Changsha

Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China, situated in the lower reaches of the Xiang River in the northeastern part of the province. It is the 15th most populous city in the country, with a population of over 10.5 million. The city is a core component of the Greater Changsha Metropolitan Region, which also includes Zhuzhou and Xiangtan—collectively known as the Changzhutan City Cluster. This metropolitan area was recognized by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2012 as one of 13 emerging mega-cities in China. Changsha is designated a National Comprehensive Transportation Hub and is among the first National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities in China. The local dialect, Changshanese, a form of Xiang Chinese, is spoken in the downtown area, while Ningxiangnese and Liuyangnese are used in surrounding counties and cities.

The city’s history spans over 2,400 years of continuous urban development. The name "Changsha" first appeared in the pre-Qin text *Yi Zhou Shu*. During the Qin dynasty, the Changsha Commandery was established, followed by the Changsha Kingdom in the Western Han. In the Tang dynasty, the Tongguan Kiln produced the world’s earliest underglaze porcelain, which was exported to Western Asia, Africa, and Europe. During the Five Dynasties period, Changsha served as the capital of Southern Chu. In the Northern Song, the Yuelu Academy—later Hunan University—was one of the four major private academies over the past millennium. In the late Qing, Changsha became one of China’s four major trade hubs for rice and tea. Opened to foreign trade in 1904, it evolved into a revolutionary center: Tan Sitong founded the School of Current Affairs, Huang Xing established the China Arise Society, and Mao Zedong conducted early political activities there. During the Republican era, the city was a major home front in the Second Sino-Japanese War, but the Wenxi Fire of 1938 and the three Battles of Changsha (1939–1942) severely damaged its economy and infrastructure.

Today, Changsha is a core city in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Belt and Road Initiative, classified as a new Chinese first-tier city and a pioneering area for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. It is rated a Beta- (global second-tier) city by the GaWC. Known as the "Construction machinery capital of the world," its main industries include construction machinery and new materials, alon