with comrade Mao Tse-tung as the core.

Situated in Huaminglou Town, Ningxiang County, Changsha, Liu Shaoqi Memorial Hall is the only biographic memorial hall devoted to the introduction of the life and achievements of Liu Shaoqi in a complete and systematic way in China, which is a key historical monument under state protection. The Liu Shaoqi Memorial Hall mainly includes the former residence, the memorial hall and a bronze statue. All the articles in the former residence are kept in their original state; more than 30 thatched and tiled rooms were built according to the original ones; 190 exhibits are on display; and some scenes have been restored, representing the typical rural features in Hunan at the end of the 19th century and in the life of Liu Shaoqi when he lived here.