Changsha

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For other uses, see Changsha (disambiguation).
Changsha
长沙
Prefecture-level city
长沙市
Clockwise from top: Huángxīng Lù Pedestrian Street, Statue of Huang Xing, Lushan Temple, Hunan Martyrs Park, Yuelu Academy
Location of Changsha City in Hunan
Changsha
Location in China
Coordinates: 28°11′46″N 112°58′20″E / 28.19611°N 112.97222°E / 28.19611; 112.97222Coordinates: 28°11′46″N 112°58′20″E / 28.19611°N 112.97222°E / 28.19611; 112.97222
Country People's Republic of China
Province Hunan
County-level divisions 8
Township divisions 172
Government
 • Mayor Zhang Jianfei
Area
 • Prefecture-level city 11,819 km2 (4,563 sq mi)
Elevation 563 m (1,847 ft)
Population (2010 Census)
 • Prefecture-level city 7,044,118
 • Density 600/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
 • Urban 3,617,469
 • Rank in China 19th
 • Major nationalities Han - 99.22%
Minorities - 0.78%
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 410000
Area code(s) 0731
GDP 2011[1]
 - Total CNY 561.93 billion
(USD 87.00 billion)
 - per capita CNY 79,530
(USD 12,313)
 - Growth Increase 14.5%
License Plate 湘A
湘O (police and authorities)
ISO 3166-2 cn-43-01
Website www.changsha.gov.cn
City tree: Camphor; City flower: Azalea
Changsha
Simplified Chinese 长沙
Traditional Chinese 長沙
Xiang tsã13 sɔ33
Literal meaning long sandbar

Changsha (simplified Chinese: 长沙; traditional Chinese: 長沙; pinyin: Chángshā; Wade–Giles: Ch'ang-sha) is the capital city of Hunan, in 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 square kilometres (4,563 sq mi) and, according to the 2010 Census, a population of 7,044,118 inhabitants.[2]

Changsha was important from the time of the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC). In AD 750–1100 Changsha was a major commercial hub, 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 interior port and a commercial and industrial center.

Etymology

The origins of the name "Changsha" are lost in antiquity. The name first appears in the 11th century BC, during the reign of King Cheng of the Zhou dynasty, a vassal lord from the Changsha area sent a type of softshell turtle known as "Changsha softshell turtle" (Chinese: 长沙鼈) as tribute to the Zhou king. In the 2nd century AD, historian Ying Shao wrote that the Qin dynasty use of the name Changsha for the area was a continuance of its old name.[3]

History

During the 1st millennium BC, it was the centre of the southern part of the Yangtze River valley state of Chu. In 1935–36 some Chu graves excavated nearby produced important evidences of Chu culture, for instance, the Chu Silk Manuscript. The city is sometimes called Qingyang (Chinese: 青陽) in Warring States period texts.

Under the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) it became a staging post for Qin expeditions into Guangdong province. By 202 BC it was already a fortified city. During the Han Dynasty it was also the capital of Changsha Kingdom, an imperial fiefdom of Han.

From Han times (206 BC − AD 220) it was named Linxiang County and was the seat of the Changsha commandery. The county was renamed Changsha in 589, when it became the administrative seat of Tan prefecture. It lost some importance at this period, however, because traffic from Guangdong was mostly diverted up the Gan River valley in Jiangxi.

Portrait of a man riding a dragon, found in a tomb dated back to the Warring States period.

The celebrated Mawangdui Tombs of the Han Dynasty were constructed between 186 and 165 BC. The earliest tomb (no. 2), when excavated in the 1970s, had preserved the corpse of Lady Xin Zhui in a surprisingly good condition. Also found in the tomb were the earliest versions of Dao De Jing (道德经), the main text of Taoism, among many other historical documents.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Changsha was a much-fought-over territory. During the Sui Dynasty, Changsha was a county and under the Tang it was known as Tanzhou.

After the fall of the Tang dynasty (618–907), it became the capital of the independent Chu state and later fell to the Later Tang dynasty (923–937). Between 750 and 1100, as Changsha became an important commercial city, the population of the area increased tenfold.

Under the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties it was made a superior prefecture and from 1664 onward was the capital of Hunan and prospered as one of China's chief rice markets. During the Taiping Rebellion the city was besieged by the rebels (1854) but never fell; it then became the principal base for the suppression of the rebellion. Changsha was opened to foreign trade in 1904. Further development followed the opening of the railway to Hankou in Hubei province in 1918, which was extended to Guangzhou in Guangdong province in 1936. Although Changsha's population grew, the city remained primarily commercial in character and before 1937 had little industry, apart from some small cotton-textile, glass, and nonferrous-metal plants and handicraft enterprises.

Yuelu Academy (岳麓书院) was founded in AD 976 (Song Dynasty), destroyed by war in 1127, and rebuilt in 1165 (Southern Song Dynasty). The celebrated philosopher Zhu Xi (朱熹) taught at the Academy in 1165. It was destroyed by the Mongols but was restored in the late 15th century (Ming Dynasty). In 1903 it became Hunan High School. The modern day Hunan University is a descendant of the academy. The architecture of some of the buildings was restored from 1981−1986, presumably according to the Song design.

In 1852 the Taiping forces laid a siege on Changsha, through 3 months, the Taiping gave up offensive and toward Wuhan.( Battle of Changsha (1852) )

The 1903 Treaty of Shanghai between the Qing Dynasty and Japan opened the city to foreign trade. Consequently, factories, churches and schools were built. A college was started by Yale University bachelors, and later became a medical center named Xiangya and a secondary school named the Yali School.

1938 Changsha Fire

Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China began his political career in Changsha. He was a student at the Hunan Number 1 Teachers' Training School from 1913 to 1918. He later returned as a teacher and principal from 1920 to 1922. The school was destroyed during the Chinese Civil War but has since been restored. The Former Office of the Hunan Communist Party Central Committee where Mao Zedong once lived is now a museum that includes Mao's living quarters, photographs and other historical items from the 1920s.

Till May 1927, communist support remained strong in Changsha before the massacre carried out by the right-wing faction of the KMT troops owing allegiance to Chiang Kai-shek in its offensive against the left-wing faction of Wang Jingwei then allied closely with the communists. The purge of communists and suspected communists was part of Chiang's plans to consolidate his hold over the KMT weakening Wang's control, and thereby over entire China eventually. In a period of twenty days, Chiang's forces killed more than ten thousand people in Changsha and its outskirts.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), the strategic location of Changsha made it the focus of four campaigns by the Japanese to capture it from the hands of the Chinese Nationalists which resulted in the battles of 1st Changsha, 2nd Changsha, 3rd Changsha, and 4th Changsha. The city was able to repulse the first three attacks thanks to Xue Yue's leadership, but ultimately fell for a short time into Japanese hands in 1944 for another year until they were defeated in a counterattack and forced to surrender.[4] The city itself was virtually destroyed in the 1938 Changsha Fire, ordered by Guomindang officials who mistakenly feared the city was about to fall to the Japanese.

The city later became the territory of the People's Republic of China when it was formed in 1949 after the Kuomintang were driven to Taiwan.

Geography

Xiang River and Changsha's riverbank at night (2005)
Baisha Well park

{{climate chart


Changsha is located between 111° 53'−114° 05' E longitude and 27° 51'−28° 40' N latitude, situated in east central Hunan. Its terrain is high in the west and low in the east. There are many mountainous areas in the west and in the north. The Xiang River flows south to northwest; the 296-metre (971 ft) high Mount Yuelu is in the west; and Liuyang River and Laodao River east.

Changsha neighboring areas include: Jiangxi province, cities and counties of Hunan, such as Tonggu County, Wanzai County, Yichun City, Pingxiang City of Jiangxi province. Pingjiang County, Miluo City, Xiangyin County of Yueyang; Heshan District, Taojiang County, Anhua County of Yiyang; Lianyuan City of Loudi; Zhuzhou County, Liling City of Zhuzhou; Xiangtan County, Xiangxiang City of Xiangtan.

Climate

Changsha experiences an altitude-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with annual average temperature being 14.03 °C (57.3 °F), with a mean of −3.3 °C (26.1 °F) in January and 31.0 °C (87.8 °F) in July. Average annual precipitation is 1,331 millimetres (52.4 in), and the frost-free period lasts 175 days; there are 1,545 hours of bright sunshine annually. The four seasons are distinct. The summers are long and extremely hot, with heavy rainfall, and autumn is comfortable and is the driest season. Winter is frigid and overcast with lighter rainfall more likely than downpours; cold snaps occur with temperatures occasionally dropping below 0 F. Spring is especially rainy and humid with the sun shining less than 30% of the time.

Administration

City Administration

The city of Changsha has direct jurisdiction over 6 districts (区 qū), 1 county-level cities (市 shì), and 2 counties (县 xiàn) :

Subdivision Pop. Area Dens.
English Simplified Traditional Pinyin 2010 km² /km²
Changsha City Proper
■ Furong District 芙蓉区 芙蓉區 Fúróng Qū 523,730 42 12,470
■ Tianxin District 天心区 天心區 Tiānxīn Qū 475,663 74 6,428
■ Yuelu District 岳麓区 嶽麓區 Yuèlù Qū 801,861 552 1,453
■ Kaifu District 开福区 開福區 Kāifú Qū 567,373 187 3,034
■ Yuhua District 雨花区 雨花區 Yǔhuā Qū 725,353 114 6,363
Changsha suburban and rural
■ Wangcheng District 望城区 望城區 Wàngchéng Qū 523,489 970 540
■ Liuyang City 浏阳市 瀏陽市 Liúyáng Shì 1,278,928 4,999 256
■ Changsha County 长沙县 長沙縣 Chángshā Xiàn 979,665 1,997 491
■ Ningxiang County 宁乡县 寧鄉縣 Níngxiāng Xiàn 1,168,056 2,906 402

Transportation

Main Changsha Railway Station
Changsha South Railway Station (high-speed rail)

Changsha is well connected by roads, river, rail, and air transportation modes, and is a regional hub for industrial, tourist, and service sectors.

Public transport

The city's public transportation system consists of an extensive bus network with over a hundred lines as well as taxis.

Metro Rail

Changsha Metro is planning a 6 line network. The first two lines under construction are planned to open in 2015. Line 1 will run from north to south and Line 2 from west to east.

Roads

National Highways 107 and 319, as well as Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Express Way connect the Changsha metro area nationally. There are three main bus terminals in Changsha: South Station, East Station and West Station, dispatching long- and short-haul trips to cities within and outside Hunan Province.

River

Changsha is surrounded by major rivers, including the Xiangjiang, the Liuyanghe, and the Laodaohe. Ships transport mainly goods from Xianing port located in North Changsha domestically and internationally.

Rail

Changsha Railway Station is located at city center and provides express and regular services to most cities in China via the Beijing-Guangzhou and Shimen-Changsha Railways.

The Changshanan Railway Station is the new high speed railway station, located in Yuhua district on the Beijing–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway (part of the planned Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway. The Shanghai-Changsha-Kunming high-speed railway is currently under construction.

Air

Changsha Huanghua International Airport is a regional hub for China Southern Airlines, which serves major cities in China, including Hong Kong. Other major airlines also provide daily service between Changsha and other domestic and international destinations.The airport provides direct flights to 45 major cities such as HongKong, Bangkok, Seoul, Pusan, Osaka and etc. In 2011 the airport handled 13,810,000 people.

Economy

The Huángxīng Lù Pedestrian Street in Changsha (2006)
Changsha Business Quarter
Sky City skyscraper project under construction, planned to be the tallest building in the world

Changsha's population nearly tripled between the start of its rebuilding in 1949 and the early 1980s. The city is now a major port, handling rice, cotton, timber, and livestock, and is also a collection and distribution point on the railway from Hankou to Guangzhou. It is a centre of rice milling and also has oil-extraction, tea- and tobacco-curing, and meat-processing plants. Its textile industry produces cotton yarn and fabrics and engages in dyeing and printing. Agricultural chemicals and fertilizers, farm implements, and pumping machinery are also produced.

Changsha has a large thermal generating station linked by a power grid with the nearby industrial centres of Zhuzhou and Xiangtan; the three cities were designated in the 1970s as the nucleus of a major industrial complex. In the 1960s there was some development of heavy industry. The manufacture of machinery, especially machine tools and precision tools, became important, and Changsha became a center of China's aluminum industry. The city also has cement, rubber, ceramic, and papermaking plants and is a centre for many types of traditional handicrafts, producing hsiang embroidery, leather goods, umbrellas, and buttons. Coal is mined in the vicinity.

Changsha is one of China's 20 most "economically advanced" cities. In 2008, Changsha's nominal GDP was ¥300.1 billion (US$43 billion), a year-on-year growth of 15.1% from the previous year. Its per capita GDP was ¥45,765 (US$6,589).[5] Its GDP grew at an average of 14% per year from 2001 to 2005, compared to the national average of 9% in the period. As of 2005, the service sector generated roughly around 49% Changsha's GDP, up 112% from 2001 figures, and it is expected to continue driving the city's economic growth. Leading to a disposable income for urban residents of 12,343 RMB annually.[6] The manufacturing and construction sectors have grown relatively steadily, growing 116% during 2001-2005. The primary sector, including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery, has grown slightly over this same period. In addition, the consumer market has grown dramatically with income levels. With a minimum salary level of 600 RMB per month in comparison to Beijing 640 RMB or Shanghai at 750 RMB per month.[7] Urban residents in 2005 had average income of about USD 1,500, 15% higher than national average, and up 10% from 2001 figures.[8]

Changsha has attracted a substantial level of foreign investment. In 2005, for example, nearly USD 1 billion worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) poured into the city, mainly in hi-tech, manufacturing, food production, and services. This figure is up 40% from 2001. 59% of the total FDI has come from Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan; 28% has come from the Americas and 9% from Europe.[9] By the end of 2008 more than 500 foreign companies had made over USD 10 million worth of investments in Changsha.[10] Changsha had total retail sales of 74 RMB billion in 2006.[11]

Rapid economic growth has made environmental pollution a serious problem in Changsha, caused by rapidly increasing numbers of private cars, widespread construction sites, and numerous industrial facilities on the outskirts of the city.

On July 20, 2013, the Sky City skyscraper broke ground.[12] At completion it will be the new world's tallest skyscraper. The planned final height is 838 meters and with 220 floors.[12] The Broad Sustainable Building company, which specializes in the rapid construction of large buildings, is the planning to finish construction in early 2014.[12]

Lugu Hi-tech industry Development Zone

Changsha National Economic and Technical Development Zone

The Changsha National Economic and Technology Development Zone was founded in 1992. It is located east of Changsha. The total planned area is 38.6 km2 (14.9 sq mi) and the current area is 38.6 km2 (14.9 sq mi). Near the zone is National Highways 319 and 107 as well as G4 Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Expressway. Besides that, it is very close to the downtown and the railway station. The distance between the zone and the airport is 8 km (5.0 mi). The major industries in the zone include high-tech industry, biology project technology and new material industry.[13]

Culture and sports

Hunan Provincial Museum in Changsha
Taogong temple
Lushan temple

In recent years, Changsha has become an important creative center for TV and entertainment arts, with its many TV stations producing some of the most popular programs in China, including Super Girl. These programs have also brought a new entertainment industry, including singing bars, dance clubs, theater shows, as well as related businesses like hair salons, fashion stores, and hot spicy snacks at night(esp. in the summer time). While Changsha has developed into an entertainment hub the city has also become increasingly westernized and attracted a growing number of foreigners.

Changsha is home to the Lei Feng Memorial (雷锋纪念馆) and statue.

In May 2008, the BBC broadcast, as part of its Storyville documentary series, the four-part The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World, explores the inner workings of the 5000-seat capacity West Lake Restaurant (Xihu Lou Jiujia) located in Changsha.

Helong Stadium

Changhsa has one of China's largest multi-purpose sports stadiums - Helong Stadium with 55,000 seats.

Education

Hunan University
Central South University

Colleges and universities

Changsha was the seat of many ancient schools and academies.[14] It is the site of Hunan Medical University (1914) and has several colleges and institutes of higher learning.

National

Public

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

Notable high schools

  • The First High School of Changsha
  • The High School Attached to Hunan Normal University
  • Yali School
  • Changjun High School
  • Mingde High School

Notable Primary Schools

  • YanShan School
  • YuCai School
  • ShaZiTang School
  • YuYing School

Notable people

Changsha is the birthplace of:

Associated people

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in China

Twin towns – Sister cities

Changsha is twinned with:

Astronomy

Changsha was represented by the star Zeta Corvi in a Chinese constellation.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "长沙市2011年国民经济和社会发展统计公报" (in Simplified Chinese). Changsha Municipal Statistic Bureau. 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2012-03-31. 
  2. ↑ (Chinese) Compilation by LianXin website. Data from the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China
  3. ↑ Zhongguo gujin diming dacidian 中国古今地名大词典 [Dictionary of Chinese Place-names Ancient and Modern] (Shanghai: Shanghai cishu chubanshe, 2005), 505.
  4. ↑ Duxiu Chen; Gregor Benton (1998). Gregor Benton, ed. Chen Duxiu's last articles and letters, 1937-1942 (illustrated ed.). University of Hawaii Press. p. 45. ISBN 0824821122. Retrieved 2012-03-02. "24. Xi'an never fell. As for Changsha, Chinese under the Guonaindang General Xue Yue successfully defended the city three times against the Japanese; Changsha (and the vital Guangzhou-Hankou Railway) did not fall to the Japanese until early 1945." 
  5. ↑ Changsha Statistical Yearbook 2007
  6. ↑ China Briefing. China Briefing. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  7. ↑ China Briefing Changsha Report. China-briefing.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  8. ↑ Changsha Statistical Yearbook 2005
  9. ↑ cs_report60_enw.indd. (PDF) . Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  10. ↑ Changsha Economic Data and News. The China Perspective. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  11. ↑ China Business News. China-Briefing. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Could world's tallest building bring China to its knees? - CNN.com
  13. ↑ Changsha National Economic and Technology Development Zone. RightSite.asia. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  14. ↑ Yeulu Academy, Changsha. Dm.hnu.cn. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  15. ↑ "姉妹・友好・兄弟都市" [Twin cities]. Kagoshima International Affairs Division (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2013-08-08. 
  16. ↑ Star Name - R.H. Allen p.182. Penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.

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