Changsha (capital of

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...

province in the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

) has a history going back over 3000 years. It has grown to an important town of economy, culture and garrison in the southern area of

Chu State Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou he ...

(1115 B.C.-223 B.C.). In the

Later Tang dynasty Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four e ...

(923-936), the king of Chu,

Ma Yin Ma Yin (; c. 853 – December 2, 930), courtesy name Batu (霸圖), formally King Wumu of Chu (楚武穆王), was Chinese military general and politician who became the first ruler of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Chu and the o ...

, founded the Chu Kingdom (927-963) and set it as the capital, the city quickly became the largest and most important population, commercial and financial center in

southern China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...

. It was devastated by the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...

and the Wenxi Fire in 1938 but was quickly rebuilt. As of 2016, Changsha was ranked 13th of cities of China by comprehensive strength in 2016.

Prehistory

The history of Changsha dates back to the primitive times. As early as the

Paleolithic Period The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος '' lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone to ...

(20,000 to 150,000 years ago), there have been human activities in Changsha. The 7,100 year old

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

cultural relics at Nantuo Datang () have shown us the time-honored rice cultivation civilization of Changsha.

Xia-Shang-Zhou Period

In the

Xia Xia (Hsia in Wade–Giles) may refer to: Chinese history * Xia dynasty (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC), the first orthodox dynasty in Chinese history * Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms) (407–431), a Xiongnu-led dynasty * Xia (617–621), a state founded by Dou Ji ...

-Shang- Zhou Period, Changsha came under the jurisdiction of an ancient kingdom, Sanmiao (). Square zun with four sheep 01

In the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...

(about 1,600 B.C.-1046 B.C.), Changsha was under the jurisdiction of

Yangyue The Yangyue () were a tribe of the Yue people, one of the ancient peoples of South China. In Chinese historical books, the earliest description about the Yangyue appeared during the Warring States period. The commonly accepted hypothesis is that ...

(), which was a branch of

Baiyue The Baiyue (, ), Hundred Yue, or simply Yue (; ), were various ethnic groups who inhabited the regions of East China, South China and Northern Vietnam during the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. They were known for their short hair, ...

tribe (). The aboriginal culture has reached a certain level here. The most well-known human habitation in Changsha area was at

Huangcai Huangcai Town () is a rural town in Ningxiang City, Hunan Province, China. It is surrounded by Xiangzikou Town, Shatian Township and Weishan Township on the west, Songmutang Town on the north, Hengshi Town on the east, and Laoliangcang Town ...

Town, where evidence was found of Tanheli site dated back to

(1159 B.C.-1046 B.C.). In the 20th century, the Four-goat Square Zun and Dahe Renmianwen Square Ding were discovered at Tanheli site in Huangcai Town of Ningxiang. The artifacts date to the late Shang dynasty (11th-10th century B.C.) and are preserved in the

National Museum of China The National Museum of China () flanks the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The museum's mission is to educate about the arts and history of China. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic ...

Warring States Period

In the

Warring States Period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

(475 B.C.-221 B.C.), Changsha was under the jurisdiction of Qianzhong Prefecture () of Chu State and it was an important town of economy, culture and garrison in the southern area of Chu. In the late period of Chu,

Qu Yuan Qu Yuan ( – 278 BCE) was a Chinese poet and politician in the Chu (state), State of Chu during the Warring States period. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to Classical Chinese poetry, classical poetry and verses, ...

was exiled to Yuanxiang (, today's Hunan province), he is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the ''

Chu Ci The ''Chu ci'', variously translated as ''Verses of Chu,'' ''Songs of Chu'', or ''Elegies of Chu'', is an ancient anthology of Chinese poetry including works traditionally attributed mainly to Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period ...

'' anthology (also known as ''The Songs of the South or Songs of Chu''): a volume of poems attributed to or considered to be inspired by his verse writing.

Han dynasty

In the 5th year (202 B.C.) of

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

, king of Changsha, Wu Rui, set Changsha as capital and named it as Linxiang County (). In the early Western Han dynasty (208 BC-8 AD), Sanshishu Town () was fortified at Sanchaji () on the west bank of

Xiangjiang River The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the 2nd largest tributary (after Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the 5th largest tributar ...

. In the late Western Han dynasty, a waterside town, named “Beijin Town” (), was fortified at the dock of Xiangjiang River outside the area from today's Daxi Gate () to Tonghuo Gate ().

Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

was introduced into Changsha same time in the 3rd century, in the 4th year (268) of Taishi Period of Jin dynasty (266-316),

Lushan Temple Lushan Temple (), is a Buddhist temple at Yuelu Mountain, Changsha, Hunan, China. It includes the Entrance, Hall of Great Heroes, Zazen room, and dining room, etc. History Jin dynasty In 268, in the fourth year of the Taishi era of Emperor Wu of ...

was built at Mount Yuelu by the Indian Buddhist monk Zhu Fachong (). In the

Southern dynasty The Southern dynasties () describe a succession of Chinese empires that coexisted alongside a series of Northern dynasties. The era is generally described as the Northern and Southern dynasties, lasting from 420–589 AD after the Jin and before ...

(420-589), Xiangxi County was separated from Linxiang County. Linxiang was the chief county of Changsha Prefecture. In the 1st year of Yongjia period of

Western Jin dynasty Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Jingzhou Jingzhou () is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the 2020 census, 1,068,291 of whom resided in the built-up (''or metro' ...

and Jiangzhou () are separated, and Xiangzhou () was set up. Linxiang County became the seat of local government.

Sui and Tang dynasties

In the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), the wall of Changsha extended eastward to Xiaowu Gate (), Liuyang Gate (), southward to Nanmenkou (), westward to the Daxi and Xiaoxi Gates (), and northward to the south of Sima Bridge (), Dengzi Bridge () and Huoyuan Bridge (). In the year of 589,

Sui Empire The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

(581-618) unified China and changed Liuxiang County to Changsha County, and took Tanzhou as the place of local government. In the 3rd year of Daye Period, Sui changed Tanzhou to Changsha Prefecture (). In the Tang dynasty (618-907), Changsha was set as Tanzhou and later as Changsha Prefecture. In the middle Tang dynasty, the economy in Changsha became increasingly prosperous, Liuyang saw a rise of production of fireworks, and Changsha Tongguan Kiln () invented underglaze painted porcelain. At the time, the Buddhism flourished, Miyin Temple was established in

Ningxiang Ningxiang () is a county-level city and the 2nd most populous county-level division in the Province of Hunan, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changsha. The city is bordered to the north by Heshan District of ...

and

Shishuang Temple Shishuang Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in the town of Jingang, Liuyang, Hunan, China. In ancient times, Shishuang Temple, Daowu Temple (), Baogai Temple () and Daguang Temple () were called "Four Buddhist Temples in Liuyang". Histo ...

was built in

Liuyang Liuyang () is a county-level city, the most populous and the easternmost county-level division of Hunan Province, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, the provincial capital. Located on the northeaste ...

. Since the Zhenguan Period of Tang dynasty, talented people gathered in Changsha in succession.

Ouyang Xun Ouyang Xun (; 557–641), courtesy name Xinben (), was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, and writer of the early Tang dynasty. He was born in Hunan, Changsha, to a family of government officials; and died in modern Anhui province. Achievements ...

and his son were proficient in both regular and cursive calligraphies.

Huaisu image:怀素苦笋帖.jpg, 250px, One of Huai Su's surviving works Huaisu (, 737–799), courtesy name Zangzhen (), was a Buddhism, Buddhist monk and Chinese calligraphy, calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, famous for his Cursive script (East Asia), ...

was famous for his vivid and powerful penmanship.

Du Fu Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Tang dynasty poet and politician. Along with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai (Li Po), he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets.Ebrey, 103. His greatest ambition was to serve his country as ...

Li Bai Li Bai (, 701–762), also pronounced as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet, acclaimed from his own time to the present as a brilliant and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du F ...

Han Yu Han Yu (; 76825 December 824), courtesy name Tuizhi (), and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公), was a Chinese essayist, poet, philosopher, and politician during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the devel ...

Meng Haoran Meng Haoran (; 689/691–740) was a major Tang dynasty poet, and a somewhat older contemporary of Wang Wei, Li Bai and Du Fu. Despite his brief pursuit of an official career, Meng Haoran mainly lived in and wrote about the area in which he was ...

Li Shangyin Li Shangyin (, 813858), courtesy name Yishan (), was a Chinese poet and politician of the late Tang dynasty, born in the Henei Commandery (now Qinyang, Henan). He is noted for the imagist quality of his poems and his "no title" () style of poe ...

Zhang Jiuling Zhang Jiuling () (678 or 673–740), courtesy name Zishou (), nickname Bowu (), formally Count Wenxian of Shixing (), was a prominent minister, noted poet and scholar of the Tang dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. ...

and many other celebrities have served as an official, or settled in Changsha, leaving innumerable popular poetic inscriptions.

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

In the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...

(907-960), in the 2nd year of Tiancheng Period of

(927), the king of Chu,

, founded Chu Kingdom and set Changsha as its capital. The north city wall extended to the area around Xiangya Road () which was located to the south of today's Kaifu Temple. Longxi County () was set up in southeastern Changsha, and Luzhiling () of Huangxing Town was the county seat. Ma's kingdom was committed to actively developing agriculture, industry and commerce. As it became stronger, the kingdom established Huichun Park, Jiayan Hall, Bixiang Palace and Jiulong Palace successively at south and north area of the city, later, Kaifu Temple was built at Huichun Park, facilitating the development of Buddhism. In the 2nd year of Guangshun Period in the

Later Zhou dynasty Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei ( ...

(952),

Bian Hao Bian Hao (邊鎬), nickname Kangle (康樂), was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Southern Tang. Early in his career, he distinguished himself in campaigns against the agrarian army leader Zhang Yuxian and aga ...

, the general of Southern Tang kingdom, invaded the Chu kingdom, leading the demise of the Chu kingdom.

Song dynasty

In the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

(960-1279), Changsha's economy and culture ascended to a new level, and the education was extremely prosperous. In February of the 1st year of Qiande (963), Tanzhou was incorporated into the territory of

Song Empire The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

. Two years later in 965, Longxi County was renamed as Changfeng County (), the county seat was moved to today's East Lake Subdistrict of

Furong District Furong District () is one of six urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, Hunan Province, China. It is the smallest district of Changsha by area. Furong District is a part of the core of the Changsha urban area, located in the mi ...

, it was the predecessor of Shanhua County (). In the 3rd year of Zhidao Period (997), the whole country was divided into 15 zones, and Tanzhou was the seat of the government for South Jing-Hu Zone (). In the 1st year of Yuanfu (1098), Shanhua County was set up, and separated from Changsha County and both counties were governed independently under the jurisdiction of the same city. In the 9th year of Kaibao Period (976), chief of Tanzhou, Zhu Dong (), founded the

Yuelu Academy The Yuelu Academy (also as known as the ''Yuelu Academy of Classical Learning'', ) is on the east side of Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, Hunan province, on the west bank of the Xiang River. As one of the four most prestigious academies over the last ...

at the foot of

Yuelu Mountain Yuelu Mountain () is located on the west bank of the Xiang River, one tributary of Wu River in Changsha, Hunan. Its main peak and the highest point, Yunlu Peak, is about above the sea level. Introduction of Yuelu Mountain There are more than ...

, and made it among the "four best academies" of the country. In the 3rd year of Qiandao Period,

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

came to Changsha and worked for Yuelu Academy together with Zhang Shi. In the 2nd year of Shaoxing Period, Li Gang, anfushi of Huan (), proposed the emperor to demolish the city wallby one third, relocated the north city wall to the area around today's Xiangchun Road ().

Yuan dynasty

In the 13th year (1276) of Zhiyuan Period of the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), Changsha was incorporated into the territory of Yuan Empire. In the following year, the Tanzhou province was set up. In the 18th year (1281) of Zhiyuan Period, Tanzhou province was renamed Tanzhoulu (). In the 2nd year (1329) of Tianli Period, Tanzhoulu was changed as Tianlinlu (). In the 24th year (1364) of Zhizheng Period,

Xu Da Xu Da (1332–1385), courtesy name Tiande, was a Chinese military general and politician who lived in the late Yuan dynasty and early Ming dynasty. He was a friend of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first ruler of the Ming dynasty, and assist ...

liberated Changsha, renamed it Tanzhou Prefecture ().

Ming dynasty

During the Hongwu Period (1368-1398) of

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

(1368-1644), the city wall along the Xiangjiang River was repaired, four west gates was restored, and seven wharfs were built along the Xiangjiang River. In June of the 5th year of Hongwu Period, Tanzhou was renamed as Changsha Prefecture () with 12 counties under its jurisdiction, Changsha was the seat of its government, and it was affiliated to Hu-Guang provincial administrative commissioner. The city wall was totally renovated and the footing of wall was built by stone stripes. In the 14th year of Chenghua Period (1478), Prince Ji, also known as Zhu Jianjun (), became the seignior of Changsha and founded his palace. In the Wanli Period (1573-1620), Tang Yuan (), the magistrate of Shanhua County, dug and dredged the South Lake Stream ().

Qing dynasty

In the 4th year of Shunzhi Period (1647) of

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

(1644-1911), Gao Shijun () led his army to conquer Changsha and Changsha was then incorporated into the territory of Qing Empire. Changsha Prefecture was set up, affiliated to Hu-Guang Province and still possessed 12 counties. Prince Ji's palace was pulled down and the bricks and stones were used to consolidate the city wall and moat. In the 3rd year of Kangxi Period (1664), Pianyuan Xunfu (, provincial governor) moved to Changsha. Hu-Guang Province () was divided into two provinces. Changsha came under the jurisdiction of Hunan province. During the Yongzheng Period (1723-1736), Changsha extended from east to west and eight canals were built. Since they were approved by the Yongzheng Emperor personally, they were called “Imperial canals”. In the 2nd year of Yongzheng Period (1724), the title of Pianyuan Xunfu was renamed as Hunan Xunfu (). In around the 24th year of Guangxu Period (1898), the earliest industry zone came into being outside the south gate of Changsha. In around the 30th year of Guangxu Period (1904), Changsha was opened as a commercial port and the areas along the river could be rented by ferry operators. In the 31st year of Guangxu Period (1905), Changsha-Zhuzhou section of Yuehan Railway was completed. Changsha Railway Station was established outside the Xiaowu Gate (now Furong Square) of Changsha city wall.

Republic of China

In April 1912, Changsha and Shanhua merged into Changsha County and Changsha Prefecture was revoked. Changsha County came under the direct jurisdiction of provincial government. In 1913, Huang Xing proposed the urban.planning concept for Changsha in the address that he delivered in the joint welcome meeting held by ten groups of Hunan province. In 1921, Changsha government prepared “Changsha Municipal Planning”, planned the urban area extended southward to Chigangchong () and Nanhugang () and northward to Yazipu () along the

Liuyang River The Liuyang River (), also known as Liu River () or Liuwei River (), is a right-bank tributary of Xiang River, the largest tributary of Xiang River in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. The river has a length of with its drainage area of , account ...

to the estuary of the Xiangjiang River. In 1922, Changsha was selected as the capital of Hunan. In 1924, the ancient city wall of Changsha was demolished, only

Tianxin Pavilion Tianxin Pavilion () is an ancient Chinese pavilion located on the ancient city wall of Changsha, Hunan. The pavilion was first established in the 14th century, at the dawn of Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but because of war and natural disasters ...

section and the ancient pavilion were reserved. From 1924 to 1932, Changsha government decided to build the riverside road. In 1929, the first bituminous road was built with the name of “Zhongshan Road” (), named after

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

. In 1932, He Yuanwen (), the first mayor of Changsha, presided over the preparation of the “Plan of Changsha New Urban Area”, and Yuanjialing () was planned as the central part of the urban area. In 1933, Changsha was officially set as a city and become the capital of Hunan province. In 1936, the Changsha section of Guangzhou-Wuchang Railway () was completely open to traffic. In November 1938, the " Wenxi Fire" broke out. Most of the scenic spots and historical sites as well as the buildings inside the city were destroyed. In 1941, the Changsha government prepared the “Planning for Changsha New Urban Area”, and planned that its population would increase to 1 million and the urban land would reach 119 square kilometers in 20 years.

People's Republic of China

On August 5, 1949, Changsha was liberated peacefully and became the capital of Hunan province. As of 2017, Changsha possesses 6 districts (Furong, Tianxin, Yuelu, Yuhua, Kaifu and Wangcheng) and 3 counties/cities (Changsha County, Ningxiang and Liuyang).

Prehistory

Xia-Shang-Zhou Period

Warring States Period

Han dynasty

Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties

Sui and Tang dynasties

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Song dynasty

Yuan dynasty

Ming dynasty

Qing dynasty

Republic of China

People's Republic of China

References

Further reading