Major Economic Indicators (2010)
As the capital of Hunan in central China, Changsha is the center of the province in terms of its politics, economy, finance and commerce. It is located in the northeast of Hunan, spanning an area of 11,819 sq km. The city has five districts, three counties and one county-level city under its jurisdiction, and its population totaled 6.6 million at the end of 2009.
Changsha has accessible river transportation. It remains the busiest port on the Xiang River and is open to traffic services that reach Xiangtan, Yueyang, etc. In addition, Changsha is one of the three major stops on the Beijing-Guangzhou line, with traveling times of 12 hours to Guangzhou and 16 hours to Beijing. Its highway system offers convenient access to every part of the landlocked province.
At the end of 2009, Changsha had 88 science R&D institutes, and 48 universities and colleges with over 454,300 students. These include Hunan University and National University of Defense Technology.
Hunan Opera is a local artform that enjoys the same renown as Wuhan Opera and Sichuan Opera. It has high, elastic, Kun and low pitched tones. The province’s people have been entertained by Hunan Opera for the past five hundred years since its birth.
Changsha was among the first batch of twenty-four cities nation-wide to be listed as a famous historic and cultural city by the State Council of China. Throughout history, it was famed for being one of the four largest rice markets and tea markets in the country. Changsha has also developed a fluorishing handicraft industry. Now, many handicraft skills have been succeed, such as stone carvings, etc.
In recent years, Changsha has become an important creative center for TV and entertainment. Its many TV stations have produced some of the most popular programs in China, including Super Girl – a Chinese female version of American Idol that became the most highly-watched program ever to air on Chinese TV. These programs have attracted the growth of a new entertainment industry, including singing bars, dance clubs, theater shows, as well as related businesses like hair salons, fashion stores, and hot spicy snacks at night.
Changsha’s attractions include the Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb and its 2,100 year old mummy, and the Yuelu Academy. Yuelu Academy is one of the most famous ancient academies in China. Its history dates back to AD 958.
Hunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot and spicy flavors, fresh aromas and deep colors. Unlike Sichuan cuisine, which often employs peppercorns along with chilies, Hunan cuisine is spicier due to its pure chili content, and uses smoked and cured goods in its dishes much more frequently.
By the end of 2010, Changsha had established two state-level development zones. The area and pillar industries of these two zones are presented in the table as follows.
National Garden City (2008))-Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the PRC
China’s Service Outsourcing Base City (2007)-Ministry of Commerce, PRC, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China
Best Investment Potential City in China for MNCs (2006)-Institute of Industrial Economics of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
China Historic and Cultural City (1982) -State Council, PRC
