Changsha is situated on the lower reaches of the Xiangjiang River in eastern Hunan. The urban district covers a total area of 554 square km, and has a population of over 1.6038 million.

Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province. As a famous historical and cultural city in China, it features places of interest which have a historical significance. The major scenic spots are the Yuelu Academy, the Han Tombs at Mawangdui, the Zoumalou Bamboo and Wooden Slips and the Research Institute for Hunan Embroidery.

About 104 km west of Changsha is the hometown of Mao Zedong-Shaoshan.

Yuelu Academy
The Academy is at the foot of Yuelushan Mountain to the west of Changsha, and is the best of the four big academies of the Song Dynasty. It was the earliest institution of higher learning in China sponsored by government offices. The present buildings are mostly from the Qing Dynasty. Since the Song Dynasty, it has become a place for famous scholars to give lectures.

The Han Tombs at Mawangdui
the tombs are located in the eastern suburbs of Changsha. It took two years (from 1972 to 1974) to unearth these tombs. Over 3,000 cultural relics and a complete female corpse were excavated. They were found to be more than 2,100 years old and are now exhibited in Hunan Museum.

Zoumalou Bamboo and Wooden Slips
These were unearthed in Zoumalou in December 1996. The 170,000 slips are written official files stored by Changsha Prefecture during Sun Quan's reign of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period. They are of great significance to the study of history, political, economic, land taxes systems and the social classes ofthat period. Parts of the bamboo and wooden slips have been sorted out and exhibited in Changsha Museum.

Former Residence of Mao Zedong in Shaoshan
It is situated in Shangwuchang of Shaoshanchong. On December 26, 1893, Mao Zedong was born in this house which has 13 rooms and this is where he spent his childhood and adolesence. The rooms are furnished as they would have looked when Mao lived there, and most of the utensils are the original ones.