Changsha

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Changsha

湖南省长沙市
Húnán Shěng Chángshā Shì
Changsha, Hunan
-	NICKNAME：Xingsha		-	-	Area	11,819 km²	-	Population(2003) -Density	6,017,600 509/km²	-	GDP(2003) -per capita	CN¥92.822 billion ¥15,425	-	Mayor	Tan Zhongchi	-	County-level divisions	5districts, 3counties and 1city	-	City tree	camphor	-	City flower	azalea	-	Postal code	410000	-	License Plate Prefix	湘A	-	Calling code	0731

Changsha () is the capital of Hunan, a province of Southcentral China, located on the lower reaches of Xiangjiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. It covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometers and has a population of 6,017,600 (2003 population census).

Administration

Changsha has jurisdiction over five districts (Furong, Tianxin, Yuelu, Kaifu, Yuhua districts), three counties (Changsha, Wangcheng, Ningxiang counties) and Liuyang city.

History

The earliest settlement was probably founded in the first millennium BC. By 202 BC it was already a fortified city. During the Han Dynasty it was also the capital of Changsha kingdom. 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 Also found in the tomb were the earliest versions of Dao-De-Jing written by Lao Zi, and many other historical documents.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Changsha was a much-fought-over territory.

During the Sui Dynasty, Changsha was a county.

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 in this school in 1165. The school was destroyed by the Mongols but restored again 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.

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

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 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.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War the strategic location of Changsha made it the focus of four campaigns by the Japanese: 1st Changsha, 2nd Changsha, 3rd Changsha, and 4th Changsha.

Geography and climate

Changsha is located at 111°53'–114°5' east longitude and 27°51'–28°40' north latitude, situated in the 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 Xiangjiang River flows south to northwest; 296 m high Mt. Yuelushan is in the west; and Liuyanghe River (Liuyang River) and Ladaohe River (Laodao River) east.

Changsha has a monsoon climate within the sub-tropical zone, with annual average temperature being 16.8°C–17.2°C, 4.6°C in January and 28.6°C in July. Average annual precipitation is 1422 mm., and the yearly frost-free period is 275 days.

The four seasons are distinct. Summer is long and broiling, with heavy rainfall, and autumn is comfortable with abundant sunlight. In winter, it is nearly rainless and not very cold, changing to rainy and wet weather with rapidly increasing temperatures in the spring.

Neighboring areas:

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.

Economy

In 2003, the GDP per capita was ¥23,942 (€2,490, $2,890), ranked 42nd among 659 Chinese cities.

In 2005, Changsha's nominal GDP was ¥151.99 bilion, a year-on-year growth of 14.9% from the previous year. Its per capita GDP was ¥24,318.

Cultural Life

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 the most watched program ever on Chinese TV Super Girl, a Chinese female version of the UK Pop Idol or American Idol. These entertainment programs have brought along with it a new entertainment industry, including singing bars, dance clubs, theater shows, as well as related businesses like hair salons and fashion stores. Now it is not rare that some people will fly into Changsha to spend their weekends from as far as the northeastern city of Harbin.

Colleges and universities

Central South University (中南大学)
Hunan University (湖南大学)

Changsha University of Science and Technology (长沙理工大学)
Hunan Agricultural University (湖南农业大学)
Hunan Normal University (湖南师范大学)
Hunan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (湖南中医学院)
Hunan Business College (湖南商学院)

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

Notable inhabitants

Changsha is the birthplace of:

Xiong Ni - Olympic diver and gold medalist
Yang Kaihui - Mao's first wife
Zhu Rongji - Premier, 1997-2002
Tian Han - Composer of China's national anthem
Huang Xing - Kuomintang General
Hu Yaobang - CPC General Secretary until death (1989)
Lei Feng - Eminent PLA soldier/role-model
Li Xiaopeng - Olympic gymnast
Li Fuchun
Liu Shaoqi - President of China, until disgrace in 1966.