Changsha is located at 111 53' - 114 5' east longitude and 27 51' - 28 40' north latitude; situated in the east and central part of Hunan and the lower reaches of Xiang River, neighboring Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hubei provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, about 900km (560 miles) west of Shanghai. It got the name of Changsha - 'long sand isle' - because of a shoal in the river.
Changsha belonged to the State of Chu 2,500 years ago and was later ruled by the Qin Dynasty. Being one of the most prosperous cities in China, Changsha is not only the political, economic, cultural and technological center of Hunan province, but also an important stop on the Beijing-Guangzhou national highway and a river port on the Yangtze River.
Furthermore, Changsha has many other famous attractions of important cultural relic protection units above province-level, including Yuelu Academy, Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb and its 2,100 year old perfect-remaining mummy, the Provincial Museum. etc.
