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.

History

The recorded history of Changsha can be traced back 3,000 years. Tomb relics from the primitive periods witnessing the earliest human activities have been discovered in this region.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C. - 476 B.C.), the area developed into an important town within the State of Chu, one of the seven warring states that existed before China's unification by Emperor Qin. After Emperor Qin, the first feudal emperor in China's history, unified the country, the town was set up as a county and later became the capital city of a state in the early Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220).

In the dynasties that followed, Changsha experienced several expansions and during Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it has developed into the political, economic and cultural center of Hunan Province.