Changsha is among the 24 cities in China which have been first listed by the government as famous historical and cultural cities. The earliest inhabitants settled in Changsha about 7,000 years ago, and the city has a written history of more than 3,000 years. During the Xia and Shang dynasties, Changsha belonged to the ancient Sanmiaoyuan land; in the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods, it was an important economic, cultural, and military town of southem Chu state. In 221 BC, Emperor Qin Shihuang unified China, and placed Changsha as one of its 36 towns. In Han Dynasty, it was the capital of Changsha State; it belongs to Wu State during the Three Kingdowm period. It was renamed as to Tanzhou several times during Sui and Tang dynasties. It was under Jinghu South Road in Song Dynasty, and renamed as Changsha Prefecture in Ming Dynasty. It became a part of Hunan Province in Qing Dynasty, and was renamed as the capital of Hunan Province in 1922. in 1933, it was chosen as Changsha City, and it was peacefully liberated on August 5, 1949. The long history and the brilliant culture of Changsha leave abundant cultural heritage for Changsha people. A great number of historical relics have been unearthed such as the ancient ceramics of about 7,000 years ago, the unearthed antiques in Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb of over 2,000 years ago, the biggest bronze musical instruments in China made and used in the Shang Dynasty (21st-16th century BC), and the first academy among the four ancient academies in China-Yuelu Academy, as well as large amounts of bamboo and wooden books made in the Three Kingdoms Period, the earliest map, the first writing brush and the first steel sword ever found in China. All these make the ancient city Changsha full of charm and attraction.

The climate in Changsha has sub-tropical characteristics and is there fore very humid all year round. The city has clearly defined seasons, with an average temperature of 16.8-17.2 degrees Centigrade, reaching 40 degrees in summer and dropping to 1 or 2 degrees below zero in winter. With an average sunshine of 1,726 hours a year, it enjoys a long frost free period as long as 279.3 days per year on average.

Changsha was proclaimed one of the 24 cultural and historical cities by the State Council and listed among the first batch of open tourist cities. The famous historic sites here are the Yuelu Academy, the Mawangdui Tomb, the Kaifu Temple, and the Tianxin Pavilion. The well-known scenic spots are the Yuelu Mountain, the Martyrs' Park and the Island of Oranges. The Hunan cuisine, Hunan embroidery and Hunan opera are all with recognizable local characteristics.