Changsha

Changsha (长沙; Chángshā) is the capital of Hunan Province in South-central China and has a history of over 3,000 years. Mao Zedong lived and worked as a teacher in Changsha, and it was the site of his conversion to communism. A huge sculpture of Mao's head on Orange Island reminds everyone of his connection to the city.

Today, Changsha has an urban population of about 7 million people and has left the communist past behind it. A modern downtown with skyscrapers, shopping malls and walking streets invites for relaxed strolls. There are also plenty of opportunities to try the famous Hunanese cuisine and street food stores offer small bites (小吃 xiaochi) such as stinky tofu, mini lobsters, butter pancakes, and many more!

Halal Travel Guide

Known among the Chinese for being the site of the Battle of Changsha, which was the first major victory the Chinese scored against the Japanese during World War 2.

How to travel to Changsha

Fly to Changsha

Huanghua International Airport - 长沙黄花国际机场 | 28.18991, 113.21307 Changsha Huanghua International Airport This is the major airport for those seeking to visit Changsha.

Ground Transportation:

A maglev rail line connects the airport to the Changsha South Railway Station. From there the subway can take you to the downtown.
A 45-minutes drive on the expressway will take you to the downtown.
Airport buses operate from 6AM Monday - 10PM between the airport and downtown Changsha and cost ¥26.5. The bus arrives at/leaves from the CAAC Aviation Hotel on Wuyi Dadao (五一大道) a block west of the central train station.
Taxis are located outside the arrivals area. As of February 2013, taxis to the city cost roughly ¥110-100 (plus ¥20 tolls).

Traveling from the airport will allow for some window viewing of the relatively wealthy countryside surrounding the city. Although annual floods do sizable property damage and the overflowing rivers help irrigate the evergreens and enormous Rice paddies.

Travel by Train

Changsha South Railway Station 10 - Changsha South Railway Station Changsha Railway Station - 长沙站 28.19724, 113.00895 This station is in the heart of the city. There are direct train connections from many city's in China or indirect ones using a connecting train. From Beijing it is about 14 hours by regular (sleeper) train. As of 2023, Metro line 2 connects this station to the downtown. Changsha South Station - 长沙南站 28.14995, 113.05933 Changsha South Station (of the Wuhan-Guangzhou High Speed Rail) is southeast of the downtown, about 25–30 minutes from the city core. From Guangzhou South it is about 2.5 hours on the high speed train, or a minimum of 8 hours on the much cheaper normal trains (a little over one quarter of the price). From Beijing, times vary, but can be as low as 6.5 hours by high-speed train (650 rmb as of 2013).

To reach nearby city's Zhuzhou and n/xiangtan/ Xiangtan, you can take the Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan Intercity Railway, which opened in 2016. But for other nearby city's and the intercity railway is still under construction. Visitor can choose to take train and bus or book a private vehicle service from local transfer company, such as angsha EtripCity.

Travel by Bus

Changsha West bus station 28.21326, 112.90738 Buses from here to/from western locations like Zhangjiajie. Adjacent to Wangchengpo metro stop.

How to get around In Changsha

Ubiquitous taxicabs flood the city streets, willing to transport you just up the street or to the other side of town. Meters start from ¥14 in daylight, ¥20 at night.

If you want to spend like a local or just want to experience the sensation of being sandwiched between local residents and then hop on a bus for ¥2 and feel the thrill of speeding down the bumpy roads with barely any breathing room. Buses with air-conditioning (hot or cold) or cross city neighborhoods run for ¥2 and buses without run for ¥2.

As of 2023, Changsha has 2 metro lines:

Line 1 (north-south) - Has stops for Kaifu Temple and Provincial Museum, all due north.
Line 2 (east-west) - Connects the Changsha Railway Station, Changsha South Railway Station, and West Bus Station (Wangchengpo stop). There is also a stop for Juzizhou.

You can transfer between the two lines at Wuyi Plaza.

What to See

Museums

Changsha Municipal Museum 538 Bayi Lu; 八一路538号 - The main exhibition hall is being renovated in May 2016. The other main sight is the former site of the Hunan CPP committee, where the rooms where Mao lived are preserved. The museum is situated in a nice park for a stroll.
Bamboo Slips Museum - Jian Du Bowuguan | 28.18834, 112.97751 Next to Tianxin Pavilion (Tianxinge) Free with identification. This museum contains a both ancient carved bamboo slips and a series of pottery artifacts. The building is architecturally-interesting, as bamboo grows out of one side of it.
Hunan Embroidery Museum - Xiang Xiu Bowuguan | Free This museum is on the second floor of a store that sells high-quality embroidery. Visit and learn about the history of embroidery in Hunan. Special techniques have been locally-developed to achieve finer detail. At the end of the tour, you can visit the workshop where new items are being embroidered. The tour is free, there is no pressure to buy.
Hunan Provincial Museum - 湖南省博物馆 | 28.21534, 112.98859 Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 9AM Monday - 5PM, expect to get kicked out 20 minutes before closing, on a first come first serve basis, your ticket will have a time stamped on it that will show when you are allowed to enter the exam. Show up early in the morning if you want to get in right away, otherwise you might have to pick up a ticket and then return in a few hours to enter Admission is free See the Han perioid tomb of Xin Zui and the Marquess of Dai, and her 2,100 year old preserved body. Her body was still moist and flexible when they found her, with completely elastic skin, and looks more real than Ho Chi Minh. Also at the museum are many exhibits on all kinds of Han Dynasty artifacts, including pottery, lacquerware and an impressive collection of silk.
Dufu Pavilion - 杜甫江阁 | 28.18835, 112.96325 East side of the river on Xiangjiang Middle Road (湘江中路) west of Nanmenkou (南门口) metro station ¥21 Du Fu - The pavilion houses a museum dedicated to the Chinese poet Dufu and contains pictures and information on other famous Chinese poets as well. There is a beautiful tea house on the top floor, the balkonies offer nice views over the river, city and Orange Island, if the weather allows.

Parks

Orange Island - 橘子洲, Júzizhōu | 28.19, 112.9559 Juzizhou Metro Station, line 2 Free Orange Isle - Sometimes also translated as Tangerine Island, this beautifully landscaped park contains a large number of rose bushes, orange trees, a bamboo garden, and a gigantic sculpture of the head of Mao in his youth. Tickets for sightseeing busses that stop at five spots can be purchased for ¥20, and small cruise ships circle the island. Walking from the metro station to the Mao head is 3.3km and takes about 35min. 121926
Yuelu Mountain - 岳麓山 | 28.19748, 112.94173 on the west side of the river - North of Hunan University, is the national renowned scenic spot, located on the west bank of Xiang River. Many foreigners and local residents alike frequently climb this 300m tall mountain. At the foot of Yuelu Mountain is Yuelu Academy. You can also get up/down by shuttle bus or cable car.
BaiSha Well Park - Bai Sha Gong Yuan | On BaiSha Street Free. This is a local park that contains a well. Although the well is nearly dry, you can still see people filling up containers with the little water that is left.

Other

Hunan University - 湖南大学 | 28.18932, 112.94110 on the west side of the river - You will find lots of great places to eat Halal in and around the studious atmosphere of the various campus' south of Yuelu Mountain. Mao Zedong attended Hunan University there is a statue in honour of this most famous of their alumni.
Tianxin Pavilion - 天心阁 | 28.1870854, 112.9758123 ¥110 This pavilion is next to the ancient city wall. Cannons that have been used to defend the city are perched in the wall.
Jia Yi's Former Residence 28.192593, 112.972302 On Taiping Street, a short walking street. Free with identification. This courtyard contains a number of carved slate tablets and is worth a visit. It is located off of Taiping Street, a pedestrian street which sells traditional crafts, clothes and refreshments.
Mawangdui Tombs 28.208611, 113.021667 ¥2 While this may sound like a tourism attraction, it is simply the ditch in which the tombs were uncovered. There are no artifacts present as everything is in the Hunan Provincial Museum (which is under renovation).
Weekly fireworks 28.19896, 112.96143 Juzizhou (橘子洲) Metro Station Free (Every Saturday evening at 8.30). The city stages fireworks on Juzizhou Island (Orange Island) every week, which can be seen from eg. Wuyi Dadao bridge
Kaifu Temple - 开福寺 | 28.2069, 112.96823 Kaifu Temple Metro Station, Line 1 or Kaifu Temple Street (开福寺路) - Opening Hours: 9:00-18:00 This temple is only ¥20 and you get a package of incense. It is really quite beautiful and is one of the few functioning temples in Changsha. Inside there is a fairly good Vegetarian restaurant, don't be fooled by the menu, all the Meat is fake!

Top Travel Tips

Theaters | Watch traditional folk art, eg lion dance, drum opera, clam dance and Xiang Opera.
Yuelu Academy Hunan University Changsha's west side, South Road ☎ +86 731-88822352 - The Thousand Year Old center of culture and learning of southern China. Established in 976, it is the spiritual predecessor to what is now Hunan University. Rich in history and beautiful period architecture, a visit to the academy will put you in touch with the ancient elites of southern China. You can find all the history on the website and then visit the academy yourself, wandering through its courtyards and open classrooms, admiring the curved eaves and bamboo gardens to get the real experience.
Hike Yuelu Mountain - 岳麓山
Stroll along Xiang river promenade at night - 湘江 | 28.19393, 112.96362 North and south of Dufu pavilion - Enjoy the nicely illuminated Dufu pavilion and Orange Island bridge during a stroll along the Xiang river promenade. Elderly local residents come here to perform various group dances on the sidewalk, with live music ranging from traditional Chinese over tango to pop!

Shopping

Wuyi Shopping Circle 28.19823, 112.97097 Between Wuyi Plaza (五一广场) and Huangxing Plaza (黄兴广场) metro stations - The most important shopping area downtown, tons of shopping malls and stores.
Changsha Walking Street - 长沙步行街 | 28.18921, 112.97062 Between Nanmenkou (南门口) and Huangxing Plaza (黄兴广场) metro stations - Lively walking street with tons of fashion shops, Snacks stores and lined by shopping malls. Here you can find everything from shoes over smartphones to bubble tea and stinky tofu. Becomes very crowded in the afternoon and at night, and sometimes there are live performances, cultural shows and advertising events.
Wangda Plaza (万达广场). It is shopping mall with famous fashion brands such as Coach, Gome, as well as large office buildings with many branch companies such as Logoson. Besides, many Muslim who goes to Changsha will go there at nights of some traditional Chinese festivals, for it is one of the best places to watch fireworks show on Orange Island.
Wangfujing Mall (王府井). There are two Wangfujing malls in Changsha, which are very popular to local young shoppers.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Changsha

To be updated

Muslim Friendly Hotels/Resorts

News & References

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