Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province. The history of the city dates back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC) and Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). It is also the centre of Huxiang Culture. Encompassing 11,819 square kilometres, the city is composed of five districts and four counties with a population of 5.82 million. The area and population of the city proper are 554 square kilometres and 1.51 million respectively. The city lies in the rich Xiangjiang Plain. The yearly average temperature is 17.2 C’ . At the end of 1998, Changsha was named China’s “excellent tourist city.” The mainstay industries of Changsha are food, electronics, machinery, chemicals, building materials, textiles, pharmaceuticals and metallurgy. Traditional export products including Hunan embroidery, fireworks, pottery, porcelain and granite enjoy a good reputation in the international market.
Changsha is not a very big city and you don’t need a tour guide here. There are some good places for you if you are a big fan of Karaoke:
(1). Wensha: It is located in the famous Huangxinlu Street of Changsha. Wensha is most people’s first choice for Karaoke in Changsha. The price is a little bit high but the sound systems are perfect. There is no free buffet in it. ( small room: 380 rmb for 4 hours, middle room: 620 rmb for 4 hours. ) The phone number for reservation: 0731-2827777. There are no enough small rooms in Wensha and you’d better make a reservation if you need a small room in Wensha.
(2). Party World (Qiangui): It is a very famous KTV brand in China. There is another “Diamond Party World (Zhuanshi Qiangui)” in Changsha and it has nothing to do with the Party World. The “Diamond Party World” is very expensive and their services are terrible. The real Party World is located in the opposite of Xilandeng Hotel. To get here, you can get a taxicab and just tell the driver to go to the Party World (Qiangui) close to the Xilandeng Hotel. The bus is not a good choice for your Changsha travel because their serives are not so good here.
(3). Haoledi: The sound systems here are not bad and price is not high. Only 168 rmb for a night ( 4-5 hours). Haoledi is close to the big ferris wheel of Changsha and you can see the night scenes of Changsha after your Karaoke if you like. The view is not bad here.
If you are looking for some cheap hotels or motels in Changsha, here are some good options for you: 7 Days Inn, Friendship Hotel, Hanting Inns & Hotels. They are all in the famous Huangxinlu Street and the price is not high. ( You can find more information about the China vacations, Beijing flights and Lhasa travel at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM )
Another thing you need to know is that there are many thieves in Changsha and you have to be very careful about your cell phone or bags. My friend lost 3 cell phones and 2 wallets in a year here.
Eat in Changsha: The snacks here are very attractive to the travellers. The most famous restaurant here is the Huogongdian (in Huangxinlu Street). It is called a “restaurant with a history of more than 100 years”. This place is also Chairman Mao’s ( The 1st president of P.R.China ) favourite. I like the Buliaoguo here. It is in the Huangxinlu Street too and is notable of its chafing dishes. The chafing dishes here are cheaper than the Huogongdian.