Changsha is rich in tourist resources because of its unique geographical location. Surrounding the city are the beautiful Yuelu Mountain, Dawei Mountain and Weishan Mountain, and the Xiangjiang River and Liuyang River flow across it. The Juzizhou scenic spot in the city is regarded as one of the eight most charming places in Hunan attracting both domestic and overseas visitors.
The rapid social and economic development in Changsha has laid the foundation for the local tourism boom. In 1998, the city realized 54.285 billion yuan of GNP, which meant it had reached its strategic goal ahead of schedule and that local residents enjoy a higher standard of living. Changsha is also among the 50 top Chinese cities in terms of general economic strength.
Being the political, economic, scientific and technological, educational, cultural and transportation center in Hunan,  Changsha is quite a large place occupying land of 11,800 sq. km. With a population of 5.63 million, Changsha is among the first group of Chinese cities which were selected as famous historical and cultural cities in the country and allowed to open-up to the outside world. Thus, it has become an important city in central China enjoying the fastest economic growth and immense vitality.
A cradle of the ancient Chu and Xiang civilizations rooted in central China, Changsha was the hometown of many great figures in both ancient and modern history of China, including Qu Yuan, Jia Yi, Zhu Xi, Zeng Guofan, Mao Zedong and Liu shaoqi. The city boasts countless discoveries of historical and cultural values. For example, unearthed here was the world-famous Mawangdui Tomb of the Han Dynasty, in which a female mummy and her jewelry, which are 2,000 years old, were discovered. Recently, 170,000 bamboo sticks that were used for printing books were found in an ancient tomb in Changsha. This discovery, harking back to the period from 220 to 280, is regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in China so far. Changsha is also famous for being the home of Yuelu Shuyuan (an academic institution) which was established about 1,000 years ago.
In 1998, Changsha received 25 million tourists and realized a turnover of 4.7 billion yuan. This included 194,000 foreign visitors that created profits for the sector totaling $ 100 million. At present, Changsha has 44 hotels including three five-star, one four-star and eight three-star ones. The city also has 78 travel agencies operating both domestic and foreign business. Changsha has 170 popular scenic spots including five summer resorts.
In 1998, Changsha won an award as one of the Top Tourist Cities in China.
Tourist Consulting Offices Changsha
The Changsha Administration of Tourism has established tourist consulting offices in various places including the western, eastern and northern long distance bus stations in Changsha, as well as the docks where the boats arrive, where tourist information and brochures are available. The city has also a special telephone number (0731-2253935), through which up-to-date tourist information can be obtained. 
The Signs in Public Places Changsha
According to international practice, the municipal administration of Changsha has provided public information signs in all major places including holiday villages, hotels, the airport, the railway station and the docks. All these signs are standard, accurate and conspicuous.
Foreign Language Changsha
All the street signs on the main roads and scenic spots are in both Chinese and English for the convenience of foreign visitors.
Public Facilities Changsha
Thanks to the reform and opening up policy, telecommunications in Changsha have developed rapidly, holding the leading place among the provinces. By the end of March 1999, there were 30,416 public telephones in Changsha, including 17,996 ordinary public telephones, 2,267 for use with IC cards, 421 portable ones and 9,565 installed on campus.
All the travel agencies and hotels in the city provide the service of ticket reservation by telephone. |
