Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, is located in the northeast of Hunan Province, downstream of the Xiangjiang River. It is adjacent to Yichun and Pingxiang of Jiangxi Province to the east, Loudi and Yiyang to the west, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan to the South and Yueyang to the north. This city has been an important grain production base in China since ancient times. Being an intellectual center, Changsha has over 100 research institutions and engineering laboratories. Hybrid rice breeding and the Tianhe supercomputer are the main scientific research achievements.

Although not as ancient a capital city as Beijing, Nanjing or Xi'an, Changsha also has rich historical heritages including old wall remains, tomb sites, religious temples and buildings. What earns the city its reputation among visitors are two things. One is a great man in recent history, Chairman Mao Zedong and the other is Yuelu Academy, a time-honored academic school perched on the scenic Mt. Yuelu. Originally built in 976 during the Song Dynasty, the academy school survived through the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and is considered to be the cradle of Huxiang Culture, simply means the culture school in Hunan Province. Orange Isle, which is 1.2 miles (2 km) from the East Gate of Mt. Yuelu, is also worthy visiting.

Mawangdui Han Tombs found in the eastern suburb of Changsha is a family graveyard from the early Han Dynasty. The most fantastic historical relic should be the well-preserved mummified remains of a Western Han Dynasty woman excavated from the tombs. Some of thousands of relics unearthed include silk products, paintings, lacquer works, potteries, bamboo slips used for writing, weapons and herbs, all of which are exhibited in Hunan Provincial Museum. In addition, the cultural relics on display in Changsha Museum from Paleolithic age to modern times are also worth seeing.

Mt. Shaoshan, about 130 kilometers south-west of Changsha is the hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong. Today, the village has become a memorial place for Chinese people to remember this extraordinary man. People erected a statue of the Chairman and have preserved the houses he lived as a tourist site. A museum and other memorial spots in the scenic area create a kind of solemn atmosphere. Many Chinese come to pay respect and visit here during the memorial days.

Changsha was home to other revolutionary leaders including Liu Shaoqi, Huyaobang and former Chinese prime minister, Zhu Rongji. Therefore, it acts as a good place to learn more about China's recent history. Huaminglou, the hometown of Liu Shaoqi, has also been opened to the public.